The National Jazz Archive Is Seeking New Trustees

The National Jazz Archive is seeking new Trustees

The National Jazz Archive (NJA) holds the UK’s finest collection of written, printed and visual material on jazz, blues and related music from the 1920s to the present day. Our vision is to develop, promote and share knowledge of our collection and to safeguard it for future generations.

The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a three-year grant in 2011 to tell the Story of British Jazz. This enabled key parts of the collection to be conserved and catalogued for the first time. Significant items have been digitised and made accessible online. The funding also facilitated a programme of events, family activities and opportunities for volunteers; while attendance at UK jazz festivals and events raised the Archive’s profile as the UK’s foremost jazz research resource.

Our current HLF project ‘Intergenerational Jazz Reminiscence’, which runs until mid-2017, is exploring the investments that different generations make in promoting, performing, supporting and documenting our jazz heritage. Interviews and reminiscences are being recorded and will be made available on our website and as part of an exhibition ‘Say it with Music’ in May 2017.

The HLF projects have involved working with a range of partners, including the Black Cultural Archives, Age UK, Essex University, the Loughton Youth Project and Southend Jazz Club. There are exciting plans to develop our relationship with a range of old and new partners. There are also ongoing plans for a variety of major events and exhibitions.

The NJA has a strong board of trustees. However, there are some particular skill gaps that need to be filled. The NJA also recognises the importance of trying to increase the diversity of the Board in terms of gender, ethnicity and age. While you do not need direct experience of being on a board, you should be able to commit to the duties and responsibilities of being on a board and to share the NJA’s vision of protecting Britain’s jazz heritage for the future. Prospective board members should also demonstrate a commitment to working as part of a team. Trustees have and must accept ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the NJA, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it was set up.

Trustees usually meet four times a year at the Archive at Loughton, and are expected to take an active role in our subgroups (Resources, Marketing and Fundraising, IT and website, Exhibitions, Collections) and to support NJA events and activities. The main work of these subgroups is done by email and phone but they also meet from time to time.

The NJA is based at Loughton Library where we have a reading room for visitors and storage facilities, supported by a part-time paid research archivist whose post is kindly provided by Essex County Council, and a team of enthusiastic volunteers who maintain the collection and help make it accessible to visitors. Our current strategy is to take on employed specialists as part of funded projects. For example, for the current HLF project we are employing a project manager and qualified archivist to undertake the project.

The NJA is a registered charity, number 327894. Information about the role of trustees of charities can be found at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc3.aspx

NJA Trustee recruitment, January 2017 What we are looking for For all the posts you will ideally have an understanding of archives, jazz and/or cultural heritage. You will have experience of team-working, an understanding of operational issues and a willingness to be hands-on to resolve challenges.

In particular, we are seeking trustees with experience of one or more of the following:

Archives and collection management The professional management of our collections is vital for our continuing success. We need trustees who have a thorough understanding of best practice in developing and managing specialist collections, and supporting wide access and use, especially online. Collaboration with other educational, archive and musical bodies is likely to play an increasing role for the Archive in the future.

Volunteer recruitment and management We rely on volunteers for all sorts of task – packing and sorting collections, identifying jazz musicians in photographs, assisting with children’s activities, PR and day-to-day office tasks. We would like to recruit more volunteers with suitable skills and we are looking for someone with experience of a lead role in a volunteer-led organisation who can develop these aspects of the NJA and manage the week-by-week rota of volunteers.

Fundraising We depend on fundraising for our continuing existence, not only in support of our current projects, but also to cover the basic costs of running the NJA. Our income comes mainly from fundraising concerts and individual donations, but we want to identify longer term sustainable funding streams. You will have experience of leading fundraising activities for small charities or cultural organisations and will play an active role in building up our effectiveness and expertise.

IT We need day-to-day support with basic IT operations, although networking knowledge and knowledge of Gmail systems would be useful. You will have technical skills in systems admin and be familiar with data standards and web technologies. You will help the NJA to develop our systems and applications, and online presence, and keep our infrastructure intact; this will mean an understanding of the kit, software and networks we operate.

How to apply To register your interest in becoming a trustee, please submit a CV and covering letter. This should outline the skills and experience you would bring to the NJA, and set out the relevant experience that you’d bring to our organisation. Explain why you would like to join the NJA and your interest in one of the positions. Please also confirm that there are no reasons, to your knowledge, that would disqualify you from becoming a charity trustee.

Send your application to the address below or by email to [email protected]. The closing date has been extended by two weeks to Friday 24 February 2017.

For more information or to discuss any of these posts, email [email protected], with your telephone number, and we will arrange to phone you to tell you more about the posts and answer your questions. We will arrange for applicants to visit the Archive before finalising their appointment.

Please note that these are voluntary positions and, as such, attract no payment. The NJA is able to assist with travel costs and expenses incurred in undertaking NJA business away from the main Loughton Library site.

National Jazz Archive, Loughton Library, Traps Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 1HD www.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk

NJA Trustee recruitment, January 2017