The NewBridge Project is looking for new Trustees to join our Board.

• A Treasurer: We are looking for a treasurer, who, alongside the general responsibilities of Trustees, will support NewBridge to ensure the organisations finances are appropriately managed and that we maintain satisfactory systems in respect of legal, operational and financial risk management, and who will review and approve management accounts and Year End Accounts for presentation at Board Meetings.

• Experience of living and working in Shieldfield or other residential neighbourhoods: We relocated to the Shieldfield Centre in May 2021 and have a five-year lease (up to 2026). We employ a Community Coordinator and Youth Worker who are building relationships with local residents and community groups, and we collaborate with Dwellbeing on the Shieldfield Youth Programme which began in 2020. We hope that the building, with its public spaces, bookable rooms, workshops, memberships schemes, bookshop and events will become a positive community resource. We are keen to include local representation on our Board to ensure our relationship to the area and the people who live here runs through the core of our work, or alternatively someone who has experience of running projects for communities in residential neighbourhoods.

• Alternative routes to employment and education: Over the past year we piloted Create/Disrupt, a new programme aimed at people with no creative degree, people who are underrepresented in the sector, and those who might face barriers to developing a career in the arts or as an artist. Following the pilot, we have secured funding to continue the programme and are committed to this being one of our key, permanent strands of artist development to ensure we are developing and improving pathways toward careers in the creative sector/making art. We have also offered training fellowships and apprenticeships to further support people to start a creative career.

• Experience of inequalities within the visual art sector: We know that there are huge inequalities within the culture and creative sectors, particularly prominent in the visual arts. The trustees and staff at NewBridge are collectively working towards better understanding the barriers that exist within our organisation and the wider contexts we exist within and are committed to making necessary and embedded change as an organisation. We recognise that we currently have a lack of diversity in experience and background at a governance level and addressing that needs to be part of this change.

• Social and/or climate justice work: We are committed to environmental and sustainability across our organisation, programme and building. Through programmes such as For Solidarity we advocate for climate and social justice, and we want to ensure that we are embedding environmental responsibility in the way we run our buildings and work with studio members.

• HR: We want to ensure that NewBridge’s HR policies and practice are robust and adhered to and would be looking for a Trustee to support on HR matters, through providing knowledge and guidance around employment, recruitment, policy and practice.

• NewBridge Member: Our members have always been the backbone to our work. We currently have 93 studio members, 53 associate, 5 hot desk members, 33 Collective Studio and 10 Create/Disrupt members. We always ensure we have at least 2 Trustees who are also members to ensure this core group is well represented on the Board. You will bring an awareness of your own experience as an artist and having NewBridge membership and will be happy to attend member meetings to gather feedback to bring to the Board meetings.

Further to this, if you have experience not included in the list above but feel you have something to bring to NewBridge, then please do get in touch!

We are looking to meet the right people for these roles, so please do get in contact with us to arrange an informal conversation with our Chair, Ilana Mitchell, if you would like to find out more.