This is a co-leadership role at a time of significant and exciting change. As part of our commitment to fostering innovative approaches and fresh ideas this role is designed to attract expertise from outside of the arts. We recognise the insight, knowledge and critique this role can bring as we develop a new strategic focus will ensure that Extant remains at the forefront of visually impaired practice and thought leadership in the UK.

As Innovation and Partnerships Lead, your main responsibilities are organisational leadership and being present in fields outside of the arts to identify opportunities for us outside of our known worlds. We’re excited to hear what insights you will bring which could affect, impact, change or revolutionise our existing programmes and future projects. You will also work with other members of Extant and the board to ensure the organisation operates with a sense of mutuality and care whilst play a lead role in sourcing opportunities, partnerships and income from outside of the arts.

We want to meet people who’re excited about this possibility, who want to ask questions, to gather new knowledge and share it back with us.

Some of the things you’ll do might include:

• Listening with intent and curiosity  
• Seeking significance and identifying partnerships outside of the arts
• Generating interest, profile and recognition for Extant outside of the arts
• Documenting, reflecting and sharing learning

Some of our key issues now are the hierarchy of access (as visual impairment is often at the bottom and ignored), how to care for and nurture innovative models of leadership and governance, the tension between AI and climate responsibility, the inaccessibility of archives, what does the future of audio description look like?

About

Founded in 1997, Extant will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027 and as part of this journey, we are transforming. Our new leadership team which will be called The Extant Hive.

We are recruiting: two Performing Arts Leads, a Strategic Lead and an Innovation and Partnerships Lead (non-arts experience required) and have been an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) since 2010. We are currently in receipt of NPO extension funding for 2026/27 which is expected to continue in 2027/28.

Extant has made a commitment to working towards all its internal roles being held by visually impaired* people by 2033. The Extant Hive will begin this process.

Requirements For All Roles

We support flexible working, but we expect you to work from our Brixton office (London) at least one day per two weeks, to collaborate with the rest of the team.

We recognise that The Extant Hive is a new structure and will need time at the start to work out and establish modes of agreement, discussion and reflection to establish a sense of inter-relatedness at its core. This time will be built into a full and robust collaborative induction from October 2026-March 2027.

Whilst each member of The Extant Hive will have a formal line management relationship with one of the co-chairs, we want them to create a mutual peer management and pastoral support system that ensures mutuality and care sit at the heart of the organisation.

Prior to confirming any offer of employment we will undertake certain checks including references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, willingness to undertake an enhanced DBS check and that you are comfortable working in an environment where guide and other assistance dogs may be present.

Salary and Benefits

These are permanent (subject to securing new ACE NPO funding from April 2028) part-time PAYE contracts paid at £38,000 pa / FTE starting on 5th October 2026.

Performing Arts Lead (2 positions) – 0.6 FTE
Strategic Lead (1 position) – 0.6 FTE
Non-Arts Lead (1 position) – 0.4 FTE

* We support the University of Oxford’s definition of visual impairment as a ‘loss of sight that cannot be corrected using lenses.’

How To Apply

We are holding 2 online x1hr Zoom FAQ sessions where you will have a chance to ask any questions about the role.

FAQ1: Date TBC

FAQ2: Date TBC

To sign up for the FAQ sessions please email admin@extant.org.uk and the Zoom link will be emailed on the day.

Access

We will endeavour to support any access requirements you may have during the recruitment process and make reasonable adjustments where required.

If you have any access requirements that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to let us know at any stage of the application process.

For more information on how to apply, please view the job pack below:

The Extant Hive Recruitment Pack

The Extant Hive Recruitment Pack Large Print

• Thought leadership, curiosity and the ability to communicate well in person and in writing
• Knowledge, understanding and experience of at least one or two industries outside of the arts.
• Lived experience of visual impairment and an understanding of access issues affecting visually impaired and other disabled people.
• An existing interest in radical and inclusive disability practice in the UK

 Experience

• Experience of leading organisational change  
• Experience of evidence-based decision-making using data and lived experience.
• Experience of attracting, recruiting and securing new partners, relationships and investment outside of the arts sector.
• Experience of raising the profile of organisations