Opportunities

Join Studio Voltaire's Board of Trustees

• Voluntary position, with potential for paid expenses
• 3-year term, with potential to renew for a maximum of 3 terms
• Minimum 12 hours per annum

Studio Voltaire is one of the UK’s leading not–for–profit arts and education organisations. Placing great emphasis on risk-taking, experimentation and support for artists, our pioneering exhibitions, civic and learning projects, artist development, live events, and offsite commissions have an important local and international reach.  Studio Voltaire is a registered charity and part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.

Over the next year, we are looking to appoint a number of new Trustees who will bring a commitment to the organisation’s mission and values, and complement the range of skills and experience of our Board.

As a Trustee you will help us to:

• Support emerging and underrepresented artists and practices
• Increase access and participation within contemporary art practice
• Expand our civic role within our local area
• Encourage change within the arts sector to represent the cultural diversity of London and beyond
• Increase the long-term sustainability of the charity

Trustees support and help develop a charity’s work by playing important and varied roles, including: supporting Studio Voltaire’s team; giving advice; acting as a critical friend; providing strategic leadership; and advocating for Studio Voltaire through the next stage of our development.

You do not need to have any formal qualifications or have had previous experience as a Trustee. We are looking for people who are passionate about contemporary art and the role creativity can play within our lives.

We are looking for people who:

• Have a strong commitment to Studio Voltaire, its values and ethos
• Are actively engaged with the creative sector and/or the different communities we work within
• Have good communication skills and can challenge and question positively
• Value difference and can empathise with viewpoints which might be different to your own
• Understand and accept the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of being a Trustee
• Work effectively and collaboratively as a member of a team
• Are willing and able to devote the necessary time and effort to the charity’s development, including board meetings, events and sessions

It is important that our Board of Trustees reflects the voices, backgrounds and experiences of our stakeholders and the different communities we work with. We want to ensure that our Board better reflects a broader diversity of perspectives and experiences, sharpening our thinking and bringing richness to our decision-making.

We actively welcome applications from people who identify as:

• Working class, or those who have experienced economic precarity or social exclusion
• People of the Global Majority
• Disabled, D/deaf, neurodiverse or experience long-term health conditions
• Being under the age of 30
• LGBTQIA+, particularly transgender or non–binary people

We have highlighted these groups in particular, as they are under-represented amongst our trustee body at present. People who do not fall into one of the above categories are welcome to apply but are less likely to be taken forward in the recruitment process.

At this time, we are particularly keen to recruit people who fulfil any of the following:

• Have experience in senior business planning and strategy, either in corporate or not-for-profit sectors
• Have experience and knowledge of our local communities in South London, or a connection to our local area
• Have proven knowledge or experience in high-level fundraising and income generation

Trustees do not normally receive payments for your work. However, Trustees can receive expenses for out-of-pocket payments they have to make in order to carry out their duties.  We acknowledge that some people may not be in a position to give their time and services for free, and that this expectation may act as a barrier to you becoming a Trustee. As an organisation that is striving for fairer equality, representation and access, we are very happy to consider how we can support people further, so they can fully participate in the role.

To learn more about becoming a Trustee, and how to apply, please read the application pack.

1. Learn more and apply