Lively discussion by the Trustees about what Black Swan Arts means. Photograph by Simon Richardson
Our Trustees
There are many benefits to being a Black Swan Arts Trustee:
- Making a valuable contribution to your community
- Acquiring further knowledge and understanding about charities and the visual arts
- Applying your professional experience in a new context to develop your skills and further build your experience
- Making useful new contacts and connections in your local community
Being a Trustee is an unpaid role and requires a certain amount of spare time which varies depending on the Trustee’s area of expertise.
Could you be our next Chair or Treasurer?
We are looking to recruit new board members to work with us in a voluntary capacity, with the skills, knowledge and dynamism we need to take us to the next stage in our development. We are looking for three Trustees to fulfil very specific roles.
These are:
- Chair, who needs to be an articulate advocate for the Black Swan and a great networker – ideally with considerable local knowledge and contacts.
- Treasurer, someone with strong finance skills, and the ability to explain finance to non-finance people. Preferably with accounting qualifications, and an understanding of charity accounting.
- Practicing artist or crafts person, to ensure that the needs and aspirations of artists and makers are kept at the centre of every Trustees’ meeting.
To apply, send your CV to office@blackswanarts.org.uk with a brief covering letter of not more than 2 pages explaining what you’d bring to Black Swan Arts.
Position vacant – Chair
The Chair is the leader and spokesperson of the Board and as such must keep closely in touch with the company and its activities. The Chair will normally represent the company at outside events, though may delegate this to a Vice Chair or another colleague.
Additionally, the Chair acts as the decision maker on any matters that cannot be progressed without Board authorisation, but cannot wait until the next Board meeting.
Read the full description of trustee roles, there is a section specifically relating to the role of the Chair.
Position vacant – Deputy Chair
The Deputy Chair is expected to take a major role in organising and managing trustee meetings and to work with the Chair to ensure that trustees, staff and volunteers are supported and managed effectively.
They should work with the Centre Manager to ensure that the building and all within it are well supported. Including leading on building maintenance and health & safety.
Read the full description of trustee roles, there is a section specifically relating to the role of the Deputy Chair.
Rebecca Morland – Trustee in charge of funding bids
Rebecca was born in Glastonbury, and was very happy to return to Somerset 4 years ago after a career spent in various places around the UK. She has worked in arts management, mainly theatre, for over 30 years.
In recent years she has worked for the Theatres Trust and as a freelance consultant, providing advice and support for arts organisations, including feasibility studies, funding applications and business planning.
Sarah Rees – Trustee, in charge of café operations
Rosie Hart – Tech Trustee, responsible for the website, newsletter and competition manager
Morag Stuart – Volunteer’s Trustee, also in charge of the Art Open and Young Open annual competitions
Before moving to Frome, Morag worked as Orchestra Administrator for the National Youth Orchestra of GB. She was also the Outreach Administrator at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. When her children were young she set up a successful preschool art group called Doodlebugs.
Her love of the arts brought her to Black Swan Arts. She enjoys coordinating the BSA Open and Young Open competitions. Morag began as a volunteer before taking on the role of trustee. She has taken on responsibility for all the BSA’s wonderful, hardworking volunteers.
Stephen Sherrin – Volunteer in charge of health & safety
Stephen is a professional Project Manager / Architectural Designer. His portfolio spreads from working for DEGW, an international practice focussed on integrating research, strategy and design throughout the scales; master planning to planning the workspace environment, to that of working for the World renowned traditional Architect, Julian Bicknell. Much of Stephen’s own architectural work takes inspiration from the C20th minimalist Sculpture Artists.
Stephen grew up and was schooled in Frome before taking his undergraduate architectural studies at The University of Bath. He then moved to London to pursue his career and continue his post graduate study.
He has a great love of dogs; enjoys finding new countryside trails with his dog Bert. In his spare time, he enjoys DIY, music and producing his own artwork.
Stephen joined us as a Trustee in 2018 and has taken on responsibility for the Building’s Health and Safety.
Heather Roughly – trustee for the Guild
Stuart Fiddes
Keith Broughton
More information coming soon about our recent recruits.
Profile photographs by Simon Richardson