Fertile Ground Chair
Call for Expressions of Interest
Fertile Ground is the North East of England’s repertory touring dance company, and our vision is to help make the North East of England the place to dance.
Dedicated to talent development and retention in the North East of England, we aim to nurture, challenge and inspire a new generation of dance artists and to develop and present inspirational and accessible dance for the people of the North. Fertile Ground grew out of Dora Frankel Dance CIC (DFD), established in 2003.
In 2018 the company acquired charitable status and appointed Malgorzata Dzierzon and Renaud Wiser as Artistic Directors.
“Our ambition is to produce work of the highest quality that is inspiring and unexpected. Our work, made in the North East by leading dance artists, showcases the emerging talent from the region. We give a platform for creativity and growth, inviting audiences to experience bold, imaginative programmes in a range of formats and locations.”
Dzierzon and Wiser
Currently led by Acting Chair Dora Frankel MA Choreography, the board of trustees have a range of skills encompassing local politics, feminism, cultural heritage, museum, fundraising, and events management experience, and all advocate strongly for Fertile Ground.
The team is completed by Finance and Administration Manager Niamh Cunningham, and Board meetings are held every four months with the AGM typically in May. Meetings are held via Zoom or at Fertile Ground’s base in Dance City, Newcastle.
Fertile Ground programmes are funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, Newcastle Culture Investment Fund and most recently co-funded by Sir James Knott Trust, Foyle Foundation, Polish Cultural Institute, Didymus CIO, Barbour Foundation, Leche Trust, Thirplow Trust and Percy Hedley 1990 Charitable Trust. We are supported by Sunderland College, Newcastle College and Dance City.
We are now seeking a Chair with a commitment to dance and strong networks, with the commitment and enthusiasm to support the ambitious trajectory of our company, and the vision of our Artistic Directors.
Desirable experience includes:
Previous appointment as a Chair or senior trustee
Arts and cultural sector
Charitable and corporate law
Human resources
Social media and digital
Advocacy
Our business plan and current accounts are available on request.
Deadline for expressions of interest is Friday, February 26th 2021 . Informal meetings will be arranged with the Artistic Directors and a trustee.
To express your interest, please send your CV and a cover message (via letter, video or voice recording) detailing how you will support our development and ambitions to frankeldora@gmail.com. For an informal chat about the role, please contact Dora Frankel via this email address or 0191 265 7195 (Mon–Fri 9-5 pm).
Photo credit: Kevin Wong