Achates Recruits and Brings Change
At Achates we support organisations to make change through the adoption of a purpose-led, audience-informed approach to their development. Achates Recruits and Brings Change applies this distinctive approach to recruitment and change management by offering a range of products which support organisations and leaders to bring about change in a sustainable and inclusive way by centring on organisational purpose and ensuring that all key stakeholders are fully engaged and valued in the process. Products offered include Executive Appointment and Recruitment Support, Leadership Support and Development including training and executive coaching, and bespoke change management support.
Recent clients have included the Royal Shakespeare Company, New Art Exchange, National Centre for Writing, Macrobert Arts Centre, English Touring Theatre, East Street Arts, Complicite, PalMusic, RADA, VocalEyes, Shakespeare’s Globe, Worthing Theatres and Museums and the Institute for International Visual Arts.
For a full list of case studies click here.
To discuss your recruitment, training, coaching and/or organisational change needs in more detail and to learn how Achates might support you please contact our Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change, Vicki Grace, at vicki@achates.org.uk for an initial exploratory chat.
Current Recruitment Opportunities
English Touring Theatre: Chair
English Touring Theatre (ETT) is a UK based international touring company. They create theatre of outstanding quality, imagination and ambition; make innovative and pioneering immersive digital experiences; and work which interrogates and celebrates contemporary England, reinventing the rules and reflecting the diversity of our nation. ETT has produced over 70 live productions and pieces of digital work in the last 5 years, enjoyed by audiences of over 410,000.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director & CEO Richard Twyman and Executive Producer Sophie Scull, ETT is a powerhouse of contemporary theatre, and they are regularly lauded for ground-breaking work which is toured nationally and internationally. ETT is now looking to the future with ambitious and wide-reaching plans afoot which include significant capital redevelopment to their home base and exciting artistic plans to further develop the organisation and their contribution to the wider theatre landscape.
Chair
The core purpose of the Chair role is to ensure the Board of Trustees is effective in upholding the vision and values of ETT and ensuring it delivers on its mission, aims, and objectives. The Chair leads the Board in driving strategy and overseeing the delivery of its work ensuring long-term sustainability. The postholder will lead the Board of Trustees to ensure exemplary and inspirational governance as well as supporting the Executive team to develop and execute ETT’s strategic plan and to ensure ETT continues to deliver on its charitable objectives.
The Chair will act as an ambassador for ETT working with the Executive team to raise the profile of the organisation and its work with key stakeholders, as well as playing a key role as an advocate for touring theatre across the sector.
This is an opportunity to lead and champion ETT to continue to make a significant difference to the theatre landscape and to deliver tangible change for artists, theatre makers, and audiences across the UK.
ETT are looking for someone with a dynamic, hands-on strategic approach to governance who would enjoy the opportunity to contribute to the cultural sector by leading ETT into its next phase. You will be someone who cares deeply about the performing arts sector and who understands the complexity of working in partnership to drive progress.
Details can be found in the recruitment pack for the role of Chair.
To apply for the Chair at ETT, please submit a covering letter (of no more than 2 pages) telling us a bit about yourself, what excites you about the opportunity to lead ETT in this way and outlining how you meet the person specification, and your CV (of no more than 2 pages) to recruits@achates.org.uk. Applications should be submitted as attachments in either PDF or Word formatting. As ETT strives to be more sustainable, we will not accept applications made by post.
Complete an Equal Opportunities Form. Please note this form will be separated from your application documents before they are reviewed by the panel.
Your application will be initially reviewed by a member of the Achates team and then sent directly to the ETT team for final shortlisting and interview management.
ETT is committed to being a truly inclusive organisation and we welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of their age, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or nationality. Our staff team and Trustees are actively engaged in equality, inclusion, and anti-racism work.
ETT will support any access requirements you may have during the recruitment process and ensure that reasonable adjustments are in place. If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please email vicki@achates.org.uk.
If you wish to discuss this role before submitting an application please reach out to Vicki Grace, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change at Achates who are supporting us with this position. Vicki can be reached by emailing vicki@achates.org.uk. These conversations will not influence the selection process.
Closing date for applications: 10am on Monday 7 October 2024
First Story: Chief Executive Officer
First Story is England’s leading creative-writing charity for young people. The charity enriches the lives of students in low-income communities by providing high-quality, extra-curricular creative-writing activities and cultural experiences that foster creativity, confidence, ability, and talent. First Story was founded in 2008 by a state secondary teacher and a published author, both of whom recognised that students from low-income backgrounds deserved fairer access to enriching creative learning experiences, beyond the classroom curriculum. From a pilot project in a West London comprehensive, we have grown to work across Greater London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the North West of England. First Story are proud to have the support of our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, who is a passionate promoter of literacy, and our writer ambassadors, Patrice Lawrence and Tracy Chevalier.
Their flagship Young Writers’ Programme places inspiring professional writers-in-residence in non-selective secondary schools in low-income areas across England, where they work intensively over an academic year with a consistent group of students, towards the publication of a printed anthology. Regular national competitions and events, plus resources, training, and support for teachers, complement our core provision. Participants in a First Story group are encouraged to develop their own unique voices and are taught to tell their own stories with confidence and skill. Their growing portfolio of exclusive opportunities for First Story alumnae/i provides a progression pipeline for talent.
Chief Executive Officer
The CEO will take responsibility for the overall strategy of the organisation, ensuring that First Story continues to deliver on its mission to help young people find and use their voice. The post-holder will ensure that First Story remains England’s leading creative writing charity for young people and will take overall responsibility for leading the team to deliver on our strategy to deepen our reach and impact on the lives of young people and create opportunities for writers.
The new CEO will be someone who understands the arts and cultural sector and the critical role that creative writing plays in inspiring and encouraging the next generation. You will have experience working with multiple stakeholders in the arts, including team members and artists, and will have experience leading a team and raising funds from a range of sources to support creative projects.
This is a particularly exciting time to join First Story. The organisation is more ambitious than ever, delivering on its 2021 – 2026 Reach and Impact strategy. They have recently won a grant from the Mercers’ Company to focus on oracy in our Young Writers’ Programme and are building on the momentum of our recent 15th anniversary. First Story will soon be developing our strategy for 2026 and beyond, and so this marks an exciting opportunity for the new CEO to shape the organisation’s future.
Details can be found in the recruitment pack for the role of CEO.
To apply for the CEO at First Story, please submit a cover letter (of no more than 2 pages) telling us a bit about yourself, what excites you about the opportunity to lead First Story in this way, and outlining how you meet the person specification, and your CV (of no more than 2 pages) to recruits@achates.org.uk. Applications should be submitted as attachments in either PDF or Word format. As First Story strives to be more sustainable, we will not accept applications made by post.
Complete an Equal Opportunities Form. Please note this form will be separated from your application documents before they are reviewed by the panel.
Your application will be initially reviewed by a member of the Achates team and then sent directly to the First story team for final shortlisting and interview management.
First Story is committed to being a truly inclusive organisation and they welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of their age, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or nationality. Our staff team and Trustees are actively engaged in equality, inclusion, and anti-racism work.
First Story will support any access requirements you may have during the recruitment process and ensure that reasonable adjustments are in place. If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please email vicki@achates.org.uk.
If you wish to discuss this role before submitting an application please reach out to Vicki Grace, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change at Achates who are supporting us with this position. Vicki can be reached by emailing vicki@achates.org.uk. These conversations will not influence the selection process.
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 30 October 2024
First interview: Thursday 7 November 2024
Second interview: Tuesday 12 November 2024
One Dance UK: Head of Membership & Partnerships
One Dance UK is organisation settled in Birmingham, with healthy reserves and Arts Council funding secured for 2023-26, and an increased profile through our support of the sector during the pandemic, One Dance UK is now looking to the future with a revised strategy and a renewed focus on membership growth and partnerships to better support the dance sector is facing new challenges ahead.
One Dance UK is the national support organisation serving the needs of the world-leading UK dance sector with over 1,000 members (67% outside London, 21% in Levelling Up for Culture areas) comprising key dance organisations of all sizes, schools, dancers, teachers, choreographers, managers, producers, healthcare professionals and dance scientists, and students. They work in partnership with organisational members, educational institutions, corporate sponsors, a large luxury brand, and a range of funders to address gaps in provision and provide the support the dance workforce needs to survive and thrive.
Head of Membership & Partnerships
The Head of Membership & Partnerships is a pivotal role within the Senior Management Team and is responsible for two key areas of income generation – membership and our partnerships programme. The role leads to maximising income for One Dance UK by effective management of our membership scheme (including membership stewardship and seeking new relationships at individual and organisational levels), and partnerships programme (through existing partnership stewardship and seeking new partnership opportunities across the programme). The postholder will work with the Chief Executive and wider Senior Management Team to raise further funds from a variety of sources, including Trusts and Foundations.
The role will focus on growing One Dance UK’s multiple relationships with funders through deepened contacts with existing supporters and by developing a wider network of supporters for their events and services. You will be part of an experienced team with a great deal of specialist knowledge, together growing the vision of One Dance UK, ensuring it remains relevant and inclusive, and raises the profile of the organisation, our members, and work across the wider dance, cultural, education, and political sectors. The role provides an excellent opportunity for someone with the personal and professional skills to develop a breadth of experience across the entire dance sector in all four nations of the United Kingdom.
Details can be found in the recruitment pack for the role of Head of Membership & Partnerships.
To apply for the Head of Membership & Partnerships at One Dance UK, please submit a cover letter (of no more than 2 pages) telling us a bit about yourself, what excites you about this role, and outlining how you meet the person specification, and your CV (of no more than 2 pages) to olivia@achates.org.uk. Applications should be submitted as attachments in either PDF or Word format.
Complete a Diversity Monitoring Form. Please note this form will be separated from your application documents before they are reviewed by the panel.
Your application will be initially reviewed by a member of the Achates team and then sent directly to the One Dance UK team for final shortlisting and interview management.
One Dance UK is committed to being a truly inclusive organisation and they welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of their age, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or nationality. Our staff team and Trustees are actively engaged in equality, inclusion, and anti-racism work.
One Dance UK will support any access requirements you may have during the recruitment process and ensure that reasonable adjustments are in place. If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please email olivia@achates.org.uk.
If you wish to discuss this role before submitting an application please reach out to Vicki Grace, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change at Achates who are supporting One Dance UK with this position. Vicki can be reached by emailing vicki@achates.org.uk. These conversations will not influence the selection process.
Closing date for applications: 5pm on Thursday 31 October 2024
Interviews: 11 November 2024
Privacy Statement: If Achates acts as the party in receipt of all applications Achates will control, process and share your data with the commissioned party for the purposes of recruitment, in line with Achates’ Data protection processes which can be provided on request. Data will only be processed in the candidate’s best interest and stored for as long as necessary. You have the right to access the data we hold about you and revoke your consent at any time.
