Chair of Trustees

Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival

UK

Salary: Unpaid

Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (BFMAF) is seeking a new Chair of its Board of Trustees. Huw Davies, the current Chair and Festival Co-founder, will step down at the end of February 2022.

Overview

The impact of Huw’s contribution of over 18 very dedicated years of service to the Festival is immeasurable. The appointment of a new Chair creates an opportunity for another powerful advocate to support the ongoing articulation and achievement of its strategic aims, vision and ambitions.

The Chair will work closely with BFMAF’s Festival Director and, supported by Trustees, advise on key stakeholder relationships as well as the financial, strategic and HR management of the organisation. Their leadership, networks and commitment will bring new perspectives to the Festival, support its staff and ensure its sustainable development.

In recognition of our aims as an organisation and the heterogeneity of the Festival’s audiences and participants we encourage applications for Chair from disabled and neuro-divergent people, global majority candidates, those who identify as LGBTQI+, people from low-income backgrounds, women and younger people too.

The Festival welcomes applications from Northumberland, the North of England, Scotland and across the UK.

Trustee meetings and the Chair’s involvement in the organisation will at times be in person as well as online. Meetings currently proceed online.

About the organisation

Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is a company limited by guarantee, and a registered charity. It has been an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation since 2012 and is also supported by the British Film Institute, Community Foundation, Northumberland County Council and Berwick-upon-Tweed Town Council.

The Festival currently employs 2 full-time and 1 part-time members of staff. It is supported by around 15 colleagues working freelance and 50 volunteers during the festival itself. It is managed by a board of voluntary directors.

For more information on the Festival’s Trustees, staff and organisation consult: https://bfmaf.org/about-us/board/ and https://bit.ly/BFMAF2021catalogue

About the festival

Inspired by its borderlands location, Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival holds pluralist and revisionist ideas of contemporary cinema, its history and curation. Short, medium or feature-length Festival selections can include arthouse, documentary or genre cinema; artists’ moving image and sound; world premieres and freshly restored archival titles; live, installation-based and performative or online artists and filmmakers works. Together, they hold shared and overlapping interests in asking what new cinema might be.

In presenting its Autumn Festival, BFMAF strives to understand and work towards optimal production and exhibition conditions for artists and filmmakers’ work within the resources, scales and contexts it has available. In evaluating this, the inclusion of audiences and communities that it is involved with – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally are of utmost consideration. Equally important are the working conditions and well being of its staff, freelance workers and volunteers.

Over the last eighteen years, the Festival’s work has continued year round with foci on artists’ and filmmakers professional development, working with young people and projects commissioned in collaboration with local and international peers.

Person specification

Experience:

  • Track record of leadership and management skills in working with a diverse team who bring a wide range of skills and experience.
  • Experience of acting as a confident ambassador and public advocate for an organisation or project.
  • Experience of successful partnership working with various stakeholders.

Knowledge:

  • Demonstrable commitment to, and knowledge of, film and contemporary visual arts and the economic and cultural contribution that they make in transforming lives and impacting positively on communities.
  • Comprehensive understanding of finance, leadership and strategic planning in a 3rd / public sector or charity setting.

Practical and intellectual skills:

  • Demonstrable commitment to, and knowledge of, film and contemporary visual arts and the economic and cultural contribution that they make in transforming lives and impacting positively on communities.
  • Comprehensive understanding of finance, leadership and strategic planning in a 3rd / public sector or charity setting.

Disposition & attitude:

  • Ability to absorb key information through reporting systems and to analyse, challenge and question in a constructive manner.
  • Strategic vision with the ability to think creatively and express views, but also with a willingness to listen and serve as a ‘critical friend’.
  • A deep understanding of and demonstrable commitment to Equality and Diversity.

Personal circumstances:

  • Willingness to devote the necessary time and commitment to undertake the role of Chair and trustee as outlined in the role descriptor.

Desirable:

  • Experience of dealing with an NPO and/or Arts Council England or equivalent organisation in the UK Nations.
  • Knowledge of Berwick-upon-Tweed and Northumberland.
Key responsibilities

Providing leadership to the organisation and Board of Trustees:

  • chairing and facilitating Board meetings; together with the Festival Director and Festival Manager plan and set agendas for an annual cycle of Board meetings; ensure that decisions taken at Board level are implemented.
  • providing support and mentorship to the Festival Director and Festival Manager to enable them to achieve the vision and aims of the organisation, evaluating performance against agreed targets.
  • ensuring Trustees are aware of the responsibilities of their role and that BFMAF operates in accordance with legal and governance requirements.
  • representing and advocating for BFMAF, acting as a spokesperson where appropriate.
  • reviewing the performance of the Festival Director on an annual basis against agreed objectives.
  • oversee HR procedures including appointment of key staff and disciplinary and grievance procedures as required.

As a trustee on board:

  • ensuring that BFMAF pursues its aims and objectives as defined in its Artistic Vision, Business Plan and Memorandum and Articles.
  • agreeing and ratifying all policies and decisions on matters which might create significant risk to the organisation, financial or otherwise.
  • ensuring solvency, financial strength, stability and to protect and manage the assets of BFMAF and to ensure the proper investment of BFMAF funds.
  • ensuring that BFMAF is accountable to its funders and uses its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives.
  • advising on HR including monitoring staff performance, staff remuneration and succession planning.
  • ensuring that BFMAF upholds and applies the principles of equal opportunities and diversity in all its activities.
  • Acting in a collegiate manner with mutual respect, integrity, openness and accountability to safeguard and promote the values of BFMAF as a charity at all times.
Commitment

The role of Chair and all Board members are voluntary and unpaid, but all reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. All Board members are expected to attend 4 Board meetings a year and participate in development planning days as required. The Chair is also required to meet regularly with the Festival Director and senior management outside of formal board meetings.

It is expected that the Chair will attend and participate in key BFMAF events so that they can promote the organisation from an informed position. In line with the appointment for Board members, the Chair will be appointed initially for a 3-year term, with the opportunity for re-standing for a further two terms up to a maximum of 9 years.

How to apply

To apply please complete a short application form: Chair of BFMAF Board Application

You will be asked to provide the following information:

  • A letter of interest outlining your experience and how you meet the Person Specification for this role
  • A CV / Professional Biography
  • A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (responses are anonymised)

To arrange an informal discussion regarding the role please contact Huw Davies on huw@bfmaf.org

If you have any additional needs to support your application or would like to discuss an alternative method of applying, please contact us at hr@bfmaf.org.

The deadline for applications is midday, 13 December 2021.

It is intended that interviews will take place in Berwick-upon-Tweed or online during the week beginning 10 January 2022. Travel costs will be supported for candidates who are able to travel to Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The closing date for this position is 13/12/2021 at 12:00

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