In this Trustees Week 2022 Cath Wilkins, our Executive Director gives us some insight into her experience of working with Trustees, the dedication Artlift has to continued diversity within our board along with a call out for new board members.
‘I’ve been in the privileged position of working with Trustees since 2003, including in Director roles with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, Gloucestershire Dance, and Gloucestershire Academy of Music. I’ve also worked with a diversity of organisations in sector development including Gloucester’s Carnival Arts Partnership (alongside the Hindu Cultural Association, Your Next Move CIC, Global Arts and Art Shape), the 200+ strong National Inclusive Dance Network, and the county arts Disability Advisory Board further enriching ongoing learning around disability arts, access and inclusion.’
Cath goes on to explain how Artlift commits to diversity:
Artlift seeks to impact positively on mental health and wellbeing, including for adults living with associated health challenges such as chronic pain and cancer.
Crucially over half of our Board and management team are experts by experience in these areas, strengthening our understanding and decision-making, both strategically and in the co-production groups to which they contribute.
Board diversification is achieved through developing the confidence and skills of ex-participants, call outs online, through word-of-mouth and print, personalised follow up conversations and head-hunting. We’ve also paid partners (All Nations Community Centre / Gloucester’s Hindu Cultural Association) to co-design and co-promote opportunities with us.
Diversity of the Board is an ongoing, whole organisation task – like everything else, about building trust and relationships. As a small team, we make strategic decisions to attend events and engage with networks that include people under-represented on our Board. Artlift’s Board diversification drive is underpinned by a wider Diversity Action Plan. We work to ensure prospective Trustees who bring invaluable different backgrounds, lived experience and perspectives feel welcome and valued.
We are looking for new trustees, so if you have an interest in creativity and health, and can bring a fresh perspective to our board we’d welcome your application. To find out more about joining Artlift’s Board of Trustees click here or Contact Cath directly for a chat – cath@artlift.org
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