The community are vital to the success of this project and we are looking for individuals to become members of our Creative Arts Forums.
Creative Arts Forums, Terms of Reference
Context
Market Place has been developed as an Arts Council England funded Creative People and Places project for Fenland and Forest Heath. The project is led by a consortium comprising ADEC (Lead Partner), Music Arts Project, 20Twenty Productions, Newmarket Racecourse and New Wolsey Theatre. It is intended to benefit the market towns of Brandon, Chatteris, March, Mildenhall, Newmarket, Whittlesey and Wisbech.
Following a period of intensive consultation, a project Business Plan has been developed to provide a structure and framework for the delivery of Market Place between April 2015 and December 2017. A key ingredient of the delivery structure is the establishment of Creative Arts Forums in each market town, planned as voluntary organisations that will involve local people in ownership of, local decision making (for ratification by the consortium) and some delivery support for Market Place. The structure for Market Place delivery is shown in the attached illustration.
This Terms of Reference is intended to define the role of each Creative Arts Forum, its responsibilities, and the relationship with the Market Place consortium. It also provides a summary of the role of Creative Arts Forum members
The role of the Creative Arts Forum
The Creative Arts Forum provides local ownership and involvement in Market Place. It does not have any legal responsibility for financial management or project delivery and therefore does not require a formal status. Nor does it require public liability insurance. In each district there is an organisation acting as the Creative Arts Forum Coordinator. This is a paid, contracted role that provides administrative services and other support to the Creative Arts Forum.
As the Market Place project develops it will be the responsibility of the Project Director, Marketing and Audience Development Manager, and of appointed artists and project managers to deliver the programme of work.
The Forum role is as follows:
1. Meet on a regular basis (between monthly and quarterly as needed)
2. Work with the local Creative Arts Forum Coordinator and with the key Market Place officers (Project Director and Marketing and Audience Development Manager) to maximise the impact of the project and help achieve the Market Place vision.
3. Take part in Go and See activity to inform awareness of inspiring arts activity in other places.
4. Explore, debate and advise the consortium on preferences for local artistic planning and content within the framework of the Market Place Business Plan, leading to the construction of Project Plans for activity development.
5. Listen to the views of local peers, friends and networks to bring to and inform the discussions at the Creative Arts Forum.
6. Act as a champion for activity planned and assist with promotion of events to maximise local interest and engagement.
7. Help facilitate activity delivery where local logistical help, permissions and contacts are required.
8. Provide delivery support when possible, and as appropriate, through voluntary or paid activity.
9. Review activity delivered and feedback to the consortium on achievements.
10. Support the establishment of sustainable activity beyond 2017 in particular through nurturing a local Creative Arts Hub and considering the role of the Creative Arts Forum from January 2018.
The structure of the Creative Arts Forum
It is important that the Creative Arts Forum involves a range of local people bringing different skills, experience and perspectives. Local people will be expected to apply to be a Forum member to ensure that there is equal opportunity and a means to develop a cohesive group that offers the appropriate mix of expertise. The recruitment process will be managed by the local Coordinator. As the Forum is required to deliver a specific role supporting the Market Place project it is expected that it will be a separate initiative from any existing local events committee. Each Forum will comprise a minimum of six and maximum of ten people who will:
- Be appointed for up to three years
- Elect their own Chair from within the group, this post could be rotated on a regular basis
- Agree dates, venues and agendas for meetings
- Have a modest budget for refreshments and Forum activity
- Contribute in response to the agreed Terms of Reference and definition of member roles
The Forums will be supported by a local Coordinator who will provide administrative and facilitation support (including notices and minutes of meetings) and who will be a bridge between the Forum and the wider Market Place consortium.
Creative Arts Forum - member roles
Individual members recruited to a Creative Arts Forum will be expected to:
- Commit to attending at least 75% of Forum meetings
- Read papers relevant to discussions at Forum meetings
- Contribute to debate and ideas around artistic content and delivery planning
- Take part in some Go and See activity to inform Creative Arts Forum debate
- Act as positive champions for the Market Place project
- Use their networks as a sounding board to gather local views and as a vehicle for promoting Market Place activity
- Attend activity and events
If members are unable to continue making the required commitment as defined above then they will be asked to step down.
If you are interested please complete the relevant forum form and return to your local co-ordinaters: