British Council Connect ZA arts team looking for project manager

BY 14.12.16

THE British Council are looking for an experienced project manager to join the Connect ZA arts team. You will be responsible for delivering a wide range of exciting arts projects with our partners from the UK and South Africa and manage collaborative projects which are multidisciplinary in nature. The post requires good project management skills and a keen eye for detail with an understanding of what makes the creative sector tick as well as connecting opportunities. 

Context and environment

Our Art Connects Us Sub Sahara Africa (SSA) strategy works to develop stronger creative sectors in SSA that are better connected to the UK. This work enables the UK to hear clearly the voices of young Africans and supports the provision of new choices for individuals who wish to make a living through creative careers. We work with future leaders of the creative sector and connect contemporaries in the UK and across SSA, engaging them in mutually beneficial programmes which support individual, social and economic development.

We work through our partners in the creative sectors of the UK and SSA. We stimulate new ways of connecting with and understanding each other through the Arts.  

British Council Connect ZA (the South African Arts team) connects the new generation of UK and South African creative professionals and audiences to each other. The project utilises innovative digital techniques in developing programmes of work.  Connect ZA reaches new diverse audiences for the arts by working in spaces and places where our audience live and work. Our showcasing develops audiences for work that challenges and updates perceptions of contemporary creativity. Our partners share expertise in working digitally, developing young audiences and supporting new creative careers.

The British Council’s Creative Economy programme forges connections between the growing creative industries in the UK and overseas. Using on-the-ground resources in over one hundred nations, and a global network defined by direct access to policymakers and collaborative dialogue, we co-create programmes to develop cultural enterprise, leadership, skills and infrastructure in partnership with a range of organisations and individuals.

The global arts team is a group of experts in the Arts in the UK and worldwide who build strong external networks and partnerships. Using these networks, working with colleagues across the organisation, they develop international opportunities in four specific priority areas:

  • Bringing new UK work to new global audiences and new work from SSA to the UK    
  • Showcasing the UK at events of international importance      
  • Developing skills and leadership in the creative sector      
  • Harnessing the power of arts in achieving international development goals

Accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties:

The post holder will be accountable to the Connect ZA Head of Arts for the successful progress and implementation of projects either developed by the team or individuals.

Specific duties will include:

Managing partners that deliver projects
Monitoring and evaluating
Line management of Assistant Project Manager/s
Administrative management
Delivery or support of creative sector development events and initiatives
Developing relationships with relevant creative sector stakeholders
Working with partners to develop opportunities for young creatives
Supporting our work around audience development with our partners
Helping to develop digital engagement strategies and platforms
Documenting work and publicising activities across our digital platforms
Working closely with the Head of Arts and the Regional Business Manager in seeking opportunities for partnerships and income potential

Key relationships:  
Internal:

  • Coordination and cooperation with the Connect ZA team
  • Connection with the advisory teams in London, and regional teams
  • Support to senior managers in representing the Council’s operational programme to external stakeholders
  • Collaboration with communications colleagues to promote project marketing 
  • General team working with colleagues across the directorate

External:

  • Coordination and cooperation with project partners and the wider creative sector
  • Other important features or requirements of the job

- Operational project work requires occasional (or sometimes regular) work outside conditioned hours, for example in the evenings or at weekends. TOIL should be agreed with the line manager in advance to maintain an adequate work-life balance. Post holders may be required to travel abroad on British Council business and should therefore hold valid travel documents.   

- Right to live and work in South Africa.

- Standard South Africa Police Service (SAPS) checks required for all in the employment of BC South Africa  

Behaviours

Creating shared purpose (Essential)
Connecting with others (Essential)
Working together (More demanding)
Being accountable (More demanding)
Making it happen (More demanding) Shaping the future (Essential)

Skills and Knowledge

Project management (Excel spreads and project management tools)
Partner and stakeholder management Networks in creative sector in South Africa
Knowledge of the arts sector in the UK
Understanding of creative industries
Digital platform management (Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter)

Experience
Previous work experience in the arts
Experience in the delivery of events
Experience of working with creatives 18-35 in South Africa


Qualifications

Matriculation graduate
Ist degree in any discipline

Find out more here

 

South African Cultural Observatory to share insights from 10 year industry trend report at Creative Cnergy 2026

South African Cultural Observatory to share insights from 10 year industry trend report at Creative Cnergy 2026

Johannesburg, September 3, 2026 - The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) will share the findings of its "Cultural and Creative Industries Economic Trends over the last 10 years” review report at the Creative Cnergy Policy & Investment Symposium 2026, taking place on Thursday, 03 September 2026 at AlexForbes, Sandton, in a fireside chat with Prof. Pitika Ntuli.

Cross Continental Forum Announces Partnership with South African Cultural Observatory

Cross Continental Forum Announces Partnership with South African Cultural Observatory

CaribbeanTales Media Group has entered a new partnership between the Cross Continental Forum (CCF) and the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), as CCF expands into a year-long international lab connecting Black and Global Majority producers across Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, the UK, Europe, and the wider diaspora.

The Unsilenced Voice: How Artists and Cultural Creatives Shaped the Narrative of the June 16 Uprising

The Unsilenced Voice: How Artists and Cultural Creatives Shaped the Narrative of the June 16 Uprising

June 16, 1976, will forever be remembered for the courageous actions taken by the youth to confront the injustice of Apartheid. The students of Soweto took to the streets to protest the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, and their bravery ignited a fire that would eventually help dismantle an oppressive regime.

The Rise of Digital Entrepreneurship in South Africa

The Rise of Digital Entrepreneurship in South Africa

What if your next paycheque came from a 60-second video, a podcast recorded in your bedroom, or a cooking tutorial filmed on your phone? For a growing number of South Africans, this is no longer just a possibility, it is a career.