News

Join us in person:

Book an in-person ticket and join us for a half day session in the stunning surrounds of the Belfast Harbour Office. Our in-person conference will feature conversations packed with inspiration and cover various topics and examples of good governance from current arts board trustees. Topics will include diversity and inclusion, the role of the Chair, navigating risk and challenges in arts governance.

Doors open at 9:00am for refreshments and event starts at 9:30am. Access document for the venue can be found here

What to expect at the in-person event on the 3rd October:

• Thought-provoking discussions on current issues facing charity boards, alongside inspirational accounts of how trustees have driven positive change.
• The opportunity to connect, learn and be inspired by board members and leaders in the sector

Schedule:

09:00 - Doors open with Refreshments

09:30 - A&B NI Welcome

09:45 - 09:55 - Insights from Belfast Harbour

10:00 -10:10 - Insights from Harbinson Mulholland

10:15 -10:45 - Stephen McCrystall, A&B NI Trustee
& Margaret Mann Chair, Open Arts, will discuss diversity and inclusion, the role of the Chair, navigating risk and challenges in arts governance.

10:45 -11:00 - Comfort break (for more tea and coffee!)

11:00 -11:45 - Keynote speaker Kathleen Soriano & Sophie Hayles, CEO Crescent Arts Centre, exploring the big questions facing charity boards today, focusing on leadership, collaboration, navigating risk and reaching boardroom consensus

11:45 -12:00 - A&B NI Closing

12:30 -12:30 - Network and chats!

Book tickets NOW!

Take Part Online

Available to view on demand 3rd October- 2nd December.

Online ticketholders will receive a link via email on the 3 Oct which will give them access to the Cultural Governance Online video series, which can be viewed until 2nd Dec 2024.

Book an online ticket and bring our practical governance learning series to your computer screen. We will have 10 online videos on the following topics, with the full line-up to be announced in coming weeks. 30- 40 minute videos will cover topics on:

• Videos from A&B NI covering Processes and Handovers and Trusts & Foundations Fundraising on the board
  
  
• More than a tick box exercise: Building the diverse board you want and need- Delivered by B&G Partners
  
  
• CAPTACHA yerself on! Cyber Security on the board-
  Delivered by Vertical Structure
  
  
• Insights to the IMPACT Survey on Arts & Cultural Audiences- Delivered by Thrive
  
  
• Finance Questions a Trustee Should Ask -Delivered by Angela Craigan from Harbinson Mullholland
  
  
• What’s the point? Why good governance is important in the funding process- featuring representatives from Arts Council NI, Belfast City Council, Freelands Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund
  
  
• How much do you know about the difference your organisation makes?  Annabel Turpin, CEO at Storyhouse and Mark Robinson, Founder, Thinking Practice.
  
  
• What do you really want from your CEO-Chair relationship?
  Fiona Bell from Thrive and Verity Peet from Portico of Ards 

Book for a combo ticket or video content online access now!

Book your online & in-person tickets now!

In person speaker bios:

Key note: Kathleen Soriano - Independent curator, consultant and broadcaster. With over 35 years’ experience in the art world, she has been responsible for exhibitions, collections and public programmes at the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Royal Academy of Arts, where she was Artistic Director (2009-14), as well as at Compton Verney Art Gallery, where she was previously Director. Her broadcast activities include the ten series of Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year for SkyArts. Kathleen is Chair of the Liverpool Biennial, and Chair of ArtUK, on the Visual Arts Committee of St Paul’s Cathedral and Advisory Council of 2 Temple Place.

Sophie Hayles - Chief Executive, Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. She brings local, national and international perspectives in cultural leadership. Previously she led the fundraising team for a European Capital of Culture and was Strategic Development Manager at Whitechapel Gallery, London. As an Associate with Counterculture Partners LLP Sophie has delivered business plans, fundraising strategies, and governance training for creative and cultural organisations across the UK.

Margaret Mann - has been an essential part of Open Arts for 22 years. She is a founding member of the Open Arts Community Choir and an incredibly supportive, knowledgeable board member. As chairperson for the past 10 years, she has championed the organisation in their goal to provide opportunities for disabled people to participate in the arts. Margaret was awarded the A&B NI Leaders On Arts Boards Award in 2024.

Stephen McCrystall - works at the Equality & Human Rights Unit of the Education Authority and is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion & tackling inequalities. Stephen has recently joined Arts & Business NI's board through the Young Leaders on Arts Board programme.

More details on the video sessions available:

• Is your board ready for Diversity? - Delivered by B&G Partners

 As our communities evolve, creating a nonprofit that is supportive, responsive, and reflective of those communities is becoming increasingly important. Does the governing body of your organisation understand and/or reflect the participants they serve? How do you change your board and what are you prepared to do to make sure those you serve feel seen and heard by the organisation? Many organisations are doing great work towards ensuring that their boards are diverse and inclusive of people from their communities. From mentoring, to compensating board members with lived experience, to providing accommodation to board members with physical or cognitive difficulties, we will discuss what organisations could and should be thinking about as they move towards authentically and intentionally building an inclusive and diverse board.

Delivered by B&G Partners. A partnership between Ben Payne and Gerald Richards, based in London and Edinburgh. We help individuals and organisations be more creative, clearer about their purpose and tell a better story about what they do. We do this through consultancy, coaching, training and facilitation. Between us, we have over 50 years of experience across the arts, education, youth and non–profit sectors in the UK and the US.

•  R&D on T&F’s: Insights and Tips & Tricks for your Fundraising Journey – Delivered by A&B NI

Our Arts Programme Manager, Holly gets into the nitty gritty of all things Trusts & Foundations. This session will showcase the research and stats on the world of Trusts and Foundations and their investment and impact on arts organisations here in Northern Ireland. It will also cover your role as a trustee in Trusts and Foundations Fundraising and practical steps and Tips & Tricks for your fundraising journey

• Dude, Where's my board?- Delivered by A&B NI
  
  So, how do  you ensure that your Board are present and engaged? By following a few simple principles you can get the best from your cultural board, help your Trustees to feel motivated, supported and valued, and ensure that the governance of your charity is conducted with positivity and purpose. Delivered by our Head of Arts, Brona Whittaker.
  
  
•  What’s the point? Why good governance is important in the funding process

 Within this video we are asking what good governance means in arts and cultural funding, why its important for the funding decisions and hear the relationship of being an funder whilst being a trustee on a board. We’ve got some fantastic insights lined up from Javier Stanziola, Acting Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships at the Arts Council Northern Ireland, Lorraine Gallen, Funding Officer at The National Lottery Community Fund, Chris McCreery, Culture Manager at Belfast City Council and Mark James-Matthews, Grants Manager at the Freelands Foundation. You won’t want to miss what they have to share!

Featured on the discussion:

Chris McCreery is Culture Development Manager at Belfast City Council, leading the Culture Unit and overseeing the development of the Cultural Strategy, ensuring that policies are aligned with Belfast City Council’s goal to build a culturally vibrant city. Chris has considerable experience working across national government and the private sector, as well as leading his own cultural institutions. He is the founder of the Northern Ireland Science Festival and previously served as its Director for nine years, leading the festival from its conceptualisation to becoming one of the biggest festivals of its kind in Europe.

Javier Stanziola is Acting Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships. He has a Ph.D. in economics, focused on the social and economic impact of the arts. He has headed teams at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council of England, Arts & Business UK and the British Red Cross. He is a board member of Espacio Nuboso, and was president of the board of the CASA Theatre Festival in London.

Mark James-Matthews is the Grants Manager​​​​ at Freelands Foundation, a charitable foundation interested in art and art education which focuses on broadening the access to arts education and the visual arts across the UK. 

• What do you really want from your CEO-Chair relationship?

Fiona Bell is the CEO and Verity Peet is the Chair at thrive, but both are in the other's shoes elsewhere - Fiona is Chair at EastSide Arts and Verity is the CEO at the Portico of Ards. Does this mean they already know what makes for a perfect CEO-Chair relationship? Of course not, but they'll do their best to share what they do know by discussing important questions like 'How can the board set the strategy when the CEO knows more?', 'Does it matter if the CEO and Chair don't get on?' and 'Exactly how nosy do you have to be to want to be an honorary Chair?'

Verity Peet is the CEO of The Portico of Ards, which is an arts and heritage centre in a stunning grade A listed church in Portaferry. The venue delivers a year round programme of events including children's, choirs, classical, comedy, country and even things not beginning with c. With a huge team of volunteers it wins continual 5* ratings for its friendly quirky charm. Find out more at porticoards.com

Verity also sits on the boards of Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership, Arts and Heritage Advisory Panel (Ards and North Down Council), Strangford Lough Tourism Cluster and Portaferry Community Collective.

Fiona leads the thrive team and is responsible for the overall strategy, direction, and culture of the organisation. With over 20 years of experience in the cultural sector, Fiona understands the needs of organisations at both a policy and operational level. She makes sure that thrive delivers on those needs and is passionate about driving audience-led change. They are the Chair of Eastside Arts, a Board member of Eastside Partnership and a Board Member of Cre:8 Theatre Company.

•  Finance Questions a Trustee Should Ask -Angela Craigan from Harbinson Mullholland

Without the right questions, you can’t find answers. In this session Angela will provide you with 10 key questions you should be asking your charity to ensure you are receiving accurate financial information. Asking the correct questions will enable you to anticipate risks, more accurately assess the health of your charity and plan with confidence.

Angela Craigan is a partner at Harbinson Mulholland Chartered Accountants.  Angela has developed the firm’s reputation as a leading provider of professional services to the third sector. Angela’s insights into the challenges trustees face are drawn from auditing and advising charities across the province and serving as board treasurer of local charity Action Mental Health.

www.harbinson-mulholland.com

www.amh.org.uk

•  Thrive: Insights to the IMPACT Survey

Thrive has spent twenty years doing research with and for hundreds of arts organisations, both large and small, to better tell the story of cultural engagement in Northern Ireland. Whether it’s at a sector level or for the benefit of individual organisations, we have created surveys, facilitated focus groups and interviews, carried out evaluations and ticketing analysis. Research of Northern Ireland audiences is part of our DNA. 

 The IMPACT survey is the first of its kind to evidence the impact of attendance at arts organisations and spaces across Northern Ireland. It offers insights into:

• The impact of arts attendance on NI audiences
• How different demographics engage with arts and culture
• Their behaviours and motivations
• How the cost of living has affected their spend around arts attendance

 In this event thrive's Head of Sector Development Áine McCarron will talk us through the most recent findings from the research and how it helps us learn more about who audiences are, how they behave, why they attend and how they feel after attending a variety of artforms.

Thrive - Audience Development In Northern Ireland (wewillthrive.co.uk)

IMPACT Survey report | Thrive (wewillthrive.co.uk)

• How much do you know about the difference your organisation makes?  Annabel Turpin, CEO at Storyhouse and Mark Robinson, Founder, Thinking Practice.

 In this conversation we will learn more about the evaluation tool Most Significant Change (MSC) and it can support organisations to measure their impact.

Annabel Turpin is Chief Executive of Storyhouse in Chester, one of the country’s largest arts centres, incorporating theatres, a cinema and the city’s library, and welcoming more than 800,000 visitors a year. She is also Co-Director of the 160-strong Future Arts Centres national network, championing the role of arts centres in driving social, economic and cultural change. In December 2023, she was appointed as North Area Council Chair and National Council member of Arts Council England. In her previous role, as CEO and Artistic Director of ARC in Stockton on Tees, Annabel established the venue as a leading North East arts organisation with national and international influence, including for its Pay What You Decide pricing and arts freelancers’ policies.

Mark founded Thinking Practice in 2010 and has worked in the cultural sector for over 30 years, doing everything from running literature festivals and community arts organisations to being an Executive Director at Arts Council England. He lives in Stockton-on-Tees, and has been a contributor and mentor on ABNI’s Blueprint programme. The vision Mark bring to every room is of working with others to make culture that opens up rather than closes down possibilities.

•  CAPTACHA yerself on! Cyber Security on the board-Delivered by Vertical Structure

Simon Whittaker has been working in the IT industry for over 20 years, and co-founded Vertical Structure with Marc Dowie in 2006. He has extensive experience helping companies understand how to grapple with the challenge of protecting themselves from threats and helping clients find solutions to their cyber security problems. He helps organisations to understand their current security posture, their future goals and outlining how to achieve those goals. This includes working with companies on a long-term basis using coaching and mentoring techniques to help drive process improvement and provide external feedback.

https://speaking.verticalstructure.com/