Executive Director

Workman Arts is a multidisciplinary arts organization that promotes a greater understanding of mental health and addiction issues through creation and presentation. The organization supports artists living with mental health and addiction issues through peer-to-peer arts education, public presentations and partnerships with the broader arts community.

Workman Arts is the longest-running multidisciplinary arts and mental health organization in Canada. It was founded in 1987 by Lisa Brown, a former psychiatric nurse at the Queen Street Mental Health Centre (now known as CAMH), as a theatre company of eight member artists. 

Over the years, it has grown to a multidisciplinary arts organization with 500+ member artists. For 35 groundbreaking years, Workman Arts has produced a variety of projects, including: 30+ original full-length Canadian plays, the annual Rendezvous with Madness Festival and the annual Being Scene juried art exhibition.

It is within this context that Workman Arts welcomes applications and nominations for the newly created position of Executive Director.

With a dual reporting relationship to the Workman Arts Board and to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Executive Director will guide a vibrant organization and oversee the development and implementation of Workman Arts’ Strategic Plan. Through inclusive and collaborative leadership, they will foster a culture that champions social justice and embed principles and practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization.

Leading a dedicated and passionate team, the Executive Director is responsible for day-to-day operations, including financial management and human resources all within the context of Workman Art’s strategic priorities. They will also play a key role developing and implementing strategies for sustainable funding and oversee grant submissions to all levels of government, foundations, and individual and corporate donors. In addition, the Executive Director supports the Artistic Director at the signature festivals of Workman Arts; Being Scene, Rendezvous with Madness and Symposia, and other events.

As an organizational spokesperson, and exceptional communicator, the Executive Director actively promotes the work of Workman Arts and its artist members. They serve as a visible leader in the community and sector, building and maintaining strong relationships and effective communications with member artists, staff, CAMH, volunteers, students, alumni, partner agencies and networks, local community groups, professional associations, funders, and government. To ensure Workman Arts remains a sector leader, the Executive Director will engage meaningfully with evolving practices, conversations, and movements in the arts, mental health, and addictions communities—locally, nationally, and globally.

This appointment calls for a compassionate, supportive, and approachable leader who is passionate about empowering artists with lived experience and promoting a greater understanding of mental health and addiction issues through creation and presentation. You bring progressive leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector, ideally in the arts. Experience with mental health and/or addiction issues—particularly lived experience—is deeply valued. You have experience in the areas of strategic and operational planning, change management, financial and human resource management including conflict resolution, and administration, coupled with experience working with a volunteer Board of Directors. You also bring demonstrated success in fundraising and in developing effective relationships with funders, including with government, foundations, donors, and the public.

You can bring together a multitude of teams in multidisciplinary arts and you are described as an engaged partner with exceptional interpersonal and relationship building skills. You are a credible spokesperson and advocate with the communication skills to confidently engage with member artists, governments, partners,  the media, the public and audiences across Canada and around the world and talk meaningfully on creative arts as well as mental health and addiction issues. Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks, anti-sanism, and trauma informed approaches.

Post-Secondary education or equivalent experience is required.

Salary and Work Environment: The salary range for this role is $95,000-$115,000. This is a full-time position (7.5 hours per day) and based on-site 4 to 5 days per week. Occasional evening and weekend work will be required for fundraising and showcase events.

Application Process:

To learn more about this impactful leadership opportunity with Workman Arts, please submit a comprehensive resume along with a cover letter in confidence to Sam Walton (sam@griffithgroup.ca) and/or Noshina Choudhary (noshina@griffithgroup.ca).

The search committee will be meeting on August 20^th to review applications.

Workman Arts is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, and strongly encourages applications from women, Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and persons of all sexual orientations and/or gender identities. Individuals are encouraged to self-identify.

Workman Arts and Griffith Group are committed to an inclusive, accessible and welcoming hiring process that provides reasonable accommodation to all applicants. Please advise Sam Walton (sam@griffithgroup.ca) should you require any accommodation to participate in this posting, recruitment, selection and/or assessment processes.

Priority will be given to individuals legally entitled to work in Canada.