Sound Sense :: Sound Sense Board of Directors

Job & Career Opportunities

Sound Sense

Sound Sense Board of Directors

Location: UK

Deadline: 18 September 2023

Sound Sense is looking for four new members for its Board of Directors. We want our professional association to represent and advocate effectively for the diverse range of community music and music practitioners active in the UK today.

We would love to hear from you if:

You have lived experience of the power of community music making
You have skills in managing people, projects and/or organisations
You can commit regular time for meetings and working groups, mostly happening over Zoom

In return, you join a friendly and energetic team committed to promoting and developing community music practice in the UK and beyond, and will have your say in Sound Sense's future direction and strategy.

What's involved in being a Director?

Sound Sense is run for its members by its members - people like you who form the Board of Sound Sense, writes chair Jess Abrams.

As a Board of Directors, we control the overall policy of the organisation, make sure it's financially sound, and steer the activities of its staff. Our Directors commit to attending at least three meetings a year and actively contributing to a working group (we have groups covering finance, HR, strategy and fundraising). Directors are also involved in planning and participating in our programme of online and in-person events, plus representing Sound Sense at national events and forums of relevance to the UK community music sector.

Currently all Board meetings are taking place online, using Zoom, and we expect to continue with this for most meetings in the future. Regular full board meetings take place for 3 hours, 4 times a year (usually January, April, July and October). Working groups meet according to need and at times that best suit the members involved. Individual time commitments vary considerably, but as a guide we would recommended allowing around 40 hours per year (spread through the year) for taking up a position on the Sound Sense Board.

This is a voluntary role, in accordance with our governing documents. Your travel expenses will be covered where in-person attendance at meetings is agreed as part of your Director role.

Who, me?

We want Sound Sense's Board to represent the diversity of the UK community music field as fully as possible, and we therefore encourage people of all ages, abilities and genders; educational, social and ethnic backgrounds; lived experiences, music genres/practices and geographic locations (within the UK) to consider this role.

If you want to find out more about being a Board member, please do talk to me, Jess Abrams (chair@soundsense.org), or to Sound Sense General Manager, Clare Adams (clare.adams@soundsense.org). Or come along to our August Gathering to meet some of our current Board members and find out what being on the Board means to them personally.

How do I join the board?

To nominate yourself for Board membership, simply email clare.adams@soundsense.org by 9am Monday 18 September 2023 with these details:

your name, organisation (if any) and postal address
your email address and phone number
the statement "I wish to stand for election to Sound Sense's Board of Management. If elected, I undertake to carry out the duties of a charity trustee and company director, including attending board meetings and contributing to the work of a working group"
a short note (100 to 200 words) about who you are and what you would bring to the board.

Note that, if you are not yet a member of Sound Sense, you will need to join before submitting your nomination. You can do that at: soundsense.org/member-services/join-sound-sense

If more than four people nominate themselves, we will hold an online ballot opening in September 2023. In order for the election to take place, we will share your name (but not your contact details) and your short note (about who you are/what you would bring) with your fellow members by email to help them cast their votes. The result of the election will be announced at our AGM in October 2023 (date to be confirmed).

We look forward to hearing from you!