BARCELONA.- An international competition to select a Director for the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Centre will be running from this week until October 15th.

The Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Center is a project whose aims are to engage with the diverse forms of artistic creation, to engender knowledge and dialogue and to situate Barcelona and Catalonia on the map of international art centres in the context of an increasingly global culture. It will develop the social dimension of art, embracing a culture of proximity and projection within the communal urban and social space, as a form of public intervention, while working to generate new publics. Its differential specificity will be a focus on research and training in contemporary curatorial practices and thought in all its diversity of expression and formulation.

Click here for more information on the guidelines, tasks, responsibilities, requirements, etc…

The Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Centre is a new facility specializing in the visual arts, created as a consequence of the agreements signed in the Protocol of Cooperation between the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and Barcelona City Council for the setting up of museological and cultural facilities in the capital of Catalonia, on the 4th of May, 2009. These two authorities will jointly form a Consortium for the purpose of constituting the new Center and putting it into operation. The new Center will be part of the Public System of Visual Arts Centers in Catalonia.

The new Center will articulate two physical spaces in Barcelona, the old Canòdrom dog track and the La Capella arts center, where many nearby Barcelona hotels are situated. The project designed and implemented by the new Director will further the basic lines of development defined in the objectives of the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Centre.

GUIDELINES
Tasks and responsibilities.-

• Artistic direction and technical management of the Centre.

• Drawing up of the contract of arts centre, exhibition detailing the lines, the program of activities and budgeting.

• Evaluation of progress in fulfilling the operational objectives of the Center in the form of an annual report.

• Management of the designated facilities: the Canòdrom and La Capella, including:

• Direction of the administration of the Canòdrom and implementation of the procedures and goals agreed by the Consortium.

• The obtaining of funding for the Center’s activities in the form of sponsorship and patronage from other centres and private institutions.

• Monitoring of the adaptation of the Canòdrom premises to accommodate the program of uses as a visual arts facility.

• Supervision of the proper delivery of the services contracted for the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Centre.

• The management of all personnel and the drawing up of an appropriate organigram.

• The creation and development of networks of work, research, cooperation and coproduction at all levels.

• The nurturing of cooperation with other contemporary arts centers, venues and residences in this country and internationally.

• The development and maintenance of a positive and effective relationship with the media.

• Institutional representation of the Centre at all events and functions designated by the board of management of the Consortium.

Requirements and qualifications
Candidates for the management of the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Centre must:

• Be a EU citizen. Where this is not the case, the appointment will be subject to the candidate obtaining legal residence in Spain;

• Have a university degree or equivalent academic qualification;

• Have specialized knowledge and expertise in the visual arts and contemporary culture and thought, as well as proven experience in the curating of exhibitions and in artistic and cultural management;

• Have a proven capacity for leadership, communication and negotiation, and for planning, achievement of priority goals, decision-making and mediation in the resolution of conflicts;

• Have a good knowledge of the co-official languages of Catalonia (Catalan and Spanish) and of English. Special consideration will be given to candidates with a knowledge of Catalan and other languages. In the event that the chosen candidate is not proficient in the co-official languages of Catalonia, he or she must undertake to learn and demonstrate reasonable fluency in these languages within a period of one year, as explicitly stated in the contract.

* Special consideration will be given to scientific work, publications and research in the field of contemporary arts practices.

* Familiarity with the Catalan arts scene and knowledge and experience of contemporary arts practices at the international level will be considered an advantage.

* We especially appreciate the ability to motivate and inspire the team work. We will consider proposals involving the creation of working committees and advisory committees collegiate.

Presentation of applications
All candidates must submit the following documents:

• A curriculum vitae (max. 5 pages) and evidence of the relevant qualifications and expertise.

• A statement of intent (max. 10 pages) outlining the candidate’s proposed project for the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Center for the next three years. These documents may be submitted in Spanish, Catalan or English, and should be addressed to the Consell Nacional de la Cultura i de les Arts (Portal de Santa Madrona, 6-8, 08001 Barcelona, Spain) in a sealed envelope, marked on the front Convocatòria de direcció del Canòdrom. Centre d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, no later than 15 October 2009. The documents should be delivered to the Registre General of the Departament de Cultura i Mitjans de Comunicació of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Rambla de Santa Mònica, 8. 08002 Barcelona). If the documents are submitted by mail, they should be sent by recorded delivery, with the date of sending stamped by the Post Office.

Evaluation and selection process
The suitability of candidates for the tasks and responsibilities outlined above will be assessed on the strength of their proposed project, their curriculum vitae and, especially, the following capabilities:

• Orientation and strategic planning.

• Executive leadership.

• Planning and organization of work.

• The creation of work networks within the arts sector and other relevant disciplines.

• A sound knowledge of contemporary arts practices.

• The potential of the proposed project to generate discourse and engage new publics.

• The ability to develop new formats within curatorial practice.

The merits of each of the candidates will be assessed in the first instance by a panel of seven experts whose composition will be made public on the expiry of the deadline for submission of applications. This panel will be appointed by the Consell Nacional de la Cultura i de les Arts and the Executive Committee of the Consell de la Cultura de Barcelona.

The panel will then call for interview those candidates it considers most suitable, and in the light of the candidate interviews will submit a nomination to the Departament de Cultura i Mitjans de Comunicació of the Generalitat de Catalunya by way of the Consell Nacional de la Cultura i les Arts and the Institut de Cultura de Barcelona, by way of the Consell de la Cultura de Barcelona, for subsequent appointment and ratification by the members of the Consortium of the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Center.

Contract and incompatibilities
The candidate appointed to direct the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Center will sign a contract for a period of three years, with the possibility of extension for a further two years.

The salary will be 66,000€ gross per year.

The employer/employee relationship will be governed by contract and such legislation as may be applicable.

The post of Director of the Canòdrom is subject to the terms of incompatibility of public authority employees.

Confidentiality
The confidentiality of the candidates taking part in this selection process, including all of their personal and professional details, is hereby guaranteed, and only the name of the candidate chosen for appointment will be made public.

Additional information
For further information please consult the website of the Consell Nacional de la Cultura i de les Arts (www.cultura.gencat.cat/conca) and the website www.bcn.cat/canalcultura. Potential candidates may also request additional information about the Canòdrom Barcelona Contemporary Arts Centre by writing to: info.conca@gencat.cat