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ROLE OF CHAIR

APPOINTMENT BRIEF

OCTOBER 2019

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CONTENTS 1. Our Story 2. The role 3. The person 4. Terms of appointment 5. How to apply

Talawa is the UK’s primary Black led touring theatre

company.

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OUR STORY Talawa was founded in 1986 by Yvonne Brewster, Carmen Munroe, Mona Hammond and Inigo Espejel, in response to the lack of creative opportunities for Black actors and the marginalisation of Black peoples from cultural processes. Today, Talawa is the primary Black theatre company in the UK, with more than 50 touring productions from African classics to Oscar Wilde behind it. Currently led by Michael Buffong, Talawa Theatre Company has performed work by writers like C.L.R. James, Derek Walcott, Michael Abbensetts, Wole Soyinka, Patricia Cumper, Mustapha Matura, Roy Williams, Jackie Kay, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Trish Cooke, Malorie Blackman, Michael Bhim, Arinze Kene, Theresa Ikoko, Tash Marshall, and Nicôle Lecky. A number of Britain's finest actors, many of whom have sustained successful careers in film, radio, theatre and television, have worked with Talawa including Norman Beaton, Carmen Munroe, Mona Hammond, Doña Croll, Danny John-Jules, Cathy Tyson, Don Warrington, Sharon D Clarke, Nonso Anozie and Michaela Coel.

Talawa writers, directors and personnel now work in all areas of British theatre. These achievements demonstrate the Company's continually growing status, influence and contribution to contemporary British theatre and the cultural life of the UK.

The company’s name, Talawa, comes from a Jamaican patois term and means gutsy and strong.

MISSION

Talawa is the UK’s primary Black led touring theatre company. Our work is informed by the wealth and diversity of the Black British experience, and through that we create outstanding work by cultivating the best in emerging and established Black artists. We invest in talent, develop audiences and inspire dialogue with and within communities across the UK and internationally. By doing so, we enrich the cultural life of all.

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Co-Productions

Talawa usually co-produces 1-2 productions a year. Recent co-productions include: • King Lear, a co-production with the Royal Exchange Theatre, in association with Birmingham

Repertory Theatre

• Girls by Theresa Ikoko, a co-production with HighTide and Soho Theatre

• Guys & Dolls, a co-production with the Royal Exchange Theatre

• Half Breed by Natasha Marshall, a co-production with Soho Theatre

• Superhoe by Nicôle Lecky, a co-production with the Royal Court

• The Tide, co-created by writer Ryan Cameron and choreographer Jade Hackett, a co-production with

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, and Breakin’ Convention

K ing Lear “Intelligent and theatrical” and “as close to definitive as can be” – The Guardian

“A significant production” – The Times

“Illuminating” – The Financial Times

Guys & Dolls “Captivating” – Guardian

“Terrific from the get-go” – The Times

Superhoe "Nicôle Lecky is a revelation in a smart, authentic and provocative solo piece” – Evening Standard

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Future work Talawa currently has writers under commission with the Royal Exchange Theatre, Northern Stage, Soho Theatre and the Orange Tree Theatre. In 2020 we will be producing A Place For We by Archie Maddocks, a co-production with Park Theatre which Michael Buffong will direct, and Run it Back conceived and Directed by Coral Messam.

Funding Talawa has an annual turnover of approximately £600,000. It is a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), funded by Arts Council England, receiving £1,761,220 over four years. Talawa along with all NPO’s will need to rebid for funding in 2021/22. Our People Talawa currently has a team of 9, and in September the Board signed off a restructure plan which builds capacity.

Our current Board includes senior leaders from across the commercial sector as well as arts organisations of national standing. Current Directors are:

• Greg Hersov (Outgoing Chair) • Heather Clark Charrington • Laura Collier • James Dacre • Dominic Haddock • Rashada Harry • Nieros I. Oyegun • Shereen Jasmin Phillips • Beth Grossman • Olivier Pierre-Noël • Davinia Tomlinson

The current duties and responsibilities of all Board members are:

General • Attend and contribute to four Board meetings a year, sub-committee meetings if applicable and

an annual away day • Approve the Business Plan, including overall objectives and budgets while delegating

implementation to the staff • Understand the legal and financial responsibilities of Board members (see below) and to carry out

these responsibilities of monitoring and decision-making • Advise on the devising and implementation of a strategy to raise the public and privately sourced

funding required to support the Business Plan • Willingness to contribute to the fundraising targets of the company annually, which could include,

attending fundraising events, introductions to potential individual or corporate supporters or a personal donation within his or her means

• Support the Artistic Director’s vision, within the context of Talawa’s history and identity, and to provide critical oversight with regard to the practical and financial implications of the artistic programme

• Attend Talawa productions as regularly as possible • Support the staff in their activities through attendance at key events • Use professional and arts networks for the benefit of The Talawa • Contribute to the recruitment, appointment and appraisal of the organisation’s senior staff

Legal and financial duties • Act with honesty and good faith in the best interests of the Company • Ensure that the Company acts at all times within the aims set out in the constitution and in

accordance with the conditions laid down by any provider of funds or grants • Ensure that there is no misapplication of any Company property and that all assets of the

Company are used for the benefit of the Company

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• Avoid a conflict of interest. A Board member is under a duty to disclose the nature of any interest which he or she has in any contract to which the Company is a party

• Ensure that the organisation operates within the limits of its financial resources, actual and expected.

Other duties

• Exercise care, diligence and skill in the execution of Board member duties i.e. that degree of skill which may reasonably be expected from a person of his/her knowledge and experience

• Ensure that the organisation complies with the requirements of the Charity Commission and other relevant legislation, e.g. Health and Safety Regulations.

Artistic Director

The incoming Chair will work closely with and support our current Artistic Director Michael Buffong. Michael is the artistic director of Talawa Theatre Company. He has previously directed Private Lives, All the Ordinary Angels, Six Degrees of Separation, On My Birthday and the multi-award winning A Raisin in the Sun for the Royal Exchange Theatre. Most recently he has directed Guys & Dolls, King Lear, and All My Sons (Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Exchange Theatre). Other theatre credits include: God’s Property (Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany); The Serpent’s Tooth (Talawa Theatre Company and Almeida Theatre); Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (Royal National Theatre); One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Leicester Curve); Crawling in the Dark (Almeida); To Kill a Mockingbird (West Yorkshire Playhouse and Birmingham Rep); Little Sweet Thing (Hampstead Theatre); Raising the Roof (Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue); Long Time No See and Unfinished Business (Talawa Theatre Company); Souls (Theatre Centre); The Prayer (Young Vic Studio); Stories From Mean Street (New End Theatre, Hampstead); Airport 2000 (Leicester Haymarket); Brother to Brother (Lyric Hammersmith); Scrape Off the Black (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and In Pieces (Coventry Belgrade). Film and television credits include: Holby City, EastEnders, Admin, Placebo, Calais Rules, Doctors, Casualty, Comedy Shuffle, Hollyoaks, Feeling It, Blazed and Simple!

MAKE

For our Artist Development programme, MAKE, in 18/19 we:

• Engaged 330 artists and participants • Received 220 script submissions over the year to the Script Reading Service – the free to use script

reading programme • Registered 400 artists to MAKE Online, an online portal, which was launched in Spring of this year

To find out more about us click the links below:

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THE ROLE

CONTEXT

Greg Hersov is standing down from the role of Chair of Talawa, having made an outstanding contribution in leading the Board and organisation through a period of considerable change. Talawa are now therefore looking to appoint their next Chair, with an open mind as to which sector this person will come from.

This person will join Talawa at a hugely exciting time as the organisation has just made the move to Fairfield Halls in Croydon. The new space gives the company a 200-seat studio and offices for the first time since 1995.

Fairfield Halls opened to the public on 16 September 2019, and the new Talawa Studio operates there as a central hub for Black British artists, enabling Talawa to develop a community outreach programme, develop new work, and create and premiere new Black theatre on both the small and the mid-scale.

PURPOSE OF POST

The Chair will help lead the organisation through this exciting period of change as it grows and professionalises. This is the opportunity to support and champion an organisation making a significant difference to the national arts landscape.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• To play a key role in the development of the Talawa’s vision for the future, contributing to its strategic leadership, sound management and proactive development;

• To act as a positive and passionate ambassador for the organisation, advocating on its behalf, and representing its creative and civic mission;

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• To proactively encourage the theatre’s approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; • To work closely with and support the Artistic Director and rest of staff; • To ensure principles of good governance are met and the Board is well run, working

collaboratively with other Board members and staff; • To safeguard the charitable mission and reputation of the Talawa, acting in the best interests of

the organisation at all times; • To effectively chair Board meetings; • To ensure that Talawa maintains its organisational resilience through the development and

regular monitoring of robust policies, risk management, charitable accounting practices and internal controls;

• To lead fundraising efforts and build networks on behalf of Talawa; • To support the organisations and manage relationships with key stakeholders in partnership with

the rest of the Board and Artistic Director; • To attend Talawa’s productions at the new space in Croydon, and touring productions nationally. • To conduct the annual appraisal of the AD/CEO and the ED (with the AD/CEO) and participate in

annual appraisals of board members where appropriate • To oversee risk management including regular review of the risk register • To be a member of the Crisis committee, alongside other appropriate members of the board,

whenever it is called into operation • To attend Finance Committee meetings • To sit on recruitment panels for Board members and senior staff members • Line management of the Artistic Director/CEO

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PERSON SPECIFICATION The successful candidate will be a dynamic advocate for Talawa and will bring all or most of the following:

• A passion for theatre and the performing arts,

• A demonstrable commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

• A strong track record of leadership and the ability to be an effective communicator and

ambassador on behalf of an organisation;

• Experience of working at board level, ideally with prior experience in a chairing capacity, whether

in the commercial, public or charity sector;

• A willingness to build and leverage networks on behalf of Talawa;

• A good understanding of governance and the role of a Non-Executive Chair;

• Emotional and strategic intelligence;

• Well networked and willing to use professional and personal contacts for the benefit of the

Talawa and to advance the organisation externally;

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TERMS OF APPOINTMENTThis role is unremunerated.

Length of service is generally two terms of three years with the opportunity to extend to a third in exceptional circumstances. Time commitment is approximately 2-3 days per month including quarterly meetings and an annual away day.

HOW TO APPLY Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to Talawa Theatre Company on this appointment.

Candidates should apply for this role through our website at www.saxbam.com/appointments, using code EAHAJA.

Click on the ‘apply’ button and follow the instructions to upload a CV and cover letter.

The closing date for applications is noon on Wednesday 20 November 2019.

GDPR personal data notice According to GDPR guidelines, we are only able to process your Sensitive Personal Data (racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, health, sex life, or sexual orientation) with your express consent. You will be asked to complete a consent form when you apply and please do not include any Sensitive Personal Data within your CV (although this can be included in your covering letter if you wish to do so), remembering also not to include contact details for referees without their prior agreement.

The equal opportunities monitoring online form will not be shared with anyone involved in assessing your application. Please complete as part of the application process.

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EDINBURGH 46 Melville Street Edinburgh EH3 7HF

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