May 3, 2022

Closed - The Margate School is recruiting for an Advisory Group

Terms of Reference

The Margate School (TMS) is at an exciting time in its development. Based in the centre of Margate, we offer the first accredited European Fine Art Masters programme in the UK and are rooted in our community, reaching out through events, workshops, talks and exhibitions.

By ensuring close synergy between our academic provision and community-focussed activities, we strive to ensure that seamless facilities and networks are in place to deliver creative engagement opportunities which support career progression and business development within the creative sector.

Our studios represent an extension of our teaching provision, providing space for growing businesses, together with technical support and advice, in tandem with our growing technical and prototyping facilities.

We now wish to establish a voluntary Advisory Group to assist and advise us on aspects of our overall direction, our local, national and international publicly-funded, commercial and voluntary networks and partnerships, curatorial vision, and on all aspects of fundraising/ development.

The Margate School (TMS)

TMS is an independent, not-for-profit, postgraduate arts school, based in and for Margate.

Our European Fine Art Masters programme is an alternative to traditional didactic teaching at mainstream universities, focussing on project-based collaborative outcomes. It is accredited by one of the oldest art schools in France, the renowned École Supérieure d’Art et Design Le Havre-Rouen (ESADHaR). Through this, the French national network of art schools (ANdÉA) and its pedagogic approach is now opened up to British art education.

The mutually beneficial relationship between our formal postgraduate courses (currently in art and design) and our publicly facing activities is key to our desire to provide non-linear access to personal and professional development.

Situated in one of the poorest wards and most pressurised high streets in the country, TMS’ welcoming public presence, its events and outreach work have supported the reinvention of Margate’s High Street, helping to alleviate social and urban deprivation.

We continue to successfully support creative businesses and the engagement of communities by supporting the creation of jobs, improving skills and ensuring that the right facilities and networks are in place to enable unparalleled creative engagement opportunities.

Whilst we work closely with local government and regional agencies, we currently subsidise much of our publicly facing provision. Our ambition is to become a fully operational and independently sustainable creative learning and knowledge hub working with industry on the one hand and supporting the local diverse communities of Margate on the other.

The Margate School Advisory Group

Purpose

We wish to establish a voluntary pro-active Advisory Group drawn from our interested and influential communities to assist and advise TMS and its Board of Directors on aspects of TMS’ overall direction, our local, national and international publicly-funded, commercial and voluntary networks and partnerships, curatorial vision, and on all aspects of fundraising/ development.

The Advisory Group will take a view across both TMS' formal educational and publicly focussed activities and the mutually beneficial relationship between these two areas.

The Advisory Group will provide informed independent advice, acting as a key link between TMS and the constituent formal and informal communities we embrace to ensure that our work is shaped by a diversity of current and relevant perspectives.

The Advisory Group will work closely in tandem with TMS’ Board of Directors. It is separate from the formal company structure of TMS (The TMS Board) and acts to provide information and advice only to the TMS Board which the TMS Board may choose to accept or otherwise.

This is the first time that TMS has appointed an Advisory Group. The first year of its operation is expected to be a learning process both for us and Advisors, as well as a dynamic time for TMS. As such, a review of its operation will take place six months after its inception and again at the end of its first year. These will be followed by annual reviews.

Objectives

The TMS Advisory Group’s overall objectives are to:

Develop, review and provide advice on supporting TMS’ strategic direction
Advise on the evolution of our educational course offer in form and content
Advise on the viability, appropriate structures, business and operational models for new activities under development
Inform our balance of integrated services across formal education, local communities, our support to artists and creative businesses and the development of industry links and partners
Help us to optimise our contribution to local sustainable development, social inclusion, public participation, ecological transition and civic pride
Advise on how we ensure diversity is core to our engagement and provision
Advise on appropriate external funding support for all of our services through public, philanthropic, commercial and sponsorship sources
Provide experience and advice on our capital development programme, including acquisition of premises
Provide high level input into effective marketing and visitor attraction outcomes
Monitor feedback and changing trends across all areas of our provision

Within these objectives, the TMS Advisory Group will focus on specific areas of advice per year. During its first year of operation (2022-23) these will be:

Development of a purchase fund for our existing building
Attracting commercial sponsorship for key industry and public-facing events such as our Design Festival
Ensuring that diversity is embedded across our programming and operations
Attracting effective, high profile regional, national and international media coverage

Composition

The TMS Advisory Group will comprise artists, tutors, researchers, policymakers, opinion formers, leaders and community group representatives from disciplines and sectors relevant or potentially relevant to TMS’ programmes of activity.

Advisory Group members will be drawn from local, regional, national and international experts relevant to TMS’ areas of provision.

Advisors will be:

Representatives of TMS’ communities (a maximum of five Advisors):
- Comprising TMS’ Team Members, Tutors, Students, Studio Holders, Previous Artists in Residence, and including one Director of the TMS Board
Specialists from disciplines and sectors relevant to TMS beyond its current communities, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally (a maximum of seven Advisors)

The TMS Advisory Group will be chaired by a Director of the Board of TMS.

Requirements

TMS Advisory Group members must be able to demonstrate:

Experience and expertise in one or more of the relevant areas for which advice is sought (see above) in line with the Advisory Group Objectives (see above)
A sound knowledge and understanding of local, regional, national and international issues and context in relation to their respective area(s) of advice
An ability to constructively participate in an advisory capacity
A willingness to contribute positively to meetings in a fair and unbiased manner
A capacity to commit to TMS Advisory Group for a minimum of one year’s duration
A willingness to commit reasonable time (see below) and to contribute to TMS Advisory Group activities
A willingness to advocate on behalf of TMS beyond TMS Advisory Group Meetings

Frequency of Meetings and time Commitment of Advisors

The Advisory Group will work closely in tandem with TMS’ Board of Directors.

It will meet four times a year in advance of quarterly TMS Board Meetings, providing information and advice through formal minutes to The TMS Board.

Advisory Group Meetings will be held formally as two-hour online or hybrid meetings with minutes agreed prior to the next respective TMS Board Meeting.

Time commitment outside of formal two-hour quarterly meetings will vary depending upon current priorities of TMS and individual members’ areas of expertise. It is not expected that in any one quarter, any one member will be asked to contribute more than a further two hours of their time above the time spent in the respective quarterly meeting.

Advisors are required to read and comment on any papers or documents circulated for discussion in advance. Advisors may also be expected to give expertise and advice on specific aspects of a project or business development as these arise.

Appointment

Individuals will be appointed the Advisory Group through formal agreement which will detail in full issues such as Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality.

Conflict of Interest

A TMS Advisory Group member who has a conflict of interest in a matter being considered at a meeting should:

Disclose that conflict of interest by explaining the nature of the conflict of interest to those present at the meeting immediately before the matter is considered
Absent themselves from any discussion of the matter

Confidential Information

All TMS Meetings will be minuted. Details of conflicts of interest will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

However, TMS Advisory Group members must not release information beyond the TMS Advisory Group that the person knows, or should reasonably know, is confidential to the governance and operations of TMS.

Reimbursement

The role of Advisor is a voluntary position.

Reasonable expenses are available to carry out the position of Advisor.

Please email a CV and a brief covering letter (no more than 2 pages of A4) setting out why you are interested in joining the TMS Advisory Group and what you may be able to contribute, to:

Uwe Derksen, Director of The Margate School

Email: uwe@themargateschool.com

If you have any access requirements when applying for this opportunity, please do let us know when you apply.

To find out more about The Margate School visit www.themargateschool.com