Chair to the board of Trustees

Salary: Voluntary

Take One Action is recruiting a new Chair for their board to support their new strategic approach and creative leadership.

Role summary

Take One Action are recruiting a new Chair for our board to support our new strategic approach and creative leadership as we build on our excellent reputation as a unique player at the intersection of Scotland’s film exhibition and social justice landscapes. Last year we welcomed 4 new trustees to the board and with the current Chair looking to stand down but remain on the board, we are using this as an opportunity to welcome a new Chair who shares our values, is interested in how we might explore new ways of leading the organisation, and has the ability to think differently.

This is an influential and important role, and we are seeking somebody with experience of senior leadership in a cultural or business context, and a track record in helping organisations achieve their mission with energy and enthusiasm for social justice and the arts. The Chair provides leadership, support and guidance for the board and staff team. This might include meeting with team members outwith the usual quarterly board meetings.

We want to work with someone who is a brilliant strategic thinker and unafraid to challenge conventional ways of how arts organisations are run. We want to constantly interrogate how accessibility, decoloniality, and climate justice can be embedded across the organisation, our work, and how our governance reflects that. In particular, we would welcome experience in the fields of legislation, finance and accounting, business development and/or charity governance.

The basics

• Role: Chair to the board of Trustees
• Remuneration: The role of Chair is not accompanied by any financial remuneration, although expenses for travel may be claimed
• Time commitment: Up to 6 board meetings a year, plus regular meetings with the staff team. Board members are also expected to attend and support Take One Action’s events.
• Closing date: 24 July
• Location: Scotland

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and leadership
• Be responsible for the recruitment of new board members
• Act as an ambassador for Take One Action nationally and internationally
• Champion best practice for the board and staff team
• Lead the board in setting and monitoring the strategic direction for the organisation
• Be accountable for the principles of good governance
• Work with the board and staff to explore new ways of governing and leading an arts organisation
• Uphold and review policies
• Behave with integrity and in the best interests of Take One Action
• Oversee performance of the staff team
• Ensure all trustees have access to appropriate induction, advice, and information relating to their role
• Address conflicts of interest among Trustees
• Oversee the compliance of Take One Action with its governing document
• Chair board meetings

What is the Board of Take One Action like?

Our trustees are expected to demonstrate:

• Equality: a commitment to actively recognising and reducing – or altogether removing – potential barriers to access for employees, volunteers, trustees, audiences and all those who contribute to our events.
• Diversity: a commitment to ensuring differences are recognised, respected, represented and valued, evidenced in part by championing representation of diverse lived experiences, on and off screen.
• Inclusion: a practice and approach that ensures people (audiences, filmmakers, event contributors, communities, staff and volunteers) can not only take part in our activities, but can do so in the way that they want to.

The organisation has just completed a consultation process and has a refreshed vision for the way forward, and the new Chair will play an important role in recruiting a new Director to lead the organisation.

Access

If you have any needs we can support in order for you to consider joining our board we would welcome a conversation around those. This might include – but is not limited to – the timing of meetings to accommodate care responsibilities or work, access provision at meetings, and/or location of meetings.

If you require this information in a different format, or have any other questions relating to accessibility, please send an email to info@takeoneaction.org.uk

How to apply

To apply, please submit one of the following:

• a video or voice recording
• a covering letter of approximately 600 words (one page)

Please share with us your skills and attributes, details of relevant experience, and your reasons for wishing to become our new Chair, along with your contact details (name / address / mobile number) and a copy of / link to your CV.

Please send your application to the current Chair, Lindsay Dunbar via email info@takeoneaction.co.uk with ‘Chair Recruitment’ in the subject line.

Applicants will be invited for a brief interview with 2 board members and a staff member with the intention that the new Chair will shadow the next board meeting on 17 August 2023 and then lead the subsequent one.

The closing date for this position is 24/07/2023 at 23:59