APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR INTRODUCTION Spike Island, Bristol wishes to appoint a new Director to lead the organisation when Helen Legg departs in the summer to take up the role of Director of Tate Liverpool. Spike Island is unique in Britain in its range and size of operation, providing a successful exhibition programme alongside a complex mix of artist studios, film production and facilities, design, print and creative businesses, as well as hosting the University of the West of England s degree level fine art education. In addition, Spike Island s Associates Programme offers support for artists, curators, writers and designers. Spike Island collaborates with local and regional partners as well as with international institutions, museums and universities. The recently published Bristol Visual Arts Review (ACE, March 2018) recognised Spike Island as an exceptional model of good practice in supporting artists development, and a significant asset to the city and the region. Read the report As Spike Island plays an increasingly important role regionally, nationally and internationally, the new Director will be instrumental to the ongoing development and delivery of the organisation s vision, at a time of opportunity and challenge for the visual arts in Bristol and the South West.
VISION Our vision is to position art as central to society, which we do in two ways: by offering a high quality, challenging programme of exhibitions and events; and by fostering a dynamic and critically engaged community of artists and designers. We aim to create a vibrant hub for production, presentation and debate, while offering opportunities for audiences to engage directly with creative practices through participation and discussion. The support of artists and designers, and audiences encounters with them, underlies everything Spike Island does. To this end we seek to develop fruitful synergies across the building which is home to: A year-round programme of public exhibitions, talks and activities Over 70 artists in low-cost studios Wood and metal workshops, kilns, a resin room Other contemporary arts organisations such as Spike Print Studio and Wise Children A range of creative companies in fields including: fine art fabrication; graphic, web, product and interactive design; typography; film and video production; CGI; illustration and animation Shared space used by over 150 members of the Associates network Students and staff from the University of the West of England Fine Arts BA and MA programmes HISTORY The artist studio project Artspace Bristol was established in 1976 as one of a group of artist studio initiatives emerging in cities throughout the UK. In 1991, a developer purchased the McArthur s Warehouse, the site then occupied by Artspace. With eviction imminent, the artists initiated a campaign to secure a permanent home. A long process of fundraising and identifying a suitable site began. The ideal building was identified: a 9,000 sq. metre former tea-packing factory built in the 1950s, situated close to Artspace s original home. Funding from the National Lottery along with Bristol City Council support enabled the acquisition of the building and in 1996 the first phase of refurbishment began. Spike Island was launched in spring 1998. Since then, Spike Island has grown significantly. Two further capital developments, in 2007 and 2017, have been aimed at making the organisation more public facing and more sustainable. A year-round exhibitions programme began in the spacious and beautiful galleries carved out of the factory s central atrium as part of British architects Caruso St John s first gallery project. A café, Spike Associates Space, and Spike Design were launched in 2007. In 2014 Spike Island merged with Picture This to create Spike Film and Video, an artists film production service and AV equipment hire business, catering to the arts and heritage sector.
Spike Island s exhibitions programme has developed a focus on making exhibitions with artists who are at a critical stage in their practices either because they are at an early stage of their career, making a break with past work, consolidating a practice or introducing their work in the UK for the first time. Commissioning and producing plays an important role in the process of exhibition making and Spike Island increasingly co-produces with international partners. Exhibiting artists have included Laure Provost, Ciara Phillips, Andy Holden, Cally Spooner, Patrick Staff, Cevdet Erek, Maeve Brennan, Lubaina Himid (for which she was nominated and won the Turner Prize in 2017), Iman Issa and 2018 Turner Prize nominee Charlotte Prodger. Collaborators on our exhibitions programme have included Nottingham Contemporary, Chisenhale Gallery, Modern Art Oxford, Bielefelder Kunstverein and Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver. Spike Island is also a partner of Tate as part of the Plus Tate network. C.200,000 people a year make use of the building, with c.50,000 exhibition visits, a figure that is steadily growing. There is a strong focus on nurturing and celebrating the internal community and forging connections across it. Our strong relationship with the University of the West of England s Art Faculty and the presence in the building of the BA and MA Fine Arts programmes creates the foundation for a focus on artists development and support that runs through every strand of our activity. Partnering with Eastside Projects, Wysing Arts Centre, S1 Artspace, Studio Voltaire and INIVA we established the Syllabus, a collaborative artists development programme offering those unable to undertake an MA a credible alternative, while the successful Associates Programme, based in-house, has supported the development of many of Bristol s artist-led projects. In light of the recent Bristol Visual Arts Review the organisation s work in support of artists is being refreshed and there are opportunities for a new Director to feed into these discussions. Spike Island plays an important role in nurturing the arts ecology across the city. Spike Island studio holder Linda Brothwell
FUNDING Spike Island is supported as part of Arts Council England s National Portfolio for the period 2018-2022. Over the same period it will also receive regular funding from Bristol City Council. This core funding amounts to c.25% of turnover. Besides Arts Council England, Spike Island raises funds from a range of trusts and foundations and cultural agencies. Most of its turnover comes from its internal lettings business and Spike Film and Video. Spike Island is also funded to host Visual Arts South West (VASW) over the same period. VASW provides a platform to promote and support the work of the region's visual arts ecology and is part of the national Contemporary Visual Arts Network which is dedicated to developing stronger visual arts activity for the benefit of artists, arts organisations and audiences, present and future. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY Spike Island is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to increasing diversity within its programme, audiences and workforce. ROLE OF DIRECTOR Spike Island is looking for a person with energy, experience and commitment to lead and develop the organisation and its over-arching vision artistic and organisational. Supported by a committed and highly motivated staff team and board, the successful candidate will consolidate and build on the success of recent years and develop a range of new and exciting initiatives. The Director will report to the board of trustees and will liaise and work with a variety of partners, funders and stakeholders locally, nationally and internationally. Please see the Job Description for further details. THE PERSON We are looking for an inspirational leader who has a deep engagement with the visual arts and culture upon which they are able to draw in the development of an ambitious vision for the organisation as a whole. They will be a confident spokesperson and advocate for the organisation and for the arts in Bristol, regionally and nationally. They will be well-networked and able to build and maintain effective collaborations within the city across the arts more widely, in order to create the greatest possible impact. The successful candidate will be a creative and strategic thinker, experienced at working with artists and committed to creating the conditions within which artists can thrive. They will maintain a focus on audiences and will ensure inclusivity and diversity across all aspects of the organisation. They will have an inclusive leadership style, an ability to consult and communicate clearly and persuasively across the team and with internal and external stakeholders. They will be able to motivate and develop the team and have the entrepreneurial flair required to ensure the ongoing sustainability of Spike Island.
PERSON SPECIFICATION We expect the successful candidate to be able to demonstrate most, if not all, of the following: 1. Excellent current knowledge of artistic practice and discourse, key developments in the field of contemporary visual art and artist s support models and initiatives within the UK and internationally. 2. A minimum 5 years experience of working in a visual arts organisation. 3. A track record of successfully programming and developing an artistic / curatorial rationale, in tandem with strategies for audience development, fundraising, marketing and PR. 4. Experience of setting and managing budgets. 5. An ability to lead, motivate, nurture and inspire a staff team and freelance contractors with some line management and recruitment experience; an ability to draw upon a range of management styles and an understanding of the value of working with staff and stakeholders in a participative way, involving them where possible and appropriate in decision-making processes. 6. Experience of establishing and working in creative and practical collaboration with artists, arts organisations, venues and other partners to deliver a wide range of activities successfully. 7. Commitment to developing, actively promoting and implementing equality and diversity policies in all aspects of Spike Island s operations internally and externally. 8. Excellent networking and communication skills in order to communicate with people at all levels; good advocacy, negotiating and influencing skills. 9. A range of fundraising experience plus a proven track record of securing and managing bids/ partner relations that have been instrumental in the development of your work. 10. The ability to formulate, articulate, enthuse and persuade others about your strategic vision for the organisation, taking account of the operating context and translating this vision into long and short-term plans that are realistic and deliverable. 11. The ability to speak effectively on behalf of the organisation at a range of public events and with the media. 12. Experience of working with a Chair and board and an understanding of the governance responsibilities of a charity and registered company and of its trustees. 13. The ability to write copy, papers and reports for a wide range of audiences in a manner appropriate to the reader including audiences, funders, staff, colleagues and artists and incorporating evaluative material, analysis and arguments to support a case effectively. All posts at Spike Island require the right to work in the UK (usually UK Residency or a valid working permit).
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT Salary is within the range 47,000-52,000 depending on experience. Spike Island offers a workplace pension scheme after completion of three month s service. The employer contribution is offered at an amount equal to 5% of qualifying earnings. Some evening and weekend work is required. HOW TO APPLY Please submit a CV and covering letter demonstrating your suitability for the role and how you meet the skills and experience required to recruit@spikeisland.org.uk Candidates should visit: www.spikeisland.org.uk/opportunities to download the job description, and an equal opportunities form, which should be submitted with the application. All information given will be treated with the strictest confidence and will be held for statistical purposes only. This information does not form part of the selection process. The closing deadline for applications is 10am on Friday 8 June 2018 Interviews will be held on Wednesday 27 June 2018 with the second round planned for 4 July 2018. For any enquiries relating to the role, please contact recruit@spikeisland.org.uk Hedwig Houben Personal Matters and Public Affairs. Live performance at Spike Island, 2016
Zoë Paul La Perma-Perla Kraal Emporium, Spike Island, May 2018 Alex Cecchetti At the Gates of the Music Palace, Spike Island, May 2018