It’s an exciting time for Watershed as it journeys towards its 40th birthday next June. Now, as recruitment opens for up to five new trustees, CEO Clare Reddington tells BeOnBoard about the organisation’s mission to be truly equitable social enterprise…
This is Watershed’s first open call for trustees and we are delighted to be working with BeOnBoard to get the word out (find out more about the roles and apply here). We believe much needs to change before the culture sector can consider itself inclusive, and we know that unless our governance is representative, we will never be the truly equitable social enterprise we aim to be.
We have put a lot of time and resource into access and inclusion over the last year: we have overhauled how we recruit, worked with Inclusion Associates Aisha Thomas and Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi on training and development for the whole organisation and undergone a significant data research project about the intersectional Balance of the organisation and how people’s identities effect their experience of working with us.
We also made commitments around the curation of our programme and the opportunities we offer – a recent highlight was partnering with Cables and Cameras – a Bristol creative organisation who provide a hub for Black filmmakers and creatives in Bristol – to deliver a Watershed takeover which had an amazing response – “We need more representation like this!” “Amazing film. Allowed me to connect to personal experiences.”
What is it like on the board at Watershed?
Being on our board means you would get to engage with all areas of our business, from the finances, to our programming ambitions, to our response to climate change. You don’t have to have worked with an organisation like Watershed before. We welcome trustees from inside and outside the culture sector and would love to hear about your transferable skills.
We have created a details pack to give you heads up on what it’s like to be a Watershed trustee, but its well summed up by the brilliant Sherrie Eugene-Hart, who joined us a trustee in 2016:
“Watershed cares about you, how you feel and how you wish to be treated and cared for. Watershed also recognises that it has to undergo change in order to live up to its values. That may include teaching and learning, developing and flourishing. All these things bring about a clientele that feel that sense of belonging. I am a trustee because the people make the place, and Watershed is for the people.“
And finally, I think it’s worth sharing that whilst we hope that trustees will feel comfortable to bring their whole self to their work with us, we expect all members of our Board to consider inclusion in all aspects of what we do, and do not expect individuals to represent specific groups or demographics.
If you want to be a part of a forward-thinking, award-winning cultural organisation that champions Inclusion, imagination, and ingenuity, then get in touch today and apply to join the be Watershed board of Trustees HERE.
