Volunteer Chair

What will you be doing?

The Chair and the board of trustees are ultimately legally accountable for everything we do, including our overall governance and strategic direction. The Chair will work closely with Marcus Farnsworth (Artistic Director), Sarah Rennix (General Manager), and our local volunteer committee, offering a balance of support, challenge and scrutiny, helping advocate for the company, develop our strategic aims and objectives, making sure we account fully to all our funders and our regulators the Charity Commission and Companies House. As with many other arts organisations in the UK, we face ongoing uncertainty around funding and securing the financial health of the organisation is a key aim for us in the next few years. One of the first things we would like the Chair to lead on is the development of a new business plan for the next 5 years, to include a fundraising strategy. We would also like to recruit new trustees in areas which are currently not covered - marketing/PR, tech/digital, fundraising/finance. The new Chair would play a key role in this recruitment process and ensuring that our board is as effective as it can be. 

What are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates with: - Senior leadership experience in at least one of the charitable, public, academic or business sectors. - Previous experience as Chair of a charity is desirable. - A well-developed understanding of charity governance and finances. - An understanding of the the current fundraising environment, from major donors to trusts and foundations. - The ability to chair Board meetings successfully. - Excellent communication skills with the ability to represent Southwell Music Festival with confidence with key stakeholders. - An interest in music and commitment to supporting the delivery of inspiring, high- quality music that benefits music lovers and local people in Southwell and the wider county.

What difference will you make?

We are a small but ambitious musical charity and the role of Chair is crucial to the success of our organisation. With only two part-time staff and our dedicated board of trustees, we deliver a varied andhigh-quality programme of over 30 live events, spanning from large-scale symphonic orchestral concerts to relaxed, intimate jazz and folk fringe events. As well as supporting local talent, we also introduce local audiences to internationally renowned musicians, with recent guests including Roderick Williams, Sophie Bevan, Jeneba and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Martin Roscoe, Kathryn Tickell, Mark Padmore, and Jennifer Pike.  We celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2024, and the next stage in our journey from a local music festival to a highly-regarded regional one requires the expertise and guidance of an experienced and strategic Chair. It's a hands-on role with lots of scope to make your mark and help us to secure the next 10 years of this incredible festival. We believe high-quality cultural experiences should be available to everyone regardless of which part of the country they live in and you can help us to fly the flag for cultural excellence and accessibility in the East Midlands.  "...Southwell can already equal, even surpass, more established festivals. The artistic results are remarkable." The Sunday Times