Recruitment Brief Chair for Culture Trust

Voluntary Position

Closing Date: 28 September 2018 Interview date: 19 October 2018

LEEDS T 0113 378 8203 Leeds Culture Trust (Limited by Guarantee) Registered CULTUR E [email protected] in England and Wales. E www.leeds2023.co.uk No: 10674601 TRUST

Recruitment Brief

Leeds Culture Trust and Leeds 2023 Leeds 2023 is an international cultural festival which will harness the energy, creativity and ambition of the Leeds bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2023. It will celebrate the city’s cultural life and bring the best global arts here to Leeds. Leeds Culture Trust has been set up to create a five-year, £35 million cultural investment programme to culminate in our year of celebration in 2023. We are now seeking an exceptional, visionary and dynamic Chair, who will help us drive this ambition forward.

Background When the European Commission decided the UK could no longer be part of the European Capital of Culture programme, Leeds decisively acted to sustain the huge levels of positive energy and commitment within the city that our bid had generated. Leeds City Council, and its major partners, pledged to create the city’s own international festival of culture. Leeds Culture Trust will engage the cultural capacity of the whole city to develop stunning events and large-scale participation for the festival. The Trust’s work will leave a lasting legacy for the city, create a step change in awareness of Leeds’ thriving and rich cultural scene, further our citizens’ pride in the city, and deepen and develop our international cultural relationships and profile.

Recruitment Brief Chair for Leeds Culture Trust continued

Leeds Culture Trust Chair What will you bring to the role? We are seeking an exceptional individual who will lead our ambition to transform how Leeds is perceived across the region, nation and the world and how its citizens engage with, and perceive, arts and culture. As a confident leader you will be able to articulate our vision to a wide range of audiences and stakeholders. You will help the Trust to achieve and exceed its role, building inspiring and lasting partnerships in the public, private and third sectors. As Chair of Leeds Culture Trust you will have: • A passion for Leeds • An impressive track record as a leader in business, public or not for profit sectors • Inspiring communication skills • A commitment to the role of arts and culture • An enviable network of regional and national senior-level influencers, and a willingness to use them to achieve our ambition • An effective approach to chairing • A desire to shape future creative opportunities to leave a lasting legacy What will the role entail? You will lead the Trust, harnessing and directing the Trustees’ efforts in support of the ambitious programme for Leeds 2023. A key element of this will involve setting and overseeing the implementation of the strategic business plan. You will work with a skilled Executive Team as well as partners across the city and the country. As Chair you will also be the public face of the Trust, attending key cultural and networking events, as well as hosting visits to Leeds to support the fundraising and partnership development of the project regionally, nationally and potentially internationally. We anticipate an

average commitment of around two days a month in a non-executive role once the Trust is established. However, the successful candidate should be able to consider a greater commitment in the first six to twelve months. Recruitment Brief Chair for Leeds Culture Trust continued

Job Description for the Chair of Leeds Culture Trust Overall • Leading the Trust to achieve its ambition for both the festival and the legacy • Developing the Trust’s vision and strategy with the Creative and Executive Directors • Fostering excellent relationships between:  the Trustees and the staff/volunteers  the Trust and the external stakeholders/community • Being an inspiring and engaging ambassador, spokesperson and figurehead for the Trust and the city In addition • Leading the recruitment of the Creative Director and Executive Director and supporting them to achieve their maximum potential • Leading the recruitment of a talented, skilled and suitably experienced team of Trustees to complement and enhance the Trust’s work

How to apply The Trust has appointed Lee Corner, Cultural Specialist and Chair of Absolutely Cultured (previously Hull 2017, the company which delivered the UK City of Culture) to lead our search for an outstanding Chair. Lee would be happy to have a frank and confidential discussion about this unique opportunity. She can be contacted by email lee@lac- ltd.com or on 07778 230633 to arrange a convenient time to talk.

Recruitment Brief Chair for Leeds Culture Trust continued Additional information Leeds Culture Trust Leeds Culture Trust is an independent company limited by guarantee. It is in the process of applying for charitable status. The Trust enjoys the full support of Leeds City Council and a wide range of cultural organisations in the region, nationally and internationally. University of Leeds has been the lead higher education partner and sponsor since 2014. The Trust enjoys strong support from the city’s education and business community and local stakeholders. The Trust will recruit a board and then a senior team of Creative Director and Executive Director who will work with a core team of around 25 staff to develop, programme and market this 5 year project. Vision for Leeds 2023 Bidding for the title of European Capital of Culture in the footsteps of Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool 2008 has proved a tremendous catalyst for a new cultural conversation in Leeds. Leeds Culture Trust and Leeds 2023 is informed by the extensive and detailed research and work undertaken for our former bid to be European Capital of Culture 2023. Allied with an ambitious new Culture Strategy from 2017 – 2030 , the city’s communities, artists, businesses and general public have come together in an unprecedented show of collaboration to spark a range of incredibly original and inventive ideas. Some exciting projects include:  The creation of a new epic scale People’s Theatre by Leeds theatre-company Slung Low, expected to undertake a large live performance in 2020, with a major outdoor show taking place in 2023.  Yorkshire Sculpture International, a triennial sculpture festival delivered by Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle which includes , Henry Moore Institute, The Hepworth and Yorkshire Sculpture Park and is supported by Arts Council England. A pilot festival will take place in 2019 with the first major festival in 2023.  The plan to create a landlocked Lighthouse on the banks of the , inspired by Leeds Civil Engineer John Smeaton. This

project has received in principle agreement to be fully-funded by a local business.

Recruitment Brief Chair for Leeds Culture Trust continued Leeds 2023 Key Messages

Leeds 2023 is an international cultural festival Leeds 2023 is an international cultural festival which will harness the energy, creativity and momentum of our bid to be European Capital of Culture 2023. It will celebrate the cultural life of Leeds and bring the best global arts to our city. Leeds 2023 will be for everyone Leeds 2023 will connect us, celebrating all our diversity. Leeds 2023 will mean activity in all our communities that brings people together to watch, to listen and - of course - to take part. Leeds 2023 will showcase world class culture Building on our heritage of innovation and creativity, Leeds 2023 will transform Leeds into a global cultural city. It will help bring visitors, jobs, new skills and economic growth. Leeds 2023 will invest in our children and young people As an intensive creative education for the future, Leeds 2023 will have children and young people at its very heart. It will help develop their natural creativity, and prepare them to thrive in a future world of work and play which will be very different from the one we see today. Leeds 2023 is not just for 2023! The 4 year advance programme starting in 2019 will whet the city’s appetite and prepare us for what is to come. A legacy programme will ensure the momentum will continue far into the future.

Recruitment Brief Chair for Leeds Culture Trust continued City’s Cultural Profile The city is proud to be a home to world class arts organisations such as Museum, Henry Moore Institute, , , Opera North and Northern Ballet alongside home grown attractions such as Leeds West Indian Carnival, Leeds International Piano Competition and Light Night Leeds. Many of our organisations began as small independents like Phoenix Dance Theatre or Leeds Playhouse, now the largest regional producing theatre outside London. Leeds International Film Festival has now grown to be the largest in England outside London. The energy of Leeds’ grassroots independent scene fuels much of the cultural activity in the city today and is ready to explode into world view. Creative Industries Leeds is the 3rd largest city in the UK, and one of the UK’s youngest cities with especially strong millennial (20-34 yr. olds) representation – c. 200,000, equivalent to 25% of total population. Outside London, the city trains more artists than anywhere in the UK with four universities and two conservatoires creating the artists and designers of the future. Creative industries are a key strength for the city - nearly 3,000 businesses account for just under 10% of the city’s business stock, over 21,000 creative jobs and GVA of £490m. Between 2011 - 2015 the city saw the third highest increase nationally (excluding London) for creative employment. Film and TV companies have an annual turnover of £424m across Yorkshire and are growing at a higher rate than the national average, with £43 million spent in the region by filmmakers. Our region is providing a talent pool that is more digitally skilled and enterprising than ever before. The impact of this is a growing student base, a dynamic start up culture and a more vibrant environment. (11.9% increase in working age population from 2012 - 2015).

Recruitment Brief Chair for Leeds Culture Trust continued Cultural Diversity With people from over 75 ethnic backgrounds representing a significant contribution to the city, Leeds is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK. Our working age population is increasing at a higher rate than both the EU as a whole and key cities such as Berlin, Madrid, and Milan. Partners Our national partners are likely to include Arts Council England, Lottery distributors, British Council, the BBC and other broadcasters. This will be a high profile role working mainly in Leeds but also potentially with these partners in London and other partners internationally, hosting visits to Leeds and meeting national and international journalists.

Image Credits Front Page: The Darkest Corners, Rash Dash Theatre, Transform 17 Page 1: Leeds West Indian Carnival Page 2: Hyde Park Brass Band, Tom Joy Page 3: Ghost Peloton, Phoenix Dance Theatre Page 4: Catch, Brian Slater Page 5: Transform Festival

Page 6: Light Night, Simon Dewhirst Page 7: Leeds City Stompers, Chloe Grayson