Call for Board Members
Western Front is one of Canada’s leading non profit artist-run centres, located on the unceded, ancestral, and occupied, traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations in Vancouver. We support a multidisciplinary program that provides opportunities to artists working across music, media art, visual art, performance, and literature to create and present work. Through commissions, exhibitions, performances, concerts, publishing, residencies, and workshops, Western Front promotes public exchange at a local, national, and international level. We also preserve and provide access to an ever-growing audio-visual archive that documents the organization’s history of artistic programming and production.
There are a number of exciting opportunities to be actively involved in Western Front as a board member, with us looking for people with the following areas of expertise to contribute to our strategic direction and governance: practising artists including writers, filmmakers, dancers, musicians, designers, and visual artists; governance, law, finance, architecture, facilities management, and/or fundraising.
Role and Responsibilities
Western Front’s board is a Governance Board with three standing committees: Facilities, Finance and Audit, and Governance and Nominations.
Board members are elected to serve a two-year term that is renewable to a maximum of six years. The time commitment for a board member may fluctuate throughout the year, but is approximately two to four hours a month. The position of board member is a volunteer position.
All board members are required to:
- Ensure that Western Front meets its legal and financial responsibilities as a registered charity.
- Develop the strategic direction of the organization with management and staff.
- Approve policy and procedures and monitor their implementation.
- Act as passionate advocates for Western Front.
- Help attract funding, in-kind support, and sponsorship.
- Contribute to annual reviews of the organization.
- Attend bi-monthly board meetings and/or committee meetings.
- Join a committee and perform committee work.
- Review relevant documents and provide advice as necessary.
Required Skills and Attributes
- Recognition in one of the identified areas of expertise.
- Knowledge and awareness of the impact that cultural not-for-profit organizations such as Western Front have in contributing to and transforming society.
- Fluent communication skills with the ability to represent the organization externally.
- A commitment to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the organization.
- A willingness to engage in fundraising and gaining in-kind support.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Western Front actively supports equity, diversity, and inclusion. We believe that diversity strengthens and enriches us, and are committed to making the arts and cultural sector a more diverse and equitable place. We encourage those who can contribute to the diversification of ideas and lived experiences, including Indigenous peoples, people from racialized communities, women, people with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities to apply. If you wish to self-identify, please do so in your statement of intent.
Application Process
Applications will be assessed for the potential to perform the role, as well as for specific skill in the identified areas of expertise we seek. Individuals who are shortlisted will be asked to attend a brief interview with a board member. Successful applicants may be asked to attend meetings as observers in advance of their start date. Applications will be assessed for actual and perceived conflicts of interest that could adversely impact board member’s ability to perform their duties. A board member is not able to directly participate in Western Front’s programming (e.g. curate, or exhibit or present work) while serving on the board of directors.
Please email a statement of intent expressing your interest in Western Front and the role of board member, along with your resume/curriculum vitae, to info@westernfront.ca with the subject line “Board Member Search”. Statements of intent may be submitted in the form of a cover letter, a video, an audio recording, or a slideshow presentation.
Applications will begin to be reviewed on December 1, 2024.
Accessibility
Western Front will support applicants who require accessibility accommodations to fully participate in the application process. If you have specific questions relating to accessibility, please email: info@westernfront.ca. The board of directors works in a hybrid format (online and in-person) and is happy to receive applications from candidates outside of British Columbia.
Western Front is a non-profit
artist-run centre in Vancouver.
We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.