Storyhouse

Storyhouse is a multi-award-winning £37 million cultural centre in Chester and one of the UK’s foremost cultural charities; it incorporates a library, theatres and a cinema. It is one of the country’s most successful arts buildings, with more than one million customer visits each year. The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside the city’s librarians, boasts the longest opening hours of any UK public library, every day from 8am until 11pm. Storyhouse is also an acclaimed theatre producer and runs the country’s most successful regional open-air theatre, in the city’s Grosvenor Park, and Moonlight Flicks open air cinema and drive-in. Storyhouse currently holds the official title as the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre and was the overall national winner in the 2018 Guardian Public Service Awards.

Across everything Storyhouse does, it works to give people the power to build their own creative communities, through inspiring stories and shared creative experiences: “this house is your house”. Storyhouse is committed to creating a team which is representative of its communities and to bringing together a variety of skills and experiences to help shape what it does and how it works.

In a good financial position, and entering an important phase of growth and development, Storyhouse now seeks an exceptional Chair for the Board of Trustees. The successful candidate will have a passion for the arts and a belief in the power of culture to transform lives and communities.  They will bring a strong track record of strategic leadership and experience of working at board level. They will ideally bring knowledge of the culture and/or charity sector, with an awareness of current regional and national opportunities and challenges in the arts. Candidates will have an altruistic approach, excellent relationship-building and communication skills, and the energy and drive to support the development of the organisation’s artistic and strategic vision for the future. They will bring strong commercial acumen and will be comfortable acting as an ambassador for the organisation, actively championing Storyhouse’s fundraising activity and its work with key partners, and will ensure the organisation’s proper and effective governance.  They will also ensure that the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion are embedded and upheld in the operation of the Board and in all its activities. Overall, they will strongly align with the mission and values of Storyhouse and support the dynamic programme of wide ranging artistic and educational activities.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to Storyhouse on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference EBDNA. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Tuesday 31^st May 2022.