Head Of Development

Talawa is the UK’s outstanding Black British theatre company. We champion Black excellence in theatre, nurture talent in emerging and established artists of African or Caribbean heritage, and tell inspirational stories. Talawa’s work ranges from local community engagement and national tours to international collaborations, reflecting Black experiences through art like no other.

2026 marks 40 years of Talawa and from April 2026 we will kick off a series of events and programmes to celebrate our legacy and provide opportunities to generate support and interest in securing our future. It’s a particularly exciting time to join us and there’s a chance to make a real impact on our future.

The Head of Development will be responsible for securing and sustaining funds to support the delivery of Talawa’s mission and vision. Working closely with the Executive Director and Artistic Director, the Head of Development will be responsible for the delivery of our fundraising strategy with a particular emphasis on seeking new funding opportunities from Trusts and Foundations and Individual Philanthropy, corporate sponsorship as well as playing a key role in delivering our ongoing relationship with ACE.

We welcome applications from those looking to move into their first senior manager role, as well as candidates already working at that level who are passionate about our mission to reflect Black experiences through art, or who are looking to balance a role with wider caring responsibilities.

Person Specification:

• A creative thinker, capable of designing and delivering innovative fundraising approaches, including fundraising events aimed at wealth networks
• A demonstrable ability in fundraising within the arts or beyond profit sector, defining and delivering against targets from individual donors;
• Understanding of how fundraising contributes to an organisation’s overall strategy;
• Proven ability in managing and supporting others to develop their skills and achieve potential;
• The ability to develop and cultivate senior and non-executive level relationships both internally and with donors;
• The ability to influence, inspire and persuade people in written and oral form, and tailor communications to different fundraising audiences;
• The ability work on your own initiative, particularly as regards identifying and leveraging new fundraising trends and sources, and the flexibility to carry out varied responsibilities as part of a small development and management team;
• A passion for the arts, particularly combining social purpose and outstanding new work, and a commitment to furthering diversity across the arts sector and an alignment with Talawa’s mission.

To apply: please download and carefully read the recruitment pack.

Please submit a cover letter (of no more than 2 pages) and a CV (of no more than 2 pages) to [email protected]. Please send your cover letter and CV as attachments in either PDF or Word format.

Your cover letter should outline:

• Why you would like to work at Talawa and what excites you about the future plans outlined above (150-300 words)
• What makes you suited for this position? We are not asking you to fulfil every single aspect of this, just to demonstrate what experience you have that makes you suited for the role (around 500 words; assessed against the person specification)
• If you identify as African, Caribbean diaspora or ethnically diverse – please complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring form here

Head of Development Recruitment Pack

Additional Application Instructions

The closing date for this role is 10am on 30th June 2025. To apply, please download the recruitment pack on the Talawa website and carefully read the pack. Please submit a cover letter (of no more than 2 pages) and a CV (of no more than 2 pages) to [email protected]. Please send your cover letter and CV as attachments in either PDF or Word format.