Artistic Directors of the Future presents its groundbreaking Board Shadowing Programme helping arts organisations diversify their boards
Artistic Directors of the Future (ADF) once again presents their award-winning Board Shadowing Programme, a unique initiative open to theatres and arts practitioners across the UK.
This ground-breaking programme first started in 2018 and offers the chance for arts organisations to meet potential Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse board members. It is also an opportunity for companies to assess their engagement and retention strategies.
Organisations are invited to sign up from 14th July 2021 with the Board Shadowing Programme taking place from October 2021 – November 2022. Applications from Individuals for the Board Shadowing Programme taking place from January 2022 – November 2022 will be open from 28th September 2021.
The ADF Board Shadowing Programme is designed to demystify the roles and responsibilities of a board, broker relationships with aspiring trustees and create an even playing field for future opportunities. ADF have developed a bespoke package which includes induction sessions, support, shadowing time, meet and greets, governance training, networking and evaluation; this ensures that members and host organisations gain a meaningful, informative and practical experience which will lead to positive change for the sector as a whole.
The programme is open to any arts organisation interested in expanding their networks and engaging with ADF and its members. It is also open to all performing arts organisations who wish to recruit trustees in the near future and those who are thinking long term and want to gain this invaluable experience for future board recruitment.
Since its conception in September 2018 ADF’s Board Shadowing Programme are proud to announce four members have joined boards of influential organisations – Anni Domingo has become a Trustee for Sheffield Theatres, Anthony Almeida a Trustee for Nottingham Playhouse, Eileen Bellot a Trustee for Tamasha Theatre and Stage Sight; Artistic Directors of the Future’s Membership and Engagement Producer, Francesca Murray-Fuentes is now a Trustee for Oxford School of Drama.
Our Board Shadowing Programme has been a great success and once again we are thrilled to lead this innovative project that helps arts organisations enhance and ethnically diversify board membership. ADF aims to be at the forefront of promoting ethnic diversity in the arts at senior level. I am excited that this year I will be taking part in the programme as a shadower and look forward to learning practical skills and networking with inspiring leaders’
Artistic Directors of the Future (ADF) is a charitable organisation dedicated to increasing the number of culturally diverse artistic directors of theatres and arts organisations. Since its inception in 2014, ADF has built a growing membership of culturally diverse practitioners and have forged strong relationships with venues, arts organisations and theatre companies across the UK.
ADF works with a wide range of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists and administrators to inspire, prepare, support and empower artistic leaders at the start of their career or mid-career and looking for a change. By working in collaboration with the theatre industry, academia and leading venues and arts organisations nationally, ADF delivers bespoke development programmes, generates access to positions of authority, and cultivates artistic leadership opportunities. In 2020 Artistic Directors of the Future was awarded The Stage Innovation Award for its trailblazing Board Shadowing Programme.
Artistic Directors of the Future (ADF) was one of the first organisations in the UK that tried to address the lack of diversity in theatre at senior level. Since its inception, ADF has developed other impactful initiatives such as Up Next, working in partnership with ACE’s Sustained Theatre initiative. Up Next catapulted six ADF members into positions of artistic leadership at the Bush and BAC, to create space for programmes that brought in new audiences and diverse voices. This resulted in Tarek Iskander becoming the Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre.
You can explore the Board Shadowing Programme and Meet the 2019-2020 Alumni.
For press information, images and interviews, please contact Kim Morgan 07939 591403 kim@kimmorgan-pr.com, @KimMorganPR.
