UNITY Theatre is launching a new initiative to broaden the diversity of their Board of Trustees by recruiting board members aged between 18 and 25. The successful candidates will become an active part of the theatre’s governing team for a one-year term.
The theatre, which is known for its edgy and radical programming has named the scheme, Directors of the Future, and hopes that this initiative will help offer an opportunity to develop the skills of individuals from different backgrounds and offer the chance for them influence the running of the theatre.
Sue Williams, Executive Director said: “In 2016 we established a board with strong skills and experience enabling them to deliver clear governance and added value to the theatre. The challenge now is to achieve greater diversity in the Board and wider representation of the communities Unity wants to reach and work with.
“We’re looking for young people with experience in creative digital industries or with legal or financial skills and knowledge, however if you simply have enthusiasm for what we do and a willingness to learn we would be happy to hear from you too.
“We also recognise that there are barriers to entry for under–represented groups on boards. Sometimes there is a lack of opportunities for those with no specific board experience, sometimes the individuals themselves do not recognise that they have already have the skills and strengths that boards would value. We want to challenge these barriers and create a pipeline of future board members for us and other cultural organisations by setting up an the Directors of the Future scheme at Unity.
“After completing a year as a Board Member, candidates will be able to apply for a role on the Unity Board if we have vacancies. We will also offer support to identify other organisations who may have Board opportunities and help with applications.”
Those interested in applying for the scheme will need to write a letter to explain why they would like to be an board member to suewilliams@unitytheatre.co.uk. The deadline for applications is 5.30pm on Fri 28 April 2017. A full person specification and monitoring form can be found here: http://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/opportunities.html
