ARTS PROFESSIONAL Pathway

Time to decide where you are going to focus as an arts professional. What type of roles match your favoured artform or skillset? Some examples are listed below.



Sound Engineer


Curator


Art Installer


Theatre Director


Lighting Technician


Editor


Educator


Arts Therapist


Conservator-Restorer


Music Producer


Scenic Designer


SOund Engineer

Sound engineers, or audio engineers, mix, reproduce, and manipulate the equalization and electronic effects of sound. They are a crucial part of any performing arts, such as theatre and music, but may also work in radio, film, art installations, and video game production.


Curator

Curators design, write for, and manage art exhibitions. Curation is a balance between ensuring the safety of artworks and the best possible visitor experience, and requires knowledge across art theory, gallery best practice, art history, customer service, art install techniques, and time management skills.

Curator jobs are usually highly competitive. Curators often start out working in galleries as front desk administrators, install volunteers, or gallery attendants- these entry-level roles all provide valuable experience in terms of how exhibitions are installed, ways in which visitors interact with a gallery space, and how different gallery roles interact.


ART Installer

Art installers (or art technicians) are practical problem-solvers with an eye for detail. They must be able to build, calculate, paint, and plan while being conscious of deadlines, OHS standards and art handling best practice. While a curator directs where an artwork is installed, an installer must find the best way to install it. Installers can expect to build plinths to specifications, run cables, and light exhibitions with specialised lighting systems.

Becoming an art installer is a rewarding, hands-on role that benefits from many other skills that a person may already have, such as carpentry, IT, drafting, electrics, or painting. If starting out without manual skills, consider approaching an art gallery or install business about an installation internship.

EXAMPLES OF WORK

  • Building custom crates and display options for artwork

  • Hanging exhibitions

  • Packing, unpacking and transporting works

  • Setting lighting for exhibitions

FORMAL QUAL

Formalised qualifications in art install skills are rare, but Visual Arts or Fine Arts courses often contain art installation units.


THEATRE Director

A theatre director is in charge of the creative decisions and overall vision of a theatre production. The director works alongside other professionals (such as technicians, backstage crew, and set designers) and practitioners (musicians, and actors) to cast, design, and deliver the production.

Becoming a director takes many years of experience and reputation-building. Qualifications in performing arts or theatre form a good foundation for any aspiring director, and experience with theatre in any capacity is a good place to start.


LIGHTING TECHNICIAN

Lighting technicians set up and control artificial lighting for theatre and live music venues (as well as for film, television, and video sets). This requires attention to detail and specialised knowledge of lighting equipment, rigging, consoles, and electrics. Safety is an important aspect of lighting technician roles, with technicians sometimes working at heights with hot equipment. Technicians help directors to realise a creative vision through visual effects, so good interpersonal skills for collaboration are a must.

While a background in electrics or theatre is an ideal pathway into becoming a lighting technician, it is possible to gain direct experience through a qualification, internship, or position as a stage lighting assistant.


Editor

Editors refine and polish draft literary works. They check facts, spelling, and grammar, and offer guidance to writers as unbiased experts. An editor must have a passion for the written word, as well as a good understanding of how to act as the go-between that balances the reader's experience with the author's expectations.

There are several kinds of editor, and all kinds of written material require editors - not just publishing houses, but newspapers, magazines, and websites. Most editors have tertiary qualifications and begin in entry-level jobs with publications, however it's not uncommon for established editors to work as freelancers.


Educator

Education roles in the arts come in many forms, from gallery tour guides, to music instructors, to lecturers and academics. When considering arts education as a profession, consider if there is a particular audience that you would like to work with, or a particular type of institution (if any) that you would like to work within. Additionally, many instructors are self-employed, organising and running workshops or classes.

While excellent knowledge of the subject matter is essential to any educational position, working in schools or tertiary education requires additional teaching qualifications. All of these roles offer a fulfilling opportunity to share your passion for arts with the community,

https://www.mca.com.au/learn/professional-learning/teachers/


ArtS Therapist

ANZACATA writes "The creative arts therapies are based on the idea that creativity enhances the well-being of all people and is a natural aspect of all cultures and human experience. "

Arts therapists may utilise any of several creative avenues to improve client well-being, such as art, drama, music, storytelling, and writing. In order to become a registered art therapist in Australia, a number of requirements must be met, usually taking around 6 years.

The best arts therapists are patient, curious, genuinely interested in people, and conscious of confidentiality. In many ways, it is more important to focus on the skills that make a good therapist rather than those that make a good artist.


CONSERVATOR-RESTORER

The related professions of art conservator and art restorer focus on slowing works' deterioration and faithfully repairing previous damage. Unsurprisingly, many professionals are skilled in both, as they both apply art and science to preserving valuable objects. Conservation and restoration work is not limited to artworks, but also applies to costumes, manuscripts, photographs, and more broadly, buildings and historical artifacts. Many experts specialise in a particular material (plaster, oil paint, textile, etc) or objects from a particular time period.

Fine motor skills, an eye for detail, and patience are crucial personal skills for this field, which is also an excellent arts profession for anyone with prior experience in chemistry or materials technology.


MUSIC PRODUCER

The prestigious and esteemed job of music (or record) producer involves working with musicians in the studio to create albums. This includes recording and refining the music, and producers will often coach artists, write, and arrange tracks as well. Typically, a producer supervises the album's production right through from pre-production to recording and mixing, and sometimes mastering.

Ultimately, producers have overall creative and technical control of the entire recording project, and the individual recording sessions that are part of that project. However, the role has broadened in recent decades, with many producers also working as music recording engineers, writers, performers, engineers, and DJ's.


SCENIC DESIGNER

Scenic Designers, or set designers, work with theatre directors to design and create a stage production's visual elements. This includes props, backgrounds, sets, costumes, and visual effects. A scenic designer's ultimate goal is to synthesise the production's script and creative direction into engaging visuals for the audience, while enhancing the production's mood. Ideas for scenic design are usually explored in mock-ups, scale models, computer-assisted drawings, sketches, digital models, and in traditional renderings. The scenic designer is also responsible for the building or acquisition of these visual elements.

Formal qualifications in theatre or set design are usually necessary, and skills such as carpentry, painting, 3D modelling, and drafting are very applicable to the job.



LEarning REsources

Wherever you are on your learning journey we have some resources on setting up an effective learning environment and behaviours. You can find these at our Learning Resources page. Areas include;

  • Learning Library

  • Creating a Learning Plan

  • Studying + Working from Home



Make it Better

The Learning Hub is designed for self-directed learning and development, to assist you in growing your personal and professional skills as you see fit. It is a free and democratic resource that adapts as the creative landscape changes; the sections and links you see are just examples of what is possible.

We invite everyone to build upon this current structure, to make the Learning Hub a state-wide go-to for all artists and arts workers seeking development and for anyone considering a career in the arts. All ideas, feedback or content suggestions are warmly welcomed through the Make It Better contributors portal.