Search begins to fill most prestigious arts job in the world as International Festival supremo to step down in September
The most prestigious arts job in the world is up for grabs with the confirmation that Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) supremo Fergus Linehan will complete his tenure as director of the annual event in September.
Beginning the search for his successor, who will launch their programming and curatorial vision at the 2023 festival, the EIF will say farewell to Linehan after an eight-year period, during which time he has has been acclaimed for reaffirming the EIF'S position as the world’s leading performing arts festival.
Keith Skeoch, chair of Edinburgh International Festival Board, said: "As Fergus Linehan completes his exceptional eight-year tenure as Festival Director in September 2022, we now commence our worldwide search for his successor.
"The successful applicant will join at a historic moment as the broader arts sector rebuilds after Covid-19. In a recruitment process led by Heather Newill at AEM International, we seek applicants with experience working
across genres and around the world, with the skill and ambition to grow the festival’s global reach and influence."
Linehan became festival director of the EIF in 2014, presenting his first festival programme a year later. Previously he had produced shows at and directed the Dublin Theatre Festival, comissioning plays by the likes of Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and Roddy Doyle. He was also chief executive and artistic director of the Sydney Festival and head of music at Sydney Opera House.
The new festival director will be expected to take the International Festival to its next stage, bringing the finest music, dance, opera and theatre performers to Edinburgh’s renowned performance venues alongside a digital programme that gives global audiences access to the Festival from their own homes. The International Festival is seeking an outstanding artistic leader with the creativity, vision and dynamism to shape the future of the Festival.
Skeoch advises hopefuls in the candidate information pack: 'We believe that Festival Directors can come from many backgrounds and we welcome and embrace applications from everyone with the experience, skills and qualities detailed in this pack.”