Senior Programmer theatre and dance

Are you a performing arts specialist with deep expertise in theatre, and preferably a secondary specialisation in dance. And do you have a strong interdisciplinary outlook, staying on top of artistic, cultural and social trends?

If you aspire to a dynamic role at the forefront of the arts, shaping a world-class festival with global reach - join the Holland Festival, where art transforms and inspires.

Holland Festival

Holland Festival is the Netherlands' leading international performing arts festival, bringing groundbreaking theatre, dance, music, and multidisciplinary works to Amsterdam every June. For 78 years, the festival has transcended cultural, political, and geographical boundaries by presenting bold, often large-scale productions by world-class artists—many of which will have their Dutch or global premiere. As a major co-producer and presenter, Holland Festival promotes ambitious and innovative work that pushes artistic boundaries. The festival is artist driven and encourages unique collaborations between international and Dutch creators, supports their artistic growth and broadens perspectives on the arts. Holland Festival embraces diversity, accessibility and social engagement. Through strategic partnerships and dynamic programming, the festival connects with a wide audience and offers a festival experience that encourages reflection and dialogue. Become part of a team shaping the future of the performing arts. Help us create a festival that challenges, inspires and transforms.

Programme Team

The Holland Festival programme is curated collectively by the members of the Programme Team, under the leadership of the director, who holds final responsibility for the festival's artistic direction. The programme team consists of the director, the programming director for music and music theatre, the senior programmer for dance and theatre, and a programmer responsible for context and special projects.

Artists are closely followed over long periods by each team member in their respective discipline, national and international networks are developed and expanded. All members of the Programme Team engage on an equal basis in an ongoing artistic dialogue to create a carefully curated festival programme every year. This process also involves close collaboration with a different associate artist each year, who is 'scouted' and engaged by the Programme Team.

Associate artists at Holland Festival

For the past six years, Holland Festival has collaborated with associate artists in a unique way. Each year, Holland Festival invites one or two artists to present new work co-produced by the festival, along with existing work or a bespoke project. A complementary programme highlights artists and social themes put forward by the associate artist. The associate artist represents the artists' voice and works with the Programme Team over the course of the year, to give the public insight into their work in June. They contribute significantly to its artistic direction.

Associate artists in the past were: William Kentridge and Faustin Linyekula (2019), Bill T. Jones (2020), Ryuichi Sakamoto & Gisèle Vienne (2021), Angelique Kidjo & Nicolas Stemann (2022), ANOHNI (2023), Christiane Jatahy (2024) and Trajal Harrell (2025).

The programming department is responsible for the further development of the festival programme and is led by the programme director music and music theatre. The senior programmer for theatre and dance works within the department and is artistically accountable to the director.

Due to the departure of our colleague, Holland Festival is currently seeking a Senior Programmer theatre and dance, with a primary focus on theatre and preferably a secondary specialization in dance.

Your Responsibilities:

• Develop programme proposals to present artists and performances in line with the festival's strategy and budget, prioritise projects and present these in the Programme Team.
• Research and identify relevant artists, companies and interdisciplinary projects for your disciplines and present them with a clear motivation.
• Act as first point of contact for artists and companies, assessing budgets and negotiating conditions for performances in close collaboration with the festival's producers.
• Effectively communicate the festival programme to all stakeholders, ensuring thematic coherence and dramaturgical understanding.
• Work closely with your colleagues within the Programming department to further develop the programme, as well as with the Production, Communication & Marketing and Development departments.
• Represent the festival nationally and internationally, giving introductions and presentations on Holland Festival programming alongside the director and fellow programmers.

Your Profile:

• An academic thinking level and a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience and completed academic degree.
• Strong knowledge and expertise in theatre and dance (with a focus on theatre) and proven experience in (festival) programming, with a critical, analytical approach.
• Ability to look beyond your field of expertise and identify cross-links and social, cultural and artistic trends relevant to the programme.
• Extensive national and international network, with reach beyond Europe and (proven) ability of expanding your network and research in new directions.
• Familiarity with the Dutch cultural landscape and capable of connecting international and Dutch makers, monitoring their artistic practices and placing the work which is being considered in the broader context of both national and international offerings.
• Willingness and ability to attend performances regularly, both in the Netherlands and abroad, including during evenings and weekends and to write reports on these performances.
• Excellent command of English and Dutch (or willing to quickly master the latter); additional languages are a plus for following performances, reading project proposals, theatre texts, and surtitles.
• Skilled in policy writing, strategic planning, and the dynamics of the cultural sector.
• Team player with independent judgment, diplomacy, and resilience under pressure, balancing individual artistic judgment with team-based considerations for the overall benefit of the festival.
• Aligned with the values of inclusivity, leadership, and professionalism.

What Holland Festival Offers:

You will work in a small team of highly enthusiastic professionals, who all use their own expertise to put on a globally unique festival every year. The beautiful office is located in the heart of Amsterdam, overlooking the IJ river. Holland Festival strives to be leading, professional, passionate and inclusive at all times. Holland Festival offers a competitive salary within the performing arts, scaled according to the rules and regulations of Holland Festival with a personal theatre and training budget and various joint employee activities.

Holland Festival aims for its employees to be a reflection of society. Therefore, we hope to receive applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.

Interested? Apply now and bring your expertise to the Holland Festival

Holland Festival is being assisted by DUX Executive Search. For more information about the position, please contact Esther Driessen via esther.driessen@dux.nl.

In order to apply, please submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae and motivation letter no later than April 22nd via info@dux.nl with reference 'Senior Programmer theatre and dance'.

• The first round of interviews will take place in the week of 12 to 16 May. The second round will take place on 19 or 20 May. An assessment will be part of the procedure.