Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

At a time of refreshed ambition and direction, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is looking for a new Director of Knowledge & Engagement to join its executive leadership team.

The Trust is an accredited museum, cares for and shares a Designated Collection with Shakespeare documents inscribed on the UNESCO International Memory of the World Register. The Trust is also one of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations and is in the vanguard of delivering the Let’s Create strategy, enabling it to focus more creatively on communities less engaged in arts, heritage, and culture.

Knowledge and engagement sit at the heart of the Trust’s activity, and you will play a central role in leading the Trust across the fields of learning, collections, research and programming, ensuring that they are ambitious and impactful.

Like many organisations, the Trust finds itself in a dynamic and fluid situation as a result of the pandemic and its impact. Nevertheless, it retains its own strong sense of its timeless and important mission – to share Shakespeare and his heritage with the world. The Trust’s response to the pandemic and its approach to the future has attracted significant support from Arts Council England and the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. The Trust is charged by Act of Parliament to preserve the world’s greatest Shakespearian heritage assets for the benefit of the nation and to share them around the globe.

A new five-year strategy has been agreed and aims to:

• Celebrate Stratford-upon-Avon as the world’s greatest Shakespeare destination
• Offer audiences the best Shakespeare museum experiences in the world
• Offer an unrivalled and distinctive range of Shakespeare-related learning experiences
• Work as a dynamic, ambitious and inclusive organisation fuelled by research, knowledge and passion.

Excited about what the future holds, the possibilities for its work and what it means for the lives of people and communities, the Trust is looking for exceptional and inspirational candidates who can shape, drive and deliver the next phase of its development.

Candidates will be credible and respected leaders in their field and bring a deep appreciation of the power of museums, collections, archives, research, learning and, above all, the works and life of Shakespeare. This is a role for an inspirational leader and compelling public communicator. Experience of senior leadership is sought as is the ability to integrate knowledge into strategy in the museum, heritage, academic sector or similar.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as a search agency advisor to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference EATAHB. Alternatively, telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Friday 14th January 2022.