Join the Northern Devon Cultural Partnership Board

Are you passionate about the role of culture, from football to opera, in a flourishing future? Do you believe that creativity, arts and heritage help us to thrive as people and communities?

We are excited to be recruiting founding members for the North Devon and Torridge Cultural Partnership Board - a dynamic and diverse group who will oversee and guide the delivery of Flourishing Culture - our cultural strategy for Torridge and North Devon. The Board will link the cultural sector with communities, health, education, environment and enterprise to maximise culture's impact for our people and communities. This is an exciting opportunity for the right individuals to help shape the way forward. 

About Flourishing Culture

Flourishing Culture sets out a vision for North Devon and Torridge, by 2027, to be a place that is "locally, nationally and internationally recognised as a place where creativity thrives in unison with its landscape and communities."

The strategy was developed in collaboration with community and cultural organisations, creative practitioners and businesses. It was adopted by North Devon Council and Torridge District Council in 2022.

Flourishing Culture's three themes are:

• helping people blossom
• our cultural hubs
• helping places thrive

Our Advisory Board

The main purpose of the Cultural Parnership Board is to drive the delivery of the cultural strategy by bringing together organisations and individuals to broaden and deepen cultural activity at every level, monitoring progress and identifying opportunities for new or existing work. Over time the board will refresh and refocus the strategy and may in time become a stand-alone organisation.

The Cultural Partnership Board is an action group of the Northern Devon Futures Board and will report back on progress on delivering the strategy. They will submit quarterly minutes to the two district councils as conveners of the Cultural Strategy.

The board will be supported by an Executive of officers from both councils, which will take responsibility for benchmarking, measurement of progress and maintaining the directory of practitioners and organisations which for the wider cultural partnership.

The board must be balanaced between cultural and broader representatives. However, one of its tasks will be to help coordinate a wider forum to open to all cultural organisations and practitioners. An annual event will facilitate collaborative working, share best practice and showcase work relevant to northern Devon.

Your Commitment

Partnership Board meetings will normally take place once a quarter. Other Board Member duties may include advice and input relating to the member's specialist field, attendance at public events throughout the year, representing the board at networking events and attendance at training sessions relevant to the position. 

The board is intended to represent North Devon's people and communities and make sure culture is supporting our economy and wellbeing.

Target members for the board include:

• Lead Councillors for Culture, from both councils
• representatives with experience of all forms of education; youth services; community/voluntary support; business and industry; care or health sector; environment sector
• cultural sector representatives from visual/performing arts/literature organisations or businesses; voluntary or community cultural organisations; sports organisations; an ACE National Portfolio Organisation; freelance creative/cultural professionals; creative/digital industries

We are working towards a stipend scheme to ensure the board membership is balanced.

Anyone who is interested in joining the Board should email claire.gulliver@torridge.gov.uk or clare.china@northdevon.gov.uk by 5pm on Friday 16 February 2024. Emails should outline any current or past positions that are relevant to the role and how the applicant could represent one or more of the perspectives listed above.