Tate
The Department for Culture Media and Sport would like to invite applications for an Artist Trustee to sit on the Tate Gallery Board.

Time Commitment
Six half day Board meetings a year – the remaining dates for the 2009 Board meetings are: 18 March, 20 May, 8 July, 16 September, 18 November.  Trustees attend other sub-committee meetings as necessary – likely to amount to between five and eight a year – and attend or host Tate events and other engagements.  Some additional time will be needed to study papers and give ad hoc advice as necessary.  The likely total time commitment is at least one day per month.

Location of Meetings
Board meetings are held in Central London, though may occasionally be held in Liverpool or St Ives.

Remuneration
Not remunerated – trustees serve on a voluntary basis. Reasonable expenses, such as travel, are paid.

Term of Appointment
The appointment is for four years and is expected to be made by July 2009.

Closing date for applications
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 27 March 2009.

Background
Tate holds Tate holds the national collection of British art and of international modern art, currently comprising over 65,000 works.  Tate is a family of galleries and operates on five sites in different parts of Britain.
 
Tate is required by the Museums and Galleries Act 1992 to increase public awareness, understanding and appreciation of British art and international modern and contemporary art by:

Making the Collection available to the public
Adding to the Collection;
Extending the knowledge of British, modern and contemporary art;
Caring for the Collection; and
Researching the Collection.
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The Tate Board consists of up to fourteen trustees. One is appointed by the National Gallery Board from among the members of that Board, and the remainder are appointed by the Prime Minister.  At least three trustees must be practising artists, as set out in the Museums and Galleries Act; currently these are Anish Kapoor, Jeremy Deller and Fiona Rae.  Fiona Rae’s term of appointment comes to an end in March, and this process seeks to fill the artist vacancy this will create.

The Role
The role of the Board of Trustees is to:

Determine policy;
Supervise the management of Tate by acting as guardians of the public interest;
Use the combined expertise of members to advise the Director;
Decide on major acquisitions and major resource issues such as new buildings;
Establish the overall strategic direction of Tate within the policy and resource framework;
Oversee the delivery of planned results by monitoring performance against objectives and targets.
The executive leadership of Tate rests with the Director and Accounting Officer Nicholas Serota and his Directors Group who are responsible for carrying out the day to day running of the galleries within the strategic direction set by the Board of Trustees.

The law places certain restrictions on becoming a charity trustee.  For example, you cannot be under the age of 18, or have previously been removed from trusteeship by a Court or the Charity Commission; nor can you have been disqualified under the
Company Director’s Disqualification Act 1986, or convicted of an offence involving deception or dishonesty (unless the conviction is spent).

A trustee must be prepared to declare and actively manage any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests upon appointment and whenever a matter arises in which the trustee has an interest which might be perceived to conflict with those of Tate.

The Person

Essential Criteria
A practising artist in the field of painting, sculpture, installation, or photography, who is predominantly based in the United Kingdom. Artists with experience within and outside of the museum are encouraged to apply;
Significant national or international standing recognised by exhibitions of work or inclusion in major international or national survey exhibitions;
An ability to contribute to the acquisitions process through enthusiasm to provide advice and opinions on the development of the Collection;
A willingness both to represent and act as an advocate for Tate in the public arena;
Strong communication skills and the ability to contribute to Board-level discussion and wider policy and strategy development; and
A strong commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.
Desirable Criteria
The ideal applicant will also fulfil one or both of the following criteria:

Strong networks and a presence in the British art world, preferably also with networks abroad, with a willingness to speak for the interests of the community of artists whose work is presented to the public by Tate; and
Experience of art school teaching, public commissions, exchange or residencies.
Current Trustees of the Tate Gallery

Lord Browne of Madingley (Chairman)
Helen Alexander CBE   Sir Howard Davies
Jeremy Deller   Prof David Ekserdjian
Anish Kapoor CBE  Patricia Lankester
Elisabeth Murdoch  Franck Petitgas
Fiona Rae   Monisha Shah
To apply
An application pack can be obtained from Tate’s trustee recruitment web page, or by contacting the Corporate Governance Manager on 020 7887 8011 or at [email protected]

Closing Date
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 27 March 2009.

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 29 April 2009.

http://www.dcms.gov.uk/working_with_us/public_appointments/5888.aspx