Producer, First Nations Initiatives

Join us as we continue to build a Festival grounded in relationships, respect and community.

About Us

Queensland’s premier arts festival, Brisbane Festival heralds the promise of play and celebration as it lights up the city each September in a blaze of colour.

We create extraordinary art and take up residence throughout the river city, atop iconic landmarks and deep into the suburbs. We host captivating live performances and installations from home and across the world.

Our Festival reflects the diverse communities that give Brisbane its unique voice. We invite audiences to Be Bold with us, to expect art unexpected with open hearts and minds; to be entertained, inspired, and amazed.

Brisbane Festival acknowledges this country’s First Nations people and with their leadership and guidance, we celebrate that deep cultural legacy. We create a rich multi-arts program made by and with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Our artists, people and partners are ambitious and agile dreamers who make the impossible possible through passion, hard work, and care.

The Brisbane Festival Commitment to First Nations Peoples

Brisbane Festival, the Festival Board, and the Indigenous Advisory Group continue to build a Festival that expresses its respect for and acknowledgment of the various Traditional Owners and Custodians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands and waterways. Our respect extends to the local and neighbouring Communities where the works are performed and celebrated across Brisbane areas.  We acknowledge their continuing connection to land and water and honour the Elders past and present.

We recognise the fundamental role that Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play in creative events and celebrations, as well as the importance of our continued engagement with the Indigenous Advisory Group and First Nations Communities. We are committed to the development of opportunities for further growing the various Cultural performances across the Festival.

Brisbane Festival and the Indigenous Advisory Group will continue to embrace, engage, and collaborate in partnership towards a progressive future.

The Producer, First Nations Initiatives is responsible for the co-development, implementation, and delivery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island projects within the Brisbane Festival program.

This role works closely with the Artistic Director and CEO of Brisbane Festival to engage with artists, communities, cultural organisations, stakeholders and Festival staff to deliver meaningful, inclusive and culturally responsive experiences that strengthen community participation and audience engagement.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Producer, First Nations Initiatives who is deeply connected to community and passionate about building genuine, lasting community relationships.

Working closely with the Artistic Director, the CEO, our Indigenous Advisory Group (IAG), our artists and communities, you will support the embedding of First Nations voices across the Festival through meaningful partnerships, cultural collaboration and respectful engagement.

Brisbane Festival belongs to this city, Meanjin.  Our festivals are about more than performance – they are about gathering, belonging, listening and creating moments that bring communities together.  Continuing our commitment with the IAG and the ongoing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists, Cultural Custodians, Community Elders and communities.

The festival is looking for someone who will uniquely bring generosity, curiosity and care, specialist advice and management skills to this work. If that’s you, we’d love to hear from you!

The Role

A key focus of the role is developing relationships with artists and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds, supporting opportunities for cultural exchange and representation, and ensuring community voices are embedded in project development and delivery.

The position facilitates respectful engagement with First Nations artists, communities and cultural advisors, and works closely with Brisbane Festival’s Indigenous Advisory Group (IAG) to facilitate its cultural guidance, engagement and an open dialogue across Festival projects.

This role is responsible for managing relevant community partnerships, relationships, meeting project timelines, both written and verbal reporting, and community stakeholder communications.

Reporting, salary and tenure of contract: To be advised

Key Responsibilities

The Producer, First Nations Initiatives will:

• Identify and nurture community partnerships that contribute to the Festival’s strategic goals for inclusion, accessibility, participation and audience development.
• Foster collaborative working relationships between communities, the Brisbane Festival IAG, staff and external stakeholders, to ensure successful project outcomes across relevant Festival events.
• Represent Brisbane Festival professionally at meetings, community forums, cultural events and stakeholder engagements as required.
• Manage and deliver delegated projects and events within the artistic program as directed by the Artistic Director and Program Director.
• Support safe work practices during planning, rehearsal, installation, and live delivery phases including culturally inclusive practices.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in accordance with the Brisbane Festival vision, mission and core values of:  Respect, Creativity, Inclusivity, Agility and Leadership.
• Utilise organisation-wide systems in accordance with policies and procedures provided.
• Take an active role in effectively implementing Brisbane Festival’s WHS policy.

Essential Key Attributes

You will be assessed on your demonstrated experience and knowledge of the key attributes and capabilities of the following:

• Being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
• Identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge working collaboratively with both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures, noting your ability to apply cultural knowledge respectfully.
• Exceptional community engagement skill, both written and verbal.
• Experience in managing stakeholder relationships (internal and external).
• Demonstrated high level of communication skills, both spoken and written.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with teams, follow direction and carry out allocated tasks to achieve the desired festival deliverables and outcomes, managing written reports and deadlines respectfully.
• Formal qualifications and/or demonstrated strong experience, working across arts and cultural organisations.
• Proven delivery of culturally supported programs and initiatives.

How To Apply

Please apply via our online application form only. Address your application to: Bella Ford, Program Director.

For enquiries contact: [email protected]

Please provide:

• Cover Letter and CV clearly addressing your key attributes and demonstrated experiences across the arts and festivals, AND
• Declaration/demonstrated status of Aboriginality, OR
• Declaration/demonstrated cultural or family community connections.

Short-listed applicants should be available for interview after the application closing date. All applications are strictly confidential.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 5pm – Sunday 26 July 2026

Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised folks tend to only apply when they check every box. So, if you think you have what it takes, but don’t necessarily meet every single point above, please still get in touch. We would love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit.

Brisbane Festival is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. Our vision is to have a team which reflects the breadth and diversity of Brisbane’s population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, LGBTQIA+, culturally and linguistically diverse applicants and people with a disability are encouraged to apply.