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Arts & crafts

Arts administrator

Arts administrators help organise exhibitions, manage staff and look after buildings like museums.

Annual Salary

£15,000 to £30,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

37 to 39 variable

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; attending events or appointments

2.4%
Future employment

There will be 2.4% more Arts administrator jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

You could:

  • keep venues clean and secure to meet health and safety laws
  • book artists and performers
  • promote events on social media and websites
  • help recruit and train staff
  • organise ticket sales, manage budgets and keep records
  • carry out general admin work

Working environment

You could work in an office, in a theatre, in a museum, at an art gallery or in the community.

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • volunteering
  • applying directly
University

Many arts administrators have a university degree but it's not essential.

Most subjects are useful but you may have an advantage with a degree in:

  • arts management or arts administration
  • events and entertainment management
  • business studies

Work experience at university

Employers value experience, knowledge and commitment to art as well as your degree.

You should try to get work experience through volunteering, placements, internships or year in industry schemes. Your university careers service can help you find work experience opportunities.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
For more information
College

You could do a course at college to get some of the skills you need to apply for trainee arts administrator roles.

As well as courses in creative or performing arts, you could also consider subjects like level 2 or level 3 business administration and event management.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
For more information
Apprenticeship

You could also become an arts administrator by doing an intermediate apprenticeship in business administration or an events assistant intermediate apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Volunteering and work experience

You could develop a network of contacts, volunteer or find temporary work to show employers you're committed to the arts.

You could:

  • help with student or community drama productions or concerts
  • work as a customer assistant at arts centres, cinemas or theatres
  • get involved in community arts festivals and projects

You can search for opportunities near you with:

Direct application

You could apply for jobs if you've got experience or qualifications in office administration, fundraising or marketing.

It would also be helpful if you can show you're interested or passionate about art.

More information

You can find more advice about working in the arts through Arts Council England and Creative Lives.

You can also find out more about working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.

More information

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With experience, you could become an arts officer or manager.

You could also take on freelance work or become a consultant.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • business management skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • knowledge of the fine arts
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • leadership skills
  • excellent written communication skills
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
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