HIIIT | artistic director (2)

HIIIT is looking for an

Artistic Director
(±24 hours per week) (m/f/x)

Are you someone with a distinctive artistic vision on music, sound, and form? Do you have an open outlook, a deep artistic compass, and the courage to embrace both tradition and the future? HIIIT is seeking an Artistic Director to continue and renew our innovative course.

You will step in at a special moment. In the coming period, you will further implement the current arts plan while at the same time contributing ideas for the next one. This requires vision, commitment, and the willingness to build the next phase together with the team—substantively, artistically, and organizationally, with a keen sense of the tradition from which HIIIT has emerged.

About our organization
HIIIT (formerly known as Slagwerk Den Haag) is a distinctive group of musicians in varying formations, collaborating with creators from diverse disciplines – from composers and producers to choreographers and visual artists. Driven by rhythm and a curiosity for sound in all its forms, HIIIT explores the boundaries of new music. The musicians of HIIIT perform, develop, and renew contemporary percussion music in the broadest sense of the word. They perform existing compositions, collaborate with composers on new commissions, and conduct artistic research into sound, structure, and performance practice. In doing so, they make use of both traditional percussion instruments as well as self-built instruments and electronic means.

HIIIT consciously chooses an interdisciplinary approach. By working with creators from other art forms, new perspectives and surprising combinations emerge. Whether it concerns large-scale international co-productions or small-scale site-specific programs – at festivals, museums, or concert halls – the aim is always to tell new stories through percussion and to engage a wide audience in a direct, contemporary, and accessible way.

We work as a collective: artistic ownership lies with multiple people, and ideas are born through collaboration – with room for individual initiative as well as togetherness.

About this position
As Artistic Director, you shape the artistic profile of HIIIT. You develop a clear vision and – together with the team – translate it into programs, projects, and collaborations. You guide creators and musicians in their process and ensure a working environment with room for renewal, plurality, and experimentation.

You are, among other things, responsible for:

• developing and communicating the ensemble’s artistic direction;

• selecting, mentoring, and positioning creators, musicians, and composers;

• initiating new projects and collaborations, within and beyond the sector;

• ensuring progress and coherence in the artistic process, in alignment with the team;

• representing HIIIT in the cultural field – nationally and internationally.

In addition, you actively contribute to balancing artistic ambitions with financial reality and provide substantive input for funding applications and fundraising, in collaboration with the managing director. You are not alone in this: you work within a small, self-managing team, with plenty of room for exchange, joint development, and interdisciplinary ideas and innovation. Artistic choices arise in dialogue – with space for both initiative and collectivity.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for an inspired artistic thinker and doer with:

• Artistic vision: You have a strong artistic compass and know how to translate it into striking, meaningful programming.

• Leadership or leadership potential: You inspire and connect people. You don’t need to be an experienced director yet – if you have potential, we are happy to grow with you.

• Artistic grounding: You have experience and affinity with contemporary music, performance, and/or interdisciplinary work. You thrive in a field that evolves and collaborates.

• Connecting capacity and network: You are approachable, communicate clearly, and move smoothly between creators, team members, and partners. Together with the managing director, you maintain relationships with external cultural organizations, partners, and stakeholders – also in support of co-productions, visibility, and distribution of the work.

• An inclusive mindset: You actively contribute to a plural practice – both within the team and towards the audience.

• Organizational and financial insight: You can plan and execute in collaboration with colleagues, with attention to realistic scheduling and budgeting.

We are seeking someone who is not only artistically visionary but also willing to take responsibility for the bigger picture. Together with the managing director, we expect a shared attitude: you don’t think in terms of “you do the numbers, I do the art,” but feel ownership of the organization as a whole. That doesn’t mean you need to be a financial expert – but it does mean you make choices that balance today’s reality with the future of HIIIT. You see artistic quality and financial sustainability not as opposites, but as pillars of the same house.

We believe in the strength of diverse perspectives. We explicitly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, queer and non-binary people, and people with a bi-cultural background to apply. Together we strive for a socially safe working environment – one in which everyone feels heard, respected, and welcome.

What do we offer?
We’re not only asking something of you—we truly have something to offer: a unique opportunity to provide artistic leadership to a pioneering ensemble. You’ll step in at a moment when the current multi-year arts plan is still running, yet there is also space for new direction. It’s a chance to connect your vision to an ensemble that searches, listens, and experiments.

We offer a part-time appointment averaging 3 days per week, to be arranged in consultation. The salary—based on a full-time contract—ranges from €4,615 to €6,262 gross per month, depending on experience and potential. We look not only at what you’ve already done, but also at what you bring and how you can grow in this role.

Also good to know: you’ll work from two locations—our studio in The Hague (LAB 555) and our office in Amsterdam on the Piet Heinkade (Muziekgebouw). You can also count on:

• employment conditions in accordance with the CAO Muziekensembles (collective labor agreement), including pension accrual and holiday allowance;

• a team that works interdisciplinarily and is curious about new forms of collaboration;

• ample room for substantive and personal development within and beyond your role—including a training budget that can be used by mutual agreement;

• a working culture in which inclusivity, plurality, and collective ownership are central;

• an artistic position in which you can make a substantive difference—locally, nationally, and internationally.

How to apply
Are you enthusiastic, and do you recognize yourself in this role? Click the apply button and upload your CV and your answers to the practice questions below no later than Thursday, October 2, 2025. We look forward to reading your ideas and approach!

The headhunters and recruiters of DDJ& are guiding this process and are responsible for the initial screening. Together with them, we strive for the fairest possible assessment and equal opportunities for everyone. That’s also why we are not asking for a motivation letter, but instead present a few practical questions. In the run-up to the selection, candidates may be invited for an online introductory meeting with Nikta Kafai Rad or Bram De Jaeger. These conversations will take place around the application deadline, in the days leading up to or shortly after October 2. Nikta and Bram are also your points of contact for questions: opportunities@dixon-dejaeger.com.

The first interview round with the selection committee will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, followed by a second round on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Please mark these dates in your calendar. We hope to appoint our new director shortly thereafter, with a first working day as soon as possible, but no later than January 1, 2026, to be agreed upon in consultation.