Surrey Music Hub (the Music Hub for Surrey) is seeking to appoint an Independent Chair.
This is a voluntary position with an allowance of up to £3,000 for expenses.
You will be passionate about ensuring that all children and young people can access high quality music education opportunities that meet their needs. This role offers an opportunity for the right individual to make a difference to the lives of the children and young people of Surrey through music.
You will chair the Hub’s Advisory Board, working alongside the Music Hub lead organisation, Surrey Arts, and partners to ensure and maintain the effective delivery of the new National Plan for Music Education (NPME) both in and out of school settings.
The Independent Chair will need to have significant experience and expertise in partnership working and strategic thinking, business and budget monitoring and management. The chair will commit to developing a thorough knowledge and understanding of the needs of, and challenges for, children and young people, issues affecting Local Authorities and schools, Arts Council England/Department for Education policy relating to Music Education Hubs and the breadth of music providers working in Surrey. Experience in music/music education is not required as we are seeking to broaden the range of experience and skills to help drive our future development forward.
The chair role will run for a term of 3 years with an opportunity to be reappointed.
Surrey Arts, the Arts Service for Surrey County Council, is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and would especially welcome applications from the ‘global majority’, the LGBTQ+ community and people who are disabled.
For further queries please contact Sarah Lee, Head of Service, Surrey Arts sarah.lee@surreycc.gov.uk
Commitment: Four board meetings plus preparation per year; at least one meeting per year will be in-person. Other meetings as advised.
Application is by letter and C.V. sent to sarah.lee@surreycc.gov.uk
For more information or an informal chat please email sarah.lee@surreycc.gov.uk
Deadline for applications: 12th February 2023
Interviews: 28th February 2023
Context, Vision, Mission, Approach and Values
Context – Surrey Music Hub is a partnership led by Surrey Arts. It serves the local authority area of Surrey County Council with a total school population of 158,000 children, in 392 state maintained, academy and free schools (221 state maintained, 165 academy, 6 free schools including 8 pupil referral units), through music making and the arts and cultural offer. The lead partner in Surrey Music Hub is Surrey Arts, which is part of Surrey County Council (SCC) Cultural Services. The Hub is overseen by the Surrey Music Hub Steering Board, which is made up of partners and local stakeholders and is currently chaired by the Head of Surrey Arts.
Vision – “Changing lives through world class arts” Surrey Music Hub’s aim is to work in partnership to ensure that children and young people from all backgrounds receive music education that is high quality, wide ranging, sustainable and accessible to all and that there are clear routes for progression.
Mission – “Work in partnership to ensure that everyone in our community has access to high quality and engaging arts and cultural opportunities”.
Approach – We: advocate, celebrate, deliver, create, innovate, commission, educate, invest, nurture, support, connect, develop.
Our Values Surrey Arts is an ambitious and forward-thinking organisation that places young people at the centre of our work. We are committed to developing Surrey Arts as a genuinely inclusive organisation, fostering a culture of belonging where all are respected and valued and one that meets the needs of the whole diverse community of Surrey. Equality, diversity and inclusion is central to our organisation and we are committed to its development at all levels of the organisation as outlined in our EDI strategy.
Surrey Music Hub is committed to delivering ‘The Power of Music to Change Lives’, the Government’s National Plan for Music Education, for all children and young people throughout Surrey. Surrey Music Hub performs all the current Core and Extension roles as set out by Arts Council England. These roles underpin all planning and musical activity that we offer.
Core roles of Surrey Music Hub:
- Ensure that every child aged 5 to 18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through whole class ensemble teaching programmes.
- Provide opportunities to play in ensembles and to perform from an early stage.
- Ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people.
- Develop a singing strategy to ensure that every pupil is singing regularly, and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in the area.
Extension roles of Surrey Music Hub:
Offer Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to school staff, particularly in supporting schools to deliver music in the curriculum. Provide an instrument loan service, with discounts or free provision for those on low incomes. Provide access to large scale and/or high-quality music experiences for pupils, working with professional musicians and/or venues. This may include undertaking work to publicise the opportunities available to schools, parents/carers and students.
- Offer Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to school staff, particularly in supporting schools to deliver music in the curriculum.
- Provide an instrument loan service, with discounts or free provision for those on low incomes.
- Provide access to large scale and/or high-quality music experiences for pupils, working with professional musicians and/or venues. This may include undertaking work to publicise the opportunities available to schools, parents/carers and students.