Apply by
Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 11 PM
Fee
£6,000
We're seeking proposals for an Independent Chair to support the collaborative working of The Bradford Way; a two-year strategic investment programme transforming Bradford’s arts and culture through collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity.
The Bradford Way (TBW) is a strategic investment programme in Bradford supported by Arts Council England’s Place Partnership fund. A new consortium consisting of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Bradford Producing Hub, the Cultural Voice Forum and The Leap have come together to create a sustainable, joined-up infrastructure that supports Bradford’s diverse artists and community-led arts and culture. This two-year intervention directly responds to needs, improves collaboration and provision, and grows our diverse ecology for the City of Culture year and the long-term.
The consortium provides an ecology of complementary, strategic remits:
- Bradford Metropolitan District Council (BMDC): commissions and platforms talent and new work in a calendar of festivals and events with a national and international reach.
- Bradford Cultural Voice Forum (CVF): networking and connectivity for everyone, the independent voice of the sector. Celebrating the sector, advocating at every level, embedding inclusivity. CVF is the inclusive home for all the new people we are encouraging into the sector.
- Bradford Producing Hub (BPH): needs-led skills, talent and career development for creatives.
- The Leap: place-focused, asset-focused approaches that enable leadership and build community capacity and skills. Grassroots connectivity and innovation.
The Arts Council England Places Partnership Programme aims to make a step change in the cultural and creative opportunity through new collaborative working methods. The projects seek to transform aspects of cultural and creative provision in line with ACE’s Let’s Create strategy and the area’s own cultural strategic aims.
The Bradford Way launched in April 2024 and we are now seeking an independent Chair to support the Consortium through the next 15 months of development and delivery, to:
- Support all partners and ensure ongoing equity in power and decision-making
- Act as a critical friend to the project, ensuring we are meeting our aims and objectives and making the most of this development opportunity
- Help us to realise The Bradford Way, by embedding new collaborative approaches that will continue for the long term and maximise the potential to open up further opportunities and future funding for the partnership
The Chair
We are seeking an independent Chair to support the collaborative working methodology of The Bradford Way (TBW).
Responsibilities include:
- Facilitate quarterly meetings throughout 2025 up to the end of the project in March 2026 (5 meetings):
- Prepare collaborative meeting agendas based on strategic aims, project schedules, reporting requirements, and decision-making needs.
- Ensure timely preparation and dissemination of quarterly papers, by the Programme Manager and/or the Contracts and Compliance Manager
- Chair meetings, ensuring equity of power and voice across all Consortium partners.
- Attend an introductory meeting with the Programme Manager and Contracts and Compliance Manager
- Lead the creation of Terms of Reference for the Consortium
- Assist the Consortium in developing appropriate and efficient communications procedures, including complaints procedures within the Consortium and for end-point users
- Take an active and independent role in ensuring any difficulties that may arise are addressed, acting as a mediator between partners if needed, and helping to ensure the project partnership is effective and successful.
- Attend and potentially take an active role in the sector Conference that will be planned and delivered as part of TBW.
- Assist the ongoing evaluation of the project by meeting with the evaluator for interviews about the Consortium working methodology. Participate in final review process at end of project.
- Ensure The Bradford Way is strategically positioned within Bradford and West Yorkshire
- Champion equality and diversity in all work connected to The Bradford Way
Person Specification
- Minimum 2 years in experience Chairing or co-Chairing meetings, preferably for Cultural Consortia
- Experience of Board or Consortia practices, including overseeing finances, creating terms of reference and reviewing papers
- An excellent understanding of large-scale ACE-funded projects, including Place Partnership funds
- Experience in managing conflict or disagreement internally
- Ability to ask difficult questions and ensure the Consortium is working to the best of its ability
- Have a minimum of 3 years experience working in the arts and cultural sector, with a good knowledge of talent development and support networks
Remuneration
£6,000 for the whole contract (inclusive of VAT)
This is an all-inclusive fee, including travel. We expect the contract to involve around 20-days work:
- 1-day prep and 1-day delivery for each meeting (10 days)
- 5 days to support and engage in reporting, evaluation and conference delivery
- 5 days additional time for 121 meetings with partners, attending events or supporting any difficulties that may arise
Timeline
- 21 January 2025 at 11 PM: Application deadline
- 28 January 2025: Informal interviews
- February 2025: Introductory meetings, Consortium meeting
- May, August, November 2025 and February 2026: Consortium meetings
- February / March 2026 (TBC): Conference
- End of March 2026: Project wrap up
How to apply
Please send a CV and cover letter of no more than one sheet of A4 outlining your suitability for the role to hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk by 11 PM on 21 January 2025. Please include two references who can be contacted should you be successful in being offered the role.
If you prefer, video or audio applications can be made. Recordings should be no longer than four minutes.
We are actively seeking expressions of interest from diverse and under-represented communities. We strongly encourage those from global majority, D/deaf and disabled backgrounds to apply.
Conflicts of Interest
It is very important that the Chair we recruit is independent and neutral. We will ensure a detailed Conflict Of Interest register is created and maintained. Please declare any conflict of interest you may have as part of your application, including:
- Close working or personal relationships with any member of management of any of the partners
- Receipt of funding from any of the partners
- Previous employment for any of the partners
