FEASIBILITY_STUDY , item 14. PDF 1 MB - Meetings, agendas and ...

A feasibility study prepared for the Black Box TrustNovember 2011Figure 5.1: Black Box organisational structureBlack Box Management CommitteeNeil Jacques VenueManagerSarah BainesFinance OfficerSarah JonesAssistant ManagerVolunteers + WorkPlacementsPeter McCloskeyDuty ManagerTomas Gorman(Green Room)Duty ManagerAndrew MasonDuty ManagerDoor StaffGreen RoomCasual StaffBar StaffThe Management Committee recognise the need to review its board members to ensure thatthe venue is operating under a diverse profile of skills and expertise to make informed decisionsfor the organisation and to guide it in the right direction going forward.The Committee have recently concluded that the Black Box would benefit from having boardmembers with a background in finance and experience of helping organisations move towardsgreater sustainability. They have identified two appropriate candidates who fit with these criteriaand have invited them accordingly to join as board members. New board members will beappointed in November/December 2011.The proposed members, should they accept, will play a significant role in addressing theconcerns highlighted by the venue‟s key stakeholders, regarding the current level of fundingprovided to the Black Box, and its future funding and sustainability.In view of the great support that the Black Box enjoys from its audiences, the Board may alsowish to consider how it might make greater use of volunteers in running and assisting in theoperation of the venue. We appreciate the challenges of using volunteers and mixing volunteersand paid staff but would suggest that it might be considered as part of the way forward.5.2 Case studiesIn order to gain a deeper understanding of the funding, organisational and operationalstructure of the Black Box and the challenges it faces, we felt it would be beneficial to consultwith other venues of a similar nature. We also wished to gain a perspective of „best practice‟ inoperating an arts and culture performance space.37