Music Theatre Wales is looking for a new Chair

We are inviting applications for the pivotal role of Chair of Music Theatre Wales, to start working with the company from September 2023 and taking up the role of Chair at the end of the year.

We are a dynamic and forward-looking organisation, which aims to play a distinct and highly creative role in Welsh life and in the cultural life of Wales, the UK and beyond. The focus of our work has changed in recent years, as society itself has changed, but our mission remains true to our origins – to present opera as a contemporary and relevant artform.

We are looking for a Chair to lead us as we enter a new period of activity. With a new focus and renewed energy we are developing innovative ways of working and this will need creative and dynamic leadership, working closely with our Director, Michael McCarthy. We are actively seeking to expand the range of lived experiences, cultural perspectives and cultural interests in our Board and welcome applications from anyone who believes they have something to offer and who could be a passionate advocate for our work. We are also keen to hear from Welsh speakers.

More about Music Theatre Wales

We are determined to take opera out of its box and to reveal the potential it has to touch the lives of everyone – as storytelling in music. We want to change the perceptions about what opera is by challenging the way it is made. We are asking:

What is opera? Who is making it? and Who is it for?

If we can bring change to the people who make opera, to the way opera is made, and to the places and forms in which it is seen and the ways audiences can access it, then we can help opera continue to develop as an artform. We will achieve this if we change the fundamental approach – to making work with and supporting the development of creatives who are new to opera and yet who can bring all the skills needed - in music, story, visual realisation and performance. We want opera to open up as an artform, broadening its musical and cultural scope and engaging with new audiences by showing it can be so much more than the narrow way it is currently perceived.

We are seeking someone who shares these aims and who wants to help drive the company forward, working hand-in-hand with the Director, fellow Trustees and small number of staff, ensuring that any investment made in the company is properly managed and the vision and work of the company remains accountable and equitable and is delivered with integrity.

Music Theatre Wales is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. We receive regular funding from the Arts Council of Wales and we have a successful track record of fundraising from private sources, such as trusts and individuals.

Our Trustees

We currently have 9 Trustees - find out more about them here

Our Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the company, making sure that MTW is being managed effectively, efficiently, ethically, equitably and sustainably. We are inviting you to use your knowledge and experience to support our work and the people we work with. It will also give you the chance to develop new skills, benefitting you both professionally and personally.

The Board holds four meetings a year, either at our base in Cardiff, or remotely via Zoom. We also aim to hold one “awayday” each year.

All positions are voluntary and unpaid, although out-of-pocket expenses, such as reasonable travel and childcare costs will be reimbursed. Access support will be provided as required for anyone who has specific needs.

We want all our Trustees to not only share our vision, but also challenge and help shape the ways we work, representing audiences and artists, and supporting our staff team.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and all applications will be considered on merit. We are particularly keen to receive applications from Welsh-speakers, young people (under 30), from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people, disabled people, people who are LGBTQIA+ and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

For more information about what being a Trustee involves https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-commission-guidance.

Arts Council of Wales Investment Review

Along with 140 other arts organisations in Wales, we submitted an application to ACW for continued revenue support as part of their Portfolio in March 2023. They will inform us of their decisions in September 2023. If we are successful we will have a minimum of three years support from March 2024. If we are not successful we will need to consider our options and we would discuss how best to move forward. We will inform our Board and prospective Chair as soon as we hear from ACW and will explore together all implications. We will arrange a Board meeting for the end of September or start of October to begin this conversation.

Applications

If you are interested in becoming a trustee of Music Theatre Wales, please email our Director, Michael McCarthy michael@musictheatre.wales and tell us:

• Your full name, address, email address, mobile number (and, if applicable, website; social media handles, etc)
• Why you would like to join our Board and what interests you about the position.  
• How your experiences, both professional and lived, could help us to realise our vision.

Video applications are also accepted – send your video of no more than 5 minutes covering the bullet points above.

If you would like to find out more about the role of Chair, please feel free to call Michael McCarthy on 07778 111176 or contact him by email for an informal conversation.

We will invite shortlisted applicants for a meeting either in person or via Zoom.

Closing date: 12 noon on Friday 7 July 2023
Interviews: Tuesday 25 July 2023