Turf are looking for trustees!

Application deadline: Ongoing basis

Turf Projects, Croydon’s homegrown art space, are looking for new trustees to join our board within our first year as an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation. The Trustees are Turf’s trusted board of advisors who support & oversee Turf’s management, development and long-term sustainability, leading the charity in fulfilling our aims and values. 

 

About Turf and our trustees

Turf Projects was founded by a group of creatives with personal connections to the borough of Croydon, and many of its board members share this collective interest and background

From our space in Croydon’s Whitgift Shopping Centre, we put on exhibitions & workshops showcasing both local & national artists, provide artists with opportunities, space & resources & host collectives

A registered charity, we aim to provide opportunities for creatives who may otherwise be under-supported and for the public to be able to access & get involved in art at any stage of life. 

Turf aims to model that arts organisations can be locally led and focused whilst still being nationally relevant. 

Our board of trustees help guide, advise and support the delivery team at Turf to achieve these aims. Find out more about what we do here.

In addition to our trustees, we also have a growing advisory group. This is a group of advisors which includes those unable to become a trustee due to being under 18, or unable to commit for other reasons. They are invited to attend annual reviews & board meetings.

 

What’s involved?

As a trustee of Turf Projects you would:

  • Attend quarterly Board Meetings, supporting the organisation with your knowledge and experience, and delivering on strategic points as agreed by the Board at each meeting. Trustee meetings are also attended by the Turf core team and may also include advisory group representatives.
  • Attend one other additional subgroup meeting in between Board Meetings. These can be attended in person or remotely.
  • Attend at least some of our annual review workshops in December each year.
  • Be on hand for advisory input via email – trustee approval is required for some of our funder reporting, and also need to approve other core documents like plans, budgets and financial documents from time to time.
  • Join our Slack channel 
  • Undertake a front of house day at Turf as part of onboarding. This is to help board members understand our visitors and how our space works.
 
You’d need to be able to:
  • Be an advocate for Turf: actively seeking opportunities for the charity to grow and develop;
  • Think creatively and bring a critical voice to discussions, advising and encouraging new relationships and ways of working.

Following our team annual review in 2023, the team are also prioritising applicants for trusteeships who have a preexisting relationship with Turf in some way. This might mean you’ve been a regular visitor, or have worked with us in some way in the past.  We’ve found this the best way to make sure the values and ethos of Turf and our board align well.
 
 

Pay & terms:

Term: 3 years, with the option of renewing at the end of that period for a further 2 consecutive terms. 

Pay: As with most trustee roles, this role is a voluntary position. Trustees of charities contribute their skills and expertise without financial remuneration.

Hours: The role works out at approximately a day of work per month, mostly ad-hoc, though there can be slightly more or less at different periods throughout the year. You’d also need to be able to attend a minimum of 8 trustee board meetings per year (x4 main meetings and x4 subgroup meetings). The next dates for these are 22nd September and 2nd December.

Apply

Please send your application to info@turf-projects.com

We’re very flexible on how you apply. You could;

  • Email us a CV & cover letter.
  • Send us a video intro to you and why you’re interested.
  • Another format!

We don’t have a format we prefer, and your format won’t impact our consideration of your application, so send whatever you’re comfortable with. If you have an arts practice or connections to Croydon, please let us know about them.

We welcome applications from people of any background, and particularly welcome applications from those who represent those Turf regularly work with; from backgrounds underrepresented in the arts, who identify as having a disability, and those from Croydon.

Turf Projects is committed to equality and diversity in recruitment. Please let us know if you’d like this information in an alternative format.

If you have any questions about this position, please email CoDirector B Atherton at becky@turf-projects.com