Board Member

Screen South is seeking to appoint up to 3 new Board Members. 

You will be part of a creative industry, and communities led team of 6 current Board Members who support the Managing Director and the Executive Team in shaping Screen South’s strategic direction.

We wish to strengthen our board by extending representation among board members from underrepresented groups. A diverse board representing a range of voices will help ensure that the board brings varied insight and experience. The new Board Members will help us deliver our organisational priorities.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates who have lived experience of disability including D/deaf and neurodivergent people.

Ideally Board Members will have direct experience or a strong understanding of one or more of the following areas:

• Screen, Heritage, Immersive or Visual Arts sectors particularly with good local national or international connections and awareness
• Local grass roots/community involvement
• Finance
• Business development
• Marketing and social media
• Creative technology
• Legal and contracts
• Creative industries training & learning
• Environment & sustainability

We are committed to being a genuinely inclusive and accessible organisation that is relevant to everyone. We have made considerable efforts to work towards this goal, but we know we need to do more, particularly around the organisation’s developing our workforce, new talent career opportunities and enhancing engagement with local communities.

Board Member Responsibilities

The key responsibility for board members is to advise and support the delivery of Screen South’s vision, mission, and strategic goals. They are expected to:

• Act in the interest of Screen South.
• Seek, in good faith, to ensure that Screen South operates in a manner consistent with its objectives.
• Act with care and diligence that is reasonable to expect of a person who is managing the affairs of another person/body.
• Assist in developing and maintaining positive relations among the Board, staff members, and community to enhance Screen South’s mission.

Board members will attend board meetings and development days regularly and be prepared when they do so, having read all preparatory documents. Board members will be invited to all Screen South events.

New Board Members will receive a full induction and be assigned a current Board Member to support their integration into the company. We are open to discussing any further support a Board Member might require to be able to fully participate and undertake their duties, including, but not limited to, accessibility, Wi-Fi connection/tech, and training.

Terms of Appointment

Board meetings are held a minimum of four times a year – generally March, June (with AGM and draft end of year accounts and audit), September, and December. The meetings may take place in person or virtually.

The Board may meet more frequently, provided the Board members agree. The Board may also approve recommendations via a written procedure.

Where a Board meeting is in person, and with the prior agreement of the Chair, a Board member may attend the meeting by telephone or other means of communication such as zoom whereby all persons in the meeting can communicate freely between all members. Where this is possible, that member shall be deemed present and shall be entitled to vote and counted as quorum accordingly.

Board Members may be asked to provide additional expertise and support, depending on their skills and responsibilities, to the Senior Management Team in specific areas, or to a particular workstream, particularly with regard to our Arts Council National Portfolio Investment Principles across Ambition and Quality, Dynamism, Environmental Sustainability, Inclusivity and Relevance.

Board Member roles are unremunerated roles, though reasonable expenses may be reimbursed.

Board Member Specification

We would like Board members to have following skills and attributes:

• Knowledge of and commitment to Screen South's mission
• Understanding of the barriers faced by disadvantaged and socially excluded groups, together with an understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities and practice
• Excellent listening, analytical & comprehension skills
• Excellent judgement and a high level of integrity
• Open-minded, strategic thinking, able to take a strategic view across the full range of issues affecting Screen South
• Ability to command trust and respect from colleagues and stakeholders
• Ability to understand complex issues and discern what is significant before meetings
• Willingness to undertake training

Screen South is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and succeed on merit. We strive to ensure that opportunities to work and develop at Screen South are equitable for all.

About Screen South

Screen South is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, that delivers a range of creative and cultural programmes with diversity and innovation at its heart. Founded in 2001 as a Regional Screen Agency, Screen South has been an independent organisation for over 12 years. In December 2009, we launched Accentuate as a major strand of our work with an ambition to create a cultural shift in attitudes towards disability. In 2023 Screen South welcomed 3-year core support as they became an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation Screen South is based at our Digital Hub Folkestone and our work covers a wide national geography.

There are three key objectives to our work:

1. Delivering industry-led national and regional programmes, including new talent development, career enhancement, and R&D support across skills, development, and production opportunities in film and creative digital technology.
2. Leading collaborative national projects that break new ground for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in the cultural sector. for deaf and disabled people to participate and lead.
3. Supporting community and young people’s projects across digital and creative activities in the South-East, widening access for unheard voices.

These strands feed intersect and build pathways for participation, for access, and for change.