Liverpool Arab Arts Festival - Chief Executive Officer

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Contract: Permanent.
Term: Part Time.
Salary: Actual salary £36,000 - £40,000 depending on experience (FTE £45,000 - £50,000).
Hours per week: 28 hours.
Reporting to: LAAF Board of Directors/Trustees.
Location: Liverpool/hybrid working.

Founded in 1998, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the UK's longest-running annual festival dedicated to Arab arts and cultures. They showcase both UK-based and international Arab artists, creating a dynamic conversation between traditional and contemporary Arab art forms.

Their events are curated to reflect our local, national, and international audiences, encouraging dialogue and deeper understanding of Arab people, creativity, and heritage. Through their work, they aim to challenge perceptions, celebrate identity, and strengthen connections across cultures.

They are proud to be an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation since 2012, included in the 2023-26 Investment Programme - extended to 2027 and potentially to 2028. They also receive support from Culture Liverpool / Liverpool City Council through the Culture & Arts Investment Programme, and their work actively contributes to the strategic objectives of Liverpool's City Plan.

The new CEO will be a custodian of identity, a steady hand in the present, and a bold architect of LAAF's future.

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the UK's leading celebration of Arab arts and cultures. They are a small team that delivers huge impact - rooted in Liverpool's communities yet connected to artists and audiences across the world.

Their work is grounded in representation, collaboration, and exchange, bringing Arab creativity and perspectives to the heart of the UK's cultural landscape.

As Chief Executive Officer, you will lead this unique organisation through a pivotal period of transition and renewal. Working closely with the Board, staff team, freelance workers, artists, communities and partners, you will provide strategic, financial, artistic and cultural leadership - ensuring that LAAF continues to thrive in an increasingly complex political, social, and financial climate.

This is a deeply rewarding role that calls for someone who is rigorous, transparent, and community-minded; someone who understands both the practical challenges of running an arts organisation and a live festival, year round events and engagement projects, and the responsibility of representing communities whose stories matter.

The ideal candidate will be ready to immerse themselves in the relationships and networks that keep LAAF alive, and to lead with creativity, care, and conviction.

• First-round interviews: w/c 21 January 2026 (TBC)
• Final interviews: w/c 28 January 2026 (TBC)

Contact Details: