Choir Conductor - Ipswich Choir

JOIN THE UPBEAT ARTS TEAM, IPSWICH 

Upbeat Arts is seeking a Choir Conductor to lead our new recovery choir in Ipswich. This is a rare opportunity for a skilled conductor to shape the musical life of a program from its very first rehearsal, and to use your craft in a way that genuinely changes lives.

Our members are adults living with moderate to complex mental health conditions. Many come to us after long periods of isolation, illness or loss of confidence. What happens in the rehearsal room matters enormously. If you are a warm, skilled conductor who believes in the power of music to bring people together, we would love to hear from you.

WHO IS UPBEAT ARTS? 

Upbeat Arts is a Queensland based charity and accredited mental health provider, funded by Queensland Health to deliver recovery oriented programs for adults living with mental illness. We are not a clinical service, but we do something equally important. We create the conditions for sustained recovery by addressing the things that matter most: connection, routine, confidence, identity and belonging. Members regularly tell us the programs help them feel more connected, more confident and more like themselves again.

Through our choirs and creative writing programs, led by professional artists, members are supported to rebuild their lives alongside others who understand what they are going through. Our choirs are real choirs, with real repertoire, real skill development and real performances. They are not therapy disguised as music.

Since launching our first choir in Brisbane in 2014, Upbeat Arts has grown to include programs across South East Queensland and regional Queensland. We are now expanding into West Moreton with this new choir in Ipswich.

We believe everyone has a voice.

OUR PURPOSE 

Our purpose is to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through creative arts programs. We walk alongside our members as they build social connections and grow their life skills. 

ABOUT THE ROLE 

As Choir Conductor, you will lead weekly rehearsals for our new Ipswich choir, developing the vocal and choral ability of members and preparing the choir for performances throughout the year.

You will work from the Upbeat Arts Annual Rehearsal Plan and Repertoire Program, developed by our State Artistic Lead for Music and Repertoire, and you will also select a small number of additional pieces each year to suit your choir. You will work closely with the Ipswich Program Leader, who handles coordination and member support, and with your Accompanist and a team of volunteers.

There are no auditions and no solo singing requirements. Members join at all levels of experience and confidence. Your job is to build musical skill and pride in the choir while keeping the room warm, inclusive and manageable for everyone in it. Some weeks that means pushing the choir further. Other weeks it means reading the room and adapting.

This is musical leadership with a purpose. Members work towards performances, including our annual Upbeat Arts in Concert during Mental Health Month, which gives them a meaningful goal, a real sense of achievement and a chance to be seen by family and community through a strengths based lens.

Our Position Description tells the whole story. Please ask us for a copy if you don't already have it.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Delivering enjoyable, engaging and educational weekly rehearsals that build members towards performances at an appropriate pace
• Structuring rehearsals to develop the choral ability and vocal skills of members, including healthy vocal technique
• Working within the Annual Rehearsal Plan and Repertoire Program, and selecting a small number of additional pieces each year in consultation with the State Artistic Lead for Music and Repertoire
• Integrating the life skills components outlined in the Upbeat Arts Handbook and Induction Training into rehearsals
• Attending agreed performances and events, and collaborating on the annual performance calendar, repertoire programming, staging and technical requirements
• Working closely with the Program Leader, Accompanist and volunteer team
• Building warm, inclusive relationships with members, carers and support workers, with clear professional boundaries
• Representing Upbeat Arts confidently with audiences, media and community partners
• Contributing ideas, feedback and quality improvements to the broader Upbeat Arts team

WHAT YOU WILL BRING 

We are looking for a conductor who is warm, encouraging and person centred, with genuine musical skill and the emotional intelligence to lead a room where people arrive with very different capacities on any given day.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Three to five years of experience as a Choir Conductor, which is highly desirable
• Proficiency in vocal training and the ability to teach healthy vocal technique
• Experience leading or teaching adult groups
• The ability to communicate musical and vocal concepts clearly to amateur singers
• Charismatic, inspiring rehearsal leadership that builds camaraderie, pride and enjoyment
• The ability to adapt rehearsal content in response to the energy and needs of the room
• A collaborative, inclusive approach and genuine respect for people of all backgrounds and capabilities
• Reliability, accountability and openness to feedback
• Confidence speaking to audiences and articulating the Upbeat Arts story
• A Working with Children Blue Card, or eligibility to obtain one

Tertiary education in a relevant field is advantageous. Experience in mental health, community services or not for profit settings will be highly regarded, though it is not essential. What matters most is musical skill combined with warmth, patience and a real belief in what this work makes possible.

THE ROLE IN PRACTICE

Rehearsals are likely to be held in Ipswich on Tuesday mornings from 10.15am to 12.15pm. The role involves three hours per week, made up of two hours of rehearsal contact time and one hour of preparation.

The choir operates for 45 weeks each year across four terms, aligned closely with Queensland school terms. There are no rehearsals on designated public holidays.

Flexibility to attend performances and events is required, coordinated in advance with the Program Leader. Availability to cover Brisbane choirs during periods of leave is highly desirable but not essential.

Rehearsals commence in January 2027, with training and a launch event beforehand. Venue and exact location to be confirmed.

WHY WORK WITH UPBEAT ARTS? 

At Upbeat Arts, you will join a small and dedicated team committed to creating opportunities for connection, creativity and belonging.

We offer:

• Musical leadership that makes a genuine difference to people's recovery and wellbeing
• The opportunity to build a new choir from its first rehearsal
• Artistic support through our State Artistic Leads and an established repertoire program
• A supportive and collaborative team culture, with a Program Leader, Accompanist and volunteers alongside you
• Ongoing learning and professional development
• Performance opportunities that matter deeply to members and their families
• The kind of work that stays with you, bringing meaning, joy and a sense of belonging that extends well beyond the working day

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 

Upbeat Arts is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community where everyone feels valued and respected. 

We warmly encourage applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges, people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTQIA+ people, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. 

We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our organisation and help us create meaningful opportunities for connection, creativity and belonging. 

Next Steps

To learn more about Upbeat Arts and review the Position Description, please visit our website, www.upbeatarts.org.au

There is no closing date for this advert. We encourage you to apply early if you are excited by this opportunity and to reach out and have a chat with us. We reserve the right to fill the position before the closing date if we find the right person.

A position description is attached.