BEURSSCHOUWBURG is looking for artistic director
BEURSSCHOUWBURG is a vibrant arts centre for performing arts, music and film, as well as work that moves between or at the edges of these genres. Our activities are based in Brussels and function as a platform for the presentation and development of diverse artistic practices and research. We are drawn to the unexpected — to work that challenges and surprises. Together we build a house that continually reinvents itself: with an open mind, a beating heart and a deep belief in the power of imagination.
After six years at the helm of Beursschouwburg, Melat Gebeyaw Nigussie has announced her departure. She will step down from her mandate in July 2026. This marks a moment of renewal for the cultural house as it enters a new policy period. The new artistic director will be asked to start contributing, at least part-time from 1 August 2026, to the policy plan for 2028–2032. This new policy period will also coincide with the start of renovation works in the Auguste Ortsstraat building and the relocation of artistic activities to a temporary venue.
We are looking for an experienced artistic director who is excited to lead the artistic programme during this period of temporary relocation and to guide Beursschouwburg back home after the renovation of the Auguste Ortsstraat building. Someone with a heart for Brussels and familiarity with the specific character of Beursschouwburg. An initiator with both vision and confidence, as well as decisiveness and strong interpersonal skills — someone who can motivate people, help teams flourish and communicate ideas convincingly.
JOB DESCRIPTION
As Artistic Director, your core responsibilities include:
—Developing, together with the artistic team, the vision and direction of Beursschouwburg, with attention to audience engagement, social relevance and local and international developments.
— Taking final responsibility for the artistic programme and programming the performing arts activities (theatre/dance).
— Building and strengthening local and international collaborations and representing Beursschouwburg within the arts sector.
— Acting as the main point of contact for artistic partnerships, the press and the media. Contributing to the development of a strong brand identity for Beursschouwburg and overseeing the implementation of an inclusive and multilingual communication strategy that opens doors, engages audiences, fills venues and anchors the house in the broader metropolitan public debate.
Together with the Managing Director, you form the management team responsible for the overall coordination:
— The management team leads a motivated staff of 24 permanent employees, including four senior staff members. It acts as an inspirer, sounding board and connecting link between the different teams, and ensures good internal communication.
— The management team is responsible for relationships with public authorities and for preparing widely supported policy plans and funding applications.
— The management team ensures the organisation’s housing and operational continuity.
— The management team reports to the Board of Directors and the General Assembly on the organisation’s policy and involves internal expertise in that reporting process.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
You have your finger on the pulse of the broader arts sector, hold a clear vision on the importance of art in society and understand how the arts world operates. You are familiar with and feel affinity for the specific dynamics of Brussels as a super-diverse metropolitan context and with the political context of a publicly funded non-profit organisation. You are an enthusiastic networker and a strong communicator in a multilingual environment (Dutch/French/English). You contribute to a warm organisation where mutual appreciation and a motivating organisational culture are central.
HOW WE SEE IT
— You have experience within a non-profit organisation, possess solid management skills and are able to lead the Beursschouwburg team together with the Managing Co-Director.
— You inspire and support the commitment and talents of staff members, demonstrate strong listening skills and an action-oriented approach, and are able to share responsibilities.
— You have experience in developing and implementing an artistic long-term vision and the associated strategic and financial policy plan, supported by the team and the Board of Directors.
— You are able to critically assess the functioning of Beursschouwburg, think innovatively and develop and implement processes of change.
— You have solid and demonstrable experience in contemporary artistic creation, presenting artists and developing programmes. This experience does not need to have been gained exclusively within performing arts organisations.
— You closely follow current developments in the arts and have a keen eye for innovative and boundary-pushing work.
— You combine a strong artistic vision with a healthy sense of realism, balancing ambition with feasibility.
— You have a relevant network, maintain local and international collaborations and further expand them.
— You are able to bring together a diverse network of partners and participants around a coherent, shared project.
— You feel strongly connected to the arts centre, its mission and its audience.
— You have affinity with Brussels and a strong understanding of the city’s artistic and social fabric.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
The desired (possibly part-time) start date for the new Artistic Director is 1 August 2026, with the aim of being employed full-time by January 2027 at the latest. The new artistic director will contribute to the preparation of the 2028–2032 policy plan, which must be submitted on 1 December 2026. The first performing arts programme under the responsibility of the new artistic director will be the 2028 programme. The relocation of Beursschouwburg from the building on Auguste Ortsstraat is planned for autumn 2027.
Offer:
— A challenging position in a dynamic arts centre and an opportunity to give your professional life an exciting new direction.
— A full-time permanent contract starting January 2027. The workload varies throughout the year depending on the artistic programme.
— Salary according to knowledge and experience, in line with the Collective Labour Agreement for the Performing Arts, salary category A (Joint Committee 304).
Additional benefits including: meal vouchers a 13th-month bonus (end-of-year bonus) 100% reimbursement of commuting costs by public transport or bicycle allowance hospitalisation insurance possible home-working allowance telephone allowance reimbursement of professional expenses.
Beursschouwburg aims to reflect as closely as possible the society it engages with. Candidates are selected based on their qualities and skills, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, background, belief, age or disability.
APPLY
Send your motivated application (letter, video or another format to introduce yourself) no later than 6 April 2026 to: Beursschouwburg vzw A. Ortsstraat 20–28 1000 Brussels For the attention of Piet Menu or by email to: voorzitter@beursschouwburg.be For questions about the vacancy, you can contact: Piet Menu, Chair — piet.menu@ap.be or Ellen De Bin, Managing Director — ellen@beursschouwburg.be
All candidates will be informed by 15 April whether their application has been selected for a short in-person conversation based on their motivation and general vision for the role.
Candidates progressing to the next round will be asked to prepare an assignment. A more in-depth interview with the selection committee based on this assignment will take place in the second week of May. The selection committee consists of two board members, the managing director, at least one external expert and an assessor. At this stage of the process, time will also be scheduled for candidates to meet part of the Beursschouwburg team.
The Board of Directors will meet in June to appoint the new Artistic Director. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
