Opportunity: Associate Board Director

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If you are an ambitious young Arts Professional who would like an opportunity to learn how major opera and music companies operate from the inside….read on. Buxton International Festival has been described in New York’s Metropolitan Opera House magazine as “one of Europe’s great little unmissable opera Festivals”; it also enjoys the reputation of being the least pretentious! Last year, 2019, it celebrated its 40th anniversary, and won the UK theatre award for Opera with its first wholly new commission, a pasticcio on the life of Georgiana, the naughty Duchess of Devonshire. BIF, as it’s known, attracts audiences from all over Britain and increasingly abroad. It is three Festivals in one; to fund two or three new productions of less often performed operas with international casts and production teams costs a small fortune; ticket sales cover less than 50% on a good year; to help plug the gap BIF also runs a major literary Festival with c. 50 well known authors presenting their latest books and a major music series with celebrated and often international chamber ensembles, soloists etc. These delights are all packed into 17 or more days every July…though not in 2020. Covid 19 has shut us down but we are fit and well ahead with planning for 2021. BIF is registered as a charity but also a commercial company. It is governed by a Board of 7+ Directors/Trustees all details can be found on the BIF web site. BIF is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation. The Opportunity Two years ago BIF appointed its first young Associate Director. This position is treated in all respects as a full director of the company but is not registered as a full director or trustee and has no voting rights. Being responsible for running an Opera Festival is a financial and reputational risk and the Board of BIF does not think it fair to burden a younger, inexperienced colleague with that responsibility. We do, however, want a younger person’s perspective and the person appointed is treated in every other resect as a full Board member, invited to play a full and vocal part in proceedings and privy to all information.


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Opportunity: Associate Board Director by Buxton International Festival - Issuu