Address
Form of work
SalaryAbout the organisation
Sydney Dance Company – a legendary force in contemporary dance – celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. Since 1986 the Company has been a resident of the purpose-built studios at The Wharf in Sydney’s Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, on the land and over the saltwater of Gadigal Country.
Dance changes people. It’s more than simply witnessing something beautiful or engaging with culture. To experience dance is to be positively altered. In performances at venues ranging from The Joyce Theater in New York to the Shanghai Grand Theatre, the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris and at home at the Roslyn Packer Theatre and Sydney Opera House, Sydney Dance Company has proved that there are no passive observers in a contemporary dance audience.
The reward of transforming audiences, and the raw pride of sharing Australian art with the world, has driven our ensemble of 17 dancers, led by Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, to become one of the world’s strongest forces in contemporary dance.
Alongside Bonachela’s original works, our programs have featured guest choreographers such as Melanie Lane, William Forsythe, Antony Hamilton, Gabrielle Nankivell, Stephanie Lake, Alexander Ekman, Marina Mascarell and Cheng Tsung Lung, collaborations with Sydney Festival, Australian String Quartet, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Composing Women, composers Bryce Dessner, Nick Wales and the late Ezio Bosso, visual artists Lauren Brincat and Leah Giblin, and fashion designers Bianca Spender and Romance Was Born.
We are also no longer solely a professional dance company, with a broad community beyond the practice and performance of our Company dancers.
We are determined to support a diverse range of other dance makers and creatives through the many branches of our company, expanding the creative practice and opportunities for our artform and its artists. The future faces of Australian contemporary dance work alongside our ensemble, develop their practice, and inspire the next generation through engagement with our pre-professional students. Independent voices are offered curated opportunities to amplify and showcase their work in our home at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, alongside supported space and time to explore, create, develop and rehearse.
We have extended and broadened our education, outreach, and training activities to become a gateway for people to participate in dance at all levels, all helping to expand the Company’s reach. We believe in the universality of dance, and, with over 80,000 attendances annually, we have the largest public dance class program in Australia, ensuring that each and every one of us can connect with the grace, strength and creativity of dance. Our nationwide education program offers multiple opportunities for primary and secondary students through to career focused study for Pre- Professional Year dancers and university graduates.
About the role
The Philanthropy team is responsible for generating approximately 20-25% of Sydney Dance Company’s annual revenue. The generosity of Sydney Dance Company’s philanthropic and corporate partners has a huge impact on the organisation’s capacity to deliver exceptional contemporary dance experiences by enabling the Company to create and commission new work, share this work on tour across Australia and around the world and invest in the future of the artform through education, outreach and training opportunities for young, aspiring dancers.
The Head of Philanthropy is responsible for collaborating with the Philanthropy & Partnerships Director to develop strategies for acquisition, retention and growth, to increase philanthropic support to meet financial targets. The Head of Philanthropy takes the lead on all major gift fundraising and utilises a high degree of emotional intelligence, tact and integrity to ensure that strong and respectful relationships with the Company’s donors, supporters, stakeholders and prospects are maintained, nurtured and cultivated. The Head of Philanthropy stewards existing major donors and engages donor prospects, building a pipeline for new and increased major gifts.
This role will suit a resourceful, passionate and driven philanthropy professional from the arts or other NFP sector looking to make a significant contribution to the next phase of an iconic Australian performing arts organisation’s development. The ideal candidate will have proven success raising funds, exceptional communication skills, an interest in dance or the performing arts and be strongly aligned to our organisational values.
How to apply
Please forward your application by email to Alan Watt, Philanthropy & Partnerships Director, Sydney Dance Company alanw@sydneydancecompany.com
Your application should include:
1. Your Curriculum Vitae (no more than 3 pages, and including 2-3 professional references)
2. A cover letter summarising how your experience is applicable to the role as outlined in the Key Accountabilities and Selection Criteria (no more than 1 page).
Note: There is no requirement to individually address each accountability or selection criteria. Selected candidates will be asked to expand on this in the interview process.
3. An indication of your earliest availability to commence in the role if you were to be successful.
Please quote in application: Head of Philanthropy via Pro Bono Australia.
Sector: #Arts_and_Culture
