GUILDHALL SCHOOL TRUST
Chair of the Board of Trustees

About Us

The Guildhall School Trust (the Trust) is a charity dedicated to advancing the education of students
- current and prospective - of Guildhall School of Music & Drama. We do this by helping to raise
essential funds and support in kind, so that the most talented students of music, drama and
production arts can access the School's world-class training, regardless of their background or
barriers to their training.

The Trust’s Charitable Purposes

•  To advance the education of students and prospective students of the Guildhall School of Music
& Drama in music or drama (including stage management and related production and design)
and any other object considered by the Trustees to be beneficial to the promotion of music and
drama (including stage management and related production and design) at the Guildhall
School; and

•  To support any charitable purpose in which the Guildhall School or any student may engage,
and which promotes music or drama (including stage management and related production and
design).

The Trust fulfils these purposes by making grants to the School, which align with the School's
strategic priorities. The key areas for support include:

•  Scholarships, hardship and emergency funding for exceptionally talented students,

regardless of their social background, ability to pay, or physical and other barriers to their
training. We contribute essential support for over half of the School’s students at both
undergraduate and postgraduate level;

•  Bursaries and infrastructure support for Guildhall’s under-18s programme, helping young

people to find their creative voice;

•  World-class training for artists of music, drama and production arts through the provision

of distinctive degree programmes;

•  Social engagement and outreach projects - ensuring the School nurtures artistic citizens

who enrich the lives of others, encourage public engagement in the arts and make a positive
impact on the world;

•  Research, knowledge exchange and professional development, allowing the School to lead

cultural change in society.

The Role of Chair of the Board of Trustees

Chair of the Board of Trustees is responsible for guiding the Board to ensure its strategic focus on
robust governance, effective financial management and fundraising and successful delivery of its
mission.  Providing effective management of the charity, ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, has a
clear long-term strategic direction and delivers charitable outcomes for which it was established.
The Chair will have an interest in music, drama and for the education of the next generation of
actors, musicians and production artists. They will act as ambassadors for the work of the Trust and
support the fundraising activities essential to our efforts to open the School's world-class training up
to the widest possible talent pool.

The Trust has no employees of its own – it is supported by staff of the School – Finance Department
provides accountancy services; the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) coordinates
all fundraising activity and provides administrative support through the Company Secretary.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

•  To lead in creating the strategic direction of the Trust and evaluate and offer guidance on

new initiatives

•  To take shared responsibility for the day to day running of the charity, including

governance, development, financial reporting, management of risk, use of funds and
investments

•  To safeguard the good name and values of the Trust, acting in the charity’s best interests
•  Regularly monitor the Trust’s performance, ensuring it maintains consistently high

standards of best practice governance

•  To regularly attend Trust board meetings (four per year) and on occasion, additional
meetings, working parties or sub-committees addressing particular strategic matters

•  To support and encourage the contributions of other board members
•  Work closely with the School’s Development team to support fundraising and development
activity for gifts made to the Trust and support the cultivation of potential donors, bringing
their influence and networking skills

•  To act as an ambassador for the work of the Trust with key stakeholders and funders, and to

attend events, performances and other functions

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience

•  Proven leadership and strategic thinking skills
•  Significant fundraising experience
•  Strong understanding of charity governance and trustee responsibilities
•  A genuine commitment to the future of music, drama, and production arts
•  Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
•  Experience managing senior relationships and building consensus

 Key Responsibilities

•  Lead the Board in setting strategy, culture, and direction
•  To employ their expertise, knowledge and experience to the discussions of the board and

ensure that the board reaches sound and inclusive decisions

•  Provide leadership in securing new financial support for scholarships, bursaries, and capital

projects

•  Support the management of the Trust’s endowment to benefit young artists and

practitioners

•  Ensure effective governance, accountability, and compliance
•  Act as spokesperson and champion for the charity
•  Facilitate effective board meetings and promote trustee engagement

 Ambassador

•  Act as a representative of the Trust and Ambassador of the School and students’ creative

activities, to allies/stakeholders, potential funders or supporters;

•  Support the work of the Trust through attendance at student performances and School

fundraising events

Time Commitment/Term of Appointment

Time commitment of approximately 2-3 days per month. Board meetings are held four times a year,
for two hours, and usually take place in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, with a
Teams option for online attendance. Papers are distributed at least one week in advance of meetings.

The Chair is expected to attend all board meetings. They will also join the Finance, Investment and
Risk Sub-Committee. Each year, the Board aims to meet for a half-day strategy planning session.

The position of Chair is voluntary and non-remunerated. Appointment is for a period of three years,
and the Chair may serve a maximum of three terms (nine years).