Could you be one of our new trustees?
We’re recruiting new trustees to help shape the future of Fertile Ground.
Fertile Ground is the North East of England’s touring dance company dedicated to the professional development of emerging dance artists. We are excited for our future and our vision is to help make the North East of England the place to dance.
We are dedicated to talent development and retention. We nurture, challenge and inspire new generations of dance artists, developing and presenting inspirational and accessible dance for the people of the North East and beyond.
Established in 2003, Fertile Ground grew out of Dora Frankel Dance CIC (DFD). In 2018 the company acquired charitable status. Our current Artistic Director is Renaud Wiser.
Dancers: Hayley Walker, Pagan Hunt, Alex Thirkle © Renaud Wiser
“ We believe that everybody should have the opportunity to experience dance and pursue a career in dance regardless of their socio-economic background or the place where they live.
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We value creativity, commitment, respect and the opportunity for everyone to realise their dreams and potential.
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We promise to support with our full commitment young people pursue their aspirations and dreams in dance and to work relentlessly and passionately to inspire people to unleash their creativity.”
Renaud Wiser, Artistic Director
What we are looking for
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We are seeking new, enthusiastic trustees to support the growth of our company and the vision of our Artistic Director.
We are seeking to represent the people we work with and draw on a range of different experiences, expertise and viewpoints.
We pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity and inclusion have on our work. A diverse board with a wide range of skills, experience and perspectives strengthens our resilience and gives us the best chance to fulfil our purposes.
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We’re looking for friendly, curious and committed people to join our Board of Trustees and support the continued growth of Fertile Ground and the vision of our Artistic Director.
We want our board to reflect the people and communities we work with. That means welcoming a broad range of lived experiences, skills, perspectives and ways of thinking. Diversity and inclusion are central to our values, and we know that a board made up of people from different backgrounds helps us stay resilient, relevant and ambitious in everything we do.
You don’t need to have previous trustee experience to apply. While experience in any of the areas below would be valuable, we warmly encourage expressions of interest from anyone who feels their personal or professional experience could contribute to the ongoing success of Fertile Ground.
We are particularly interested in hearing from people with experience in:
• Dance, in any discipline
• Knowledge of local and regional cultural strategies
• Marketing and communications
• Working with schools and other educational settings
If you care about dance, creativity and supporting artists and young people to thrive, we’d love to hear from you. We are especially interested in hearing from Fertile Ground Alumni.
What to Expect from the Role
Board meetings are held four times a year. The Annual Genral Meeting is to be attended in person at Fertile Ground’s base in Dance City, Newcastle. Other meetings can be attended remotely.
The minimum time commitment is approximately twelve hours per year to attend the meetings and read papers in advance. Opportunities to support the company outside of this are available depending on individual capacity.
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As a Trustee you will have various legal responsibilities including:
• Comply with the charity’s governing document and the law
• Ensure that the charity is carrying out its purpose for the public benefit
• Act in the charity’s best interests
• Manage the charity’s resources responsibly
• Act with reasonable care and skill
• Ensure the charity is accountable
• Ensure the charity is compliant
In compliance with charity law this is an unpaid voluntary position. Reasonable expenses may be claimed including travel costs, access support costs and childcare costs for attending Board and other meetings.
Dancers: Pagan Hunt, Alex Thirkle and Daisy Dancer © Peter Fannen