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Arts Organisation Seeking New Board Members?
Looking to refresh your board membership? We can help! We know that a diverse, engaged board with a mix of expertise is key to great charity governance, which is why we are passionate about helping you find the right people to support your organisation to achieve its goals.
One of the ways we can do this is through our Board Matching programmes. We have a wealth of experience in matching skilled and committed individuals from our business network with arts boards, many of which have made a lasting positive difference in the arts organisations they support.
Through our Business Leaders and Young Leaders on Arts Boards programmes - which are supported by A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP, we recruit emerging leaders and experienced executives from a range of backgrounds, provide arts-focused good governance training and match them with an arts board that aligns their values, skills and expertise.
How Does Our Board Matching Programme Work?
We want to find the best possible fit for both the arts organisation and the business individual, which is why we will only make matches with boards which can demonstrate good governance practices*. Take a look at our timeline below to find out how it all works.
- 25 Aug 2025: Applications for arts organisations seeking a board member open
- 30 Sept 2025: Applications close. We assess applications from arts boards and get in touch in early Oct to let you know the next steps. In the meantime the potential new board members are undertaking an in depth governance and boardroom training programme.
- Dec – March: Matching begins. If we have a programme participant who has relevant, skills, experience and interests we will arrange an introduction. This allows the candidate to learn more about your board and for you to learn about their skills and experience. This allows you both to decide if the match is a good fit. If both parties are interested, the candidate will undertake an observation period of board meetings before the match is confirmed. We are available for advice and support at any stage of the process.
*If this isn’t a good fit for your organisation right now, we can support you to strengthen your organisational governance through training and resources. We also have guides on open recruitment which are linked here.
How Much Does it Cost to Recruit a Board Member?
*A&B NI Member rate - £100+VAT/ Non-members £250+VAT
*This fee is payable upon a successful board ‘match’ being agreed. A match is declared when the arts organisation and the individual have been introduced, agree their suitability and the candidate has completed observation of board meetings.
Download the Application Form
The Difference We've Helped Make...
“As a young charity with a swiftly expanding staff team, Fighting Words NI needed to put in place good management systems and provide supportive guides to employment for our staff team. The expertise of an HR professional was exactly what we needed. We couldn’t have asked for more in a new Board Member in Bethany O’Neill: she brought professional knowledge that ensured we could satisfy the legal requirements as an employer and ensure compliance within our team, as well as provide support and guidance in her role as a trustee for me in a Chief Executive role. Since Bethany joined the FWNI Board, she has helped us put in place contractual and HR supports that help us set out the direction of growth for our organisation that aligns with our vision, and outlines the kind of employer we want to be. We are very grateful to Arts & Business NI for introducing Bethany to us via their Young Leader on Arts Boards programme.”
“Terra Nova has been matched with two Board members through Arts & Business NI’s board matching programme and the experience has been uniformly positive for us. We can be a nuanced fit, as our intercultural mission requires Board members who are ready and have the lived-experience to really engage with diversity, equity and interculturalism in the context of excellence in the arts, and engagement with global artists. Our current Chair Ben Harrison stepped in as chair with only a year's experience of the company and has seen Terra Nova and our Artistic Director through a period of bereavement, stress, and change, steering us towards opportunity. Joseph Morrison, a very new Board member has hit the ground running bringing all aspects of his legal experience to bear to support the company, and his passionate commitment to arts as a vital part of our society.”
"Support from the Arts & Business NI board matching programme has been so helpful to Oh Yeah. Our needs for a HR professional as well as someone with the deep knowledge and skills around charity structure governance were perfectly met by the additions of Sara Henry and Tara Craig. Both have strengthened the skill set of our excellent board of trustees. As Chief Executive I feel more confident on a range of issues with their support and guidance."
The benefits of having a business person on an arts Board is that they can bring a degree of objectivity to any situation. Obstacles which might seem insurmountable to a small arts organisation are part of the daily work experience of many professionals and so they become manageable!
An outside professional helps an organisation look at itself and its procedures in a new way – which is ultimately a good thing. Having ‘an outsider’ was great.
Please sir, may we have another?
Thanks to our Sponsor
The Arts & Business NI Leaders on Arts Board Programme is proudly supported by A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP 
Our Funders & Partners
Arts & Business NI is generously supported by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
