A Practical

Toolkit for Cultural

Governance
CONTENTS

01 FOREWORD
02 INTRODUCTION
03 S EVEN S TEPS TO G OOD G OV E R N A N CE
04 GOVERNANCE I N PR ACT I CE
05 GLOS S ARY
06 S OURCES
07 ADDITIONAL R E SOURCE S
08 CREDITS
01
FOREWORD

T
his toolkit is the result of a collaboration between the British Council
and Chelsea College of Arts, one of the six Colleges that make up
University of the Arts London (UAL). It is produced as part of the
British Council’s Creative Leadership Programme (CLP), which aims
to professionalise the governance of cultural and creative organisations in
Mexico by building capacity and improving leadership skills. The CLP is part
of Creative Collective, a three-year British Council programme that aims to
support creative and social economies in Mexico through a holistic impact
strategy at three interconnected levels: young creators, cultural leaders and
public servants.
The core of the collaboration between the British Council and Chelsea
College of Arts was a one-week residency for 10 Mexican cultural leaders
which took place in London in November 2019. The participants were se-
lected from around 300 applicants and represented a range of cultural and
creative industries including music, dance, film and museums. The programme
involved talks at Chelsea College of Arts, both from UAL academics (such as
David Dibosa, Reader in Museology at Chelsea College of Arts) and external
guests (Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation; Paul
Pacifico, CEO of the Association of Independent Music; Sian Alexander, Ex-
ecutive Director of the Lyric Hammersmith; Cliff Fluet, Managing Director of
Eleven Advisory; Sholeh Johnston, Director of The Field; and Becky Schutt
Head of Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies at the British Council).
Participants were taken to visit the V&A, where they spoke to Deputy Director
Tim Reeve, and Tate, where they met with Samuel Jones, Head of Director’s
Office, and Anna Lowe, youth engagement trustee and Smartify co-founder.
In addition, they visited Somerset House Studios, where they met Director
Emma Hannon and Makerversity co-founder Tom Tobia. Participants used the
knowledge they gained from these interactions to design a governance model
for In House Records, a social enterprise, in a session run by In House found-
er Judah Armani. Finally, participants prototyped advisory boards for their
own organisations in a series of workshops delivered by Laura Knight, Course
Leader, Graduate Diploma in Graphic Design at Chelsea College of Arts.
This toolkit is an attempt to record the key lessons from that residency
and share them beyond the 10 participants who were able to join us in Lon-
don. Our aim is to benefit other creative and cultural leaders, increasing the
resilience of their organisations and improving the experience of their audi-
ences across Mexico and beyond.

03
02
INTRODUCTION

G
overnance refers to ‘the systems and processes concerned with
ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and ac-
countability’ of an organisation (Carty et al. 2017, p. 6). In essence,
it concerns to the way in which decisions are made, implemented
and reviewed within an organisation (Skene et al. 2017).
Fundamental to governance is the trustee. Trustees work collectively as
boards to take overall legal responsibility for an organisation. They ensure that
an organisation is fulfilling its purpose and complying with its governing docu-
ments and that its resources are being responsibly managed.

‘Arts board members are volunteers who assist arts institutions

in myriad ways, not the least of which include fundraising,
ticket sales, policy-making, strategic planning, financial
monitoring, and the hiring and firing of the artistic director
and/or managing director. What don’t they do? Hopefully, they
don’t meddle in the artistic product or micro-manage the
daily details of the arts operation.’ (Volz, 2017, p. 95)

There is an important distinction between an organisation’s executive di-

rectors, usually led by a Chief Executive Officer or CEO, and its trustees: while
executive directors take responsibility for day-to-day operations, trustees, as
non-executive directors, are responsible for strategic overview and holding the
executive board to account. In fact, hiring and potentially firing the CEO is a key
responsibility for trustees. Trustees are themselves accountable to stakeholders.
In the United Kingdom, trustees are expected to adhere to the ‘Nolan
principles’ (Committee on Standards in Public Life, 1995):

· Selflessness
· Integrity
· Objectivity
· Accountability
· Openness
· Honesty
· Leadership

04
 02 INTRODUCTION
Which stakeholders should
I prioritise?

Fill out the next worksheet to figure it out:

Keep Manage closely:

informed top priority
INTEREST

Maintain contact: Keep

lowest priority satisfied

INFLUENCE

05
 02 INTRODUCTION
Why do organisations need
governance?

Depending on your circumstances, a board of trustees may well be a legal

requirement for your organisation. Yet governance is much more than a legal
obligation.

‘While governance done badly is just another form of

corporate compliance, governance done well can remake
the arts organisation so that it is innovative, distinctive
and different – essential elements in a competitive, global
marketplace.’ (Rentschler, 2015, p. 13)
While they should steer clear of micromanagement, boards have a ‘duty
of leadership’ as well as a ‘duty of care’, and their role should be one of active
leadership as well as a monitoring. In fact, monitoring (Charan et al. 2014, p. 3)
(oversight) is one of only three governance modes. Trustees should also be
setting an organisation’s strategic priorities (insight) and helping to future-proof
it through an awareness of trends and through making decisions about what to
pay attention to (foresight) (Rentschler, 2015, p. 23).

· Oversight: monitoring an organisation’s use of

resources and legal compliance
· Insight: ‘steering’ an organisation by setting strategic
priorities
· Foresight: scanning the horizon for relevant trends
and future scenarios.

There is much more to being a trustee, then, than making sure an organi-
sation is balancing the books. Trustees are often heavily involved in advocacy
and reputation management, for instance. Neither fully inside nor fully outside
an organisation, they are also in a position to offer the strategic leadership
necessarily to survive and thrive in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex
and ambiguous, and in which many cultural institutions are facing significant
reductions in public funding. While executive directors are likely to be primari-
ly concerned with the present and immediate next steps, trustees have broad-
er horizons, both protecting the organisation’s historic mission and taking a
longer-term view of the future. Ultimately, trustees should be ‘critical friends’
to the executive team, thereby increasing organisational resilience.

06
 02 INTRODUCTION
Why do people become involved in governance?

To become a trustee is to commit a significant amount of time, and to risk

your reputation, typically for no financial reward. Why, then, does anyone do
it? In fact, it is a hugely rewarding role, and some organisations receive large
numbers of applications for every trustee vacancy.

Motivations tend to be both intrinsic (passion for an art form

or organisation, a sense of citizenship) and extrinsic (a ‘big
picture’ perspective on a different organisation, and the
networks you develop while doing so, can significantly help
your career).

However, the fact that trustees give up time for free does make it par-
ticularly important for organisations to be clear about expectations, including
the expected time commitment, from the start. As a general rule, the smaller
the organisation, the more trustees will be expected to contribute: the small
size of many cultural and creative organisations means that their board mem-
bers are likely to play a particularly active role. Yet all trustees are likely to
have to read reports, respond to the occasional emergency phone call, and
attend away days, openings, and concerts or private views. If you become a
trustee, you should be aware that you are signing up for more than four meet-
ings a year. If you are able to commit the time, however, the rewards are huge.

How is this relevant to Mexico?

Mexico’s creative sector is one of the most significant in the country, and Mexico
is the only Latin American country among the world’s top 20 exporters of cre-
ative goods (UNCTAD, 2018). Yet the creative and cultural sector contributes a
relatively low share of GDP. Particularly given the high proportion of young peo-
ple in the country, there is clear potential to unlock greater economic, cultural
and social value. This issue is particularly important because the emergence of
rival low-cost production markets and the rise of automation represent a major
challenge for Mexico, which is in many respects still geared towards a manu-
facturing economy. A stronger creative and cultural sector is vital in positioning
Mexico for the emerging knowledge economy. The fact that many organisations
within Mexico’s cultural and creative sector do not currently have boards of
trustees has left creative and cultural leaders somewhat isolated.

07
 02 INTRODUCTION
A strong board is one of the most important means
of relieving pressure on leaders, thereby unlocking the full
economic and social potential of Mexican creativity.
There is a need, then, for the principles of good governance to be more
widely understood beyond the corporate sector; for models of effective gov-
ernance in creative and cultural organisations to be more widely shared; and
for dedicated training sessions to assist leaders of cultural and creative organ-
isations in designing their own governance models.

08
03
SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE

M
ost arts organisations in the United Kingdom are companies limit-
ed by guarantee with a registered charity status. Other options in
the UK include community interest companies, associations, trusts
and co-operatives. Other countries may have different structures.
In working out the right structure for you, there are a number of factors to
consider, including simplicity and formality, cost, speed, privacy and organisa-
tion’s intentions with regard to any profits (Skene et al. 2017). Once you have
identified the most appropriate legal status, you can work out the appropriate
governance structure. You will need to consider board membership and asso-
ciated roles and responsibilities. The best place to start, however, is often with
an advisory board.

step one:

Environment Scanning

Your governance needs will depend on a number of internal factors, including

your organisation’s size, sector and mission, as well as external factors. It can
be useful at this point to conduct a SWOT analysis of your strengths, weak-
nesses, opportunities and threats. This requires you to be self-critical rather
than defensive: you could even bring in an outsider to help you. Internally, it
is normal for an organisation to have weaknesses (things you could improve)
as well as strengths (things you do better than anyone else). Externally, too,
every organisation will face challenges (for instance with finances or from
competitors) as well as opportunities (for instance through technological or
political change).
To help gain a better understanding of the opportunities and threats
identified in a SWOT exercise, it might also be useful to try a PESTLE analysis.
This requires you to consider the potential impact of political economic, so-
cial, technological, legal and environmental changes at a range of scales. Like
SWOT, this exercise is useful when planning a governance model for the first
time, but it should also be repeated at regular intervals even for organisations
with more mature cultures of governance. Your governance needs are never
static. Even what seemed a perfect board ten years ago is unlikely to be fit for
purpose today.
09
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
What external factors might affect
my organisation?

Fill out the next worksheet to figure it out:

International National Regional Local

Political
Economic
Social
Technological
Legal
Environmental

10
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
step two:

Skills and knowledge audit

Now you have a sense of forthcoming trends, you can consider your own
organisational needs, and the roles and responsibilities that will meet those
needs. Remember, trustees of arts organisations do not necessarily need an
arts background, although they do need a passion for the relevant art form(s)
and a clear commitment to the organisation. Collectively, a board of trustees
needs expertise in a range of specialist areas, such as legal and financial, as
well as of the cultural sector(s) in which the organisation operates. A given
board might feature lawyers, real estate professionals, government officials,
lobbyists, educators, marketing experts, fundraising executives, bank trust of-
ficers, organisational planners, human resource specialists and business CEOs,
all bringing different kinds of specialist expertise (Volz, 2017, p. 96-7).Yet the
ideal trustee will bring breadth as well as depth. And while a trustee may act
as champion for a given area, all board members ultimately share collective
responsibility.
The one role every boards needs is Chair. The Chair of the board is ‘first
among equals’ and bears a particular weight of responsibility. The role typical-
ly includes:

· ensuring a board has the requisite skills and experience

· managing board member performance

· making sure trustees understand their roles and responsibilities

· ensuring meetings are run effectively and to time

· ensuring the board regularly reviews its performance

· leading on advocacy

· engaging in succession planning

· conducting an annual appraisal process for each trustee.

(Someone else, of course, has to be responsible for the Chair’s
own appraisal process.)

11
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
What are the most important gaps in knowledge
on my board?

Fill out the following worksheet to outline them:

Current level of
Area board knowledge Actions you
of 0 = NO KNOWLEDGE
can take to address
knowledge 1 = PARTIAL KNOWLEDGE
2 = ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE
any gaps
3 = EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE

e.g. governance

e.g. strategic planning

e.g. general cultural and creative

sectors

e.g. specific art form(s)

e.g. fundraising (public sector and

commercial)

e.g. financial management

e.g. communication and advocacy

e.g. impact measurement and

evaluation

e.g. legal

e.g. human resources

e.g. emerging technologies

e.g. research

e.g. education and training

e.g. policy

e.g. knowledge of local community

e.g. regeneration

e.g. equality, diversity and inclusion

12
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
step three:

Board membership

Having identified your organisation’s most important needs, you can plan the
appropriate board. Historically, a board position was the reward for making or
securing a significant financial contribution. It is increasingly clear, however,
that being wealthy or connected to wealthy people is less important than the
ability to think strategically, to manage risk, to demonstrate emotional intel-
ligence and interpersonal awareness, and to communicate effectively with
stakeholders.
If you already have a formal board, you still need to consider whether
you have the right people for the next phase of your organisation’s develop-
ment. It is important to balance experience with regular injection of new ideas
to ensure your board does not go stale (see ‘rotation’ below). If, on the other
hand, you do not yet have a formal governance structure, be aware that most
organisations do not go straight to an official board. Instead, the first step is
often an advisory group. You might begin with a group of five people you trust
and who are passionate about your organisation. To an extent, the level of for-
mality is up to you. Over time, this is likely to formalise into a more professional
board. Be aware that this will involve some transfer of power from the CEO to
the trustees.
The specific number of people you should have on your board will de-
pend on the size of the organisation, but most organisations have between
six and 18. Larger organisations, in particular, often have subcommittees for
specific subjects such as finance and human resources, and separate boards
for commercial subsidiaries. Any subcommittees, like the main board, need
clear terms of reference.

Which structure is best for my organisation?

Sketch out an organogram for your organisation. Below, for instance, is the
committee structure used by Tate (Tate, 2018), a collection of four world-lead-
ing art galleries in the United Kingdom. However, the right structure for Tate
will not be the right structure for your organisation: there is no set formula.
New organisations might wish to begin with an advisory board made up of just
a handful of trusted people. More established organisations will require more
formal structures and possibly a number of subcommittees.

13
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
Tate Committee Structure
(Reviewed November 2018)

Advisory to Site Directors Board of Trustees

Tate Britain Tate St Ives Tate Liverpool Tate Modern Reporting

Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory to Board
Council Council Council Council

Finance and Nominations

Tate Members Audit Operation Remuneration & Governance Collection
Counsil Committee Committee Committee Committee Committee

FOI Appeals Investment

Committee Committee

Also Reports to
Tate Foundation

step four:

Recruitment

Recruiting the right trustees is critical: although you should have a mecha-
nism for getting rid of trustees, this is an extreme option that should only be
used in emergency situations where a trustee’s position has become sudden-
ly untenable.
First, you need to advertise the vacancy as widely as possible and in
language that is as accessible as you can make it. Make sure you provide key
information at this stage, for instance about:
14
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
· your organisation

· the role of a trustee

· the role and person specification

· current board members

· the application process (how to apply, deadline)

· who to contact for more information (Lloyds Bank Foundation, 2018).

Now you need to select from the applications you have received. Typi-
cally, you will shortlist against agreed criteria, from CVs and cover letters. Then
you will interview those on the shortlist, again against agreed criteria. Apart
from making sure people have the appropriate knowledge, skills and experi-
ence, you need to make sure that there are no conflicts of interest.
It is also crucial to make sure that potential trustees have sufficient time
to carry out responsibilities. Be clear about the time expectations and any
other commitments. Especially in some countries, for instance, there has been
in the past an expectation that trustees either make a significant financial
contribution to an organisation or bring in money from third parties (a culture
sometimes known as ‘give, get or get off’). This is problematic: the board that
requires every member to donate $5,000 is not likely to be diverse. On the
other hand, some believe that all trustees should make some financial con-
tribution, even if the amount varies according to their means. For potential
donors to be told that all trustees have already donated sends a powerful
message, and also ensures that no trustee is asking for anything they have not
been prepared to do themselves. Whatever your policy, the important point
is that you need to explain it to applicants at application stage. Then take up
references, confirm that the person is eligible to be a trustee, and, ultimately,
confirm the appointment in writing.

15
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
How can I ensure best practice
in recruiting trustees?

Fill out the next worksheet to figure it out:

Question Yes / No Actions required

Does your organisation have a formal

recruitment procedure?

Do you look beyond like-for-like

replacements when trustees leave?

Do you advertise all vacancies in a range

of locations, using accessible language?

Do you effectively communicate

organisational values to potential
applicants?

Do you make your expectations clear?

Are your selection panels diverse?

step five:

Induction

All new trustees should go through an induction process, including receiving in-
formation about their responsibilities, including a written role description, as well
as about the organisation more broadly (for instance through sharing business
plan, annual report, accounts, board minutes, reports and policy documents).
New trustees should also be given a chance to get to know the organisation, for
instance through site visits and meetings with staff and fellow trustees. An infor-
mal chat is not sufficient.

16
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
What information should be in my
induction pack?

In this worksheet you can find some examples that could be included, but you
can fill it out with other ones:

Legal status and

Organisation Governance Management
regulatory guidance

e.g.: e.g.: e.g.: e.g.:

· your vision, mission · copy of governing · role descriptions · contact details for
and values; document and for trustees, chair, chief executive;
associated treasurer and CEO;
· most recent annual documents; · diagram of
report and accounts; · code of conduct for management
strategic and · copy of The Essential trustees and other structure;
business plans; Trustee: What you relevant policies;
Need to Know; · role description for
· key policies; · details of trustee CEO and other senior
· copy of Charity indemnity insurance; staff (Lloyds Bank
· report of annual risk Governance Code Foundation, 2018)
audit · diagram of
governance
structure;

· terms of reference
for board
committees;

17
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
step six:

Retention

Bringing in new trustees does not end with recruitment. It is also vital to keep
those trustees engaged. This is particularly important if you have succeeded
in increasing the diversity of your trustees, for instance by recruiting younger
people, for whom the boardroom may not feel a natural environment. It is es-
sential that everyone feels welcome and able to ask questions. It is also vital
to make sure that trustees are involved in insight and foresight as well as, for
instance, the oversight of accounts. An annual away day can provide a par-
ticularly valuable opportunity to get away from business as usual.
Chairs have a particularly important role in making new trustees feel
they have permission to speak. They should be regularly scanning the room to
see who wants to speak, and regularly ‘checking in’ with trustees who haven’t
spoken for a while.

How can I improve trustee retention?

In this worksheet you can find some examples that could be included, but you
can fill it out with other ones:

Question Yes / No Actions required

Have you considered the time, location and

frequency of board meetings?

Do you have an appropriate expenses

policy?

Are you presenting information in an

accessible, jargon-free way?

What training and support are you

providing for new trustees?

Is the Chair regularly asking for feedback on

how to make meetings more accessible?

18
 03 SEVEN STEPS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE
step seven:

Rotation

Just as it is important to retain trustees, it is also vital to regularly refresh your

board with new perspectives, particularly as the governance needs of any
organisation will change over time.
It is typical for trustees to serve up to two terms of three or four years
per term. These terms should be staggered to ensure an appropriate rate of
turnover.

How can I ensure appropriate rotation?

Fill in this worksheet to figure it out:

Question Yes / No Actions required

Are you balancing organisational

knowledge with new perspectives?

Have you defined term limits for trustees?

Are you planning for succession?

Have you considered other ways to retain

expertise for longstanding trustees, such
as patron roles?

19
04
GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE

Big picture vs small picture

It is crucial that trustees do not delve into too much detail: the role is one of
strategic leadership rather than operations. Board members need to under-
stand ‘when to take charge, when to partner, and when to stay out of the way’
(Charan et al. 2014). It is especially important that the division of duties is un-
derstood by the CEO and the Chair, since their relationship will be particularly
close. It is crucial that the CEO negotiates and maintains space; even if Chairs
are particularly involved at given moments, for instance at times of crisis, they
need to step back once that period comes to an end rather than attempting
to do the CEO’s job. Mutual trust and regular communication are key.

What should my board lead on? Where should it work

with executive directors? And what should it avoid?

In this worksheet you can find some examples to outline the division of duties
that could be included, but you can fill it out with other ones:

Take charge Partner Avoid

e.g.: e.g.: e.g.:

· Central idea · Strategy and capital · Execution

· Selection of CEO allocation · Operations
· Board competence, · Financial goals, shareholder · Areas of delegated authority
architecture, and modus value, stakeholder balance · Nonstrategic decisions
operandi · Risk appetite · Anything excluded by board
· Ethics and integrity · Resource allocation charter (Charan et al. 2014,
· Compensation architecture p.24).

20
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
Diversity

Diversity of trustees is absolutely fundamental for your organisation, both

for reasons of social justice and because it helps avoid ‘group think’: dif-
ferent and at times conflicting trustee views can be much more useful than
nodding heads.

It is crucial for boards to move beyond closed and

exclusive ‘old boy’ networks to become fully representative of
their intended audiences – not only in terms of gender
and ethnicity but across a whole range of metrics from
age and professional experience.

However, going beyond a known pool of ‘insiders’ takes sincere and sustained
effort. And, while your board should be representative of your intended au-
diences, it is vital to avoid the merely tokenistic. This requires work to proac-
tively support the recruitment, induction and development of diverse board
members, and clear policies concerning board member rotation.
In the United Kingdom, for instance, it is acknowledged that ‘trustees do
not reflect the communities that charities serve. They are disproportionately
older, highly educated and white; men outnumber women by two to one and
three-quarters earn above the national median household income. And most
trustees are recruited informally from within trustees’ existing networks,
even in larger charities, meaning that this lack of diversity is perpetuated
over time (Charity Commission, 2017).’ This is a major problem. ‘Uniformity at
board level puts any organisation in any sector at risk of adverse group dy-
namics, including group-think, an unwillingness to challenge colleagues, and
complacency of vision (Charity Commission, 2017).’ The over-representation
of older people on boards is a particular concern, in that young people are
not developing the leadership skills and experience required to lead organ-
isations in the future.

21
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
How can I ensure a range of perspectives on my board?

Fill out the following worksheet to outline it:

Question Yes / No Actions required

Are you organising board meetings at convenient

times? Varying times and days of the week?

Do you set out expected time commitments when

advertising and at interview?

Do you offer induction and mentoring to new trustees?

Do you have a youth advisory panel?

Have you considered offering financial training to all

trustees?

Do you begin each section of the agenda with a verbal

summary to make sure that all trustees are able to take
part in subsequent discussions?

Do all board members understand their responsibility

to ensure that all trustees can contribute equally, and
to challenge any situations in which one trustee is
treated as less important than others?

Do you ensure that new trustees have the opportunity

to be involved in all board issues, including recruiting
other trustees / a new CEO?

Do you present information to all trustees in a way

that allows them to understand issues without expert
knowledge?

Do your papers include relevant information (and only

relevant information)?

Do you set an example by welcoming questions?

(Charities Aid Foundation, 2015)

22
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
Running efficient meetings

Given that a board of trustees might meet only four times a year, it is vital that
board meetings are as efficient as possible. For instance, it is important to use
board meetings for trustees to respond to reports from the executive directors,
rather than to receive those reports.

Papers should be circulated at least a week in advance,

and you should run the meeting on the assumption that board
members have read them. There should be no need to
repeat anything other than key headlines.

Effective meetings also require a clear agenda. Seek input from trustees
in advance. Then put the most important items at the top, and distinguish be-
tween items that are up for discussion and making decisions and which are
for information only. Also make clear who is responsible for leading each item.
It is also useful to include timings on the agenda to make sure that meetings
do not overrun.
The agenda should include artistic as well as financial reports. While the
board should not be doing the artistic director’s job, they should be asking
questions about the programme at a strategic level, for instance to ensure that
scheduled performances or exhibitions fit with an organisation’s artistic policy
and with reference to budgeting.
You also need to take minutes, recording the key points that have been
agreed and what is to be done. There is no need to record everything that
was discussed. Focus on key information. It is crucial to include the person
responsible for each action, and a date by which it is to be completed. The
minutes should be distributed within a week of the meeting, after the Chair
has checked them for accuracy, and checking the minutes from the previous
meeting should be the first point on every agenda.

23
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
What should be on the agenda for my
next board meeting?

Fill out the following worksheet to outline it:

Item Timing Leader Information, discussion or decision?

Title
Location / time
/ date
Welcome
Attendance /
apologies
modify agenda
Review and if
necessary
Confirm minutes
of last meeting

24
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
Main item: e.g.
artistic report
Main item: e.g.
budget
e.g. progress
Main item:

update
Any other
business
Date of next
meeting

Meeting schedule

This varies from board to board. Four times a year is fairly typical, although some
boards meet every two months. Meet as often as you need to be effective.
Many boards also have an annual away day since, even with the best intentions,
board meetings can end up dedicated to discussing specific reports rather than
‘blue sky thinking’. You need to discuss the strategic questions (insight), and
to imagine possible futures (foresight), as well as to monitor business as usual
(oversight).

25
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
What will be on the next away day agenda
for my board?

In this worksheet you can find some activity examples, but you can fill it out
with other ones:

Time Activity Person responsible

e.g. Introductions, meeting arrangements, agenda

e.g. 9am
review

e.g. e.g. State of organisation, report on external forces

9.15am affecting organisation

e.g. e.g. SWOT analysis of strengths, weaknesses,

9.30am opportunities and threats

e.g.
e.g. Break
10.15am

e.g. Re-affirm / create / revision mission statement:

e.g.
purpose statement; values, beliefs
10.30am
and assumptions; what services you offer

e.g. e.g. Vision the possible: preferred external and

11.15am internal vision

e.g.
e.g. Strategy and programme portfolio
11.45am

e.g.
e.g. Lunch
12.30am

26
 04 GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
e.g. e.g. Complete discussion of strategy and programme
1.15pm portfolio

e.g.
e.g. Business model
1.45pm

e.g.
e.g. Break
2.30pm

e.g.
e.g. Organisational capacity
2.45pm

e.g. Identification of issues that need further

e.g. discussion by board or staff and any additional
3.30pm information needed to clarify priorities (e.g. client
survey)

e.g. Review of next steps, responsible individual,

e.g. 4pm
timeframe

e.g.
e.g. End (Allison and Kaye 2015: 232-3).
4.30pm

27
05
GLOSSARY

Accountability Taking responsibility for one’s actions

Advocacy Working to build public support

Board People responsible for an organisation

Chair Person responsible for leading a meeting or group of trustees in non-

executive capacity, providing overall leadership to an organisation

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Person responsible for leading an

organisation in an executive capacity

Delegated authority Granting certain powers and responsibilities to a

person or sub-committee

Governing document Written set of rules governing an organisation

Organogram Diagram showing the structure of an organisation

Stakeholders People or organisations with a legitimate interest in the

success of an organisation

Trustee Person appointed to oversee an organisation, usually as a member

of a group

28
06
SOURCES

ACEVO. 2013. Realising The Potential Of Governance: The Report of the ACE-
VO Governance Commission. https://www.acevo.org.uk/reports/realis-
ing-the-potential-of-governance/

Allison, M and J Kaye. 2015. Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organisations. Ho-
boken, New Jersey: Wiley

Carty, H, D Bryan, A Murch. Achieving Good Governance: A Challenge of Our

Time. Full Report. Clore: 2017. https://www.cloreleadership.org/sites/clo-
releadership.org/files/achieving_good_governance-full_report.pdf

Charan, R, D Carey and M Useem. Boards That Lead: When to take Charge, When
to Partner, and When to Stay out of the Way. Boston, Massachusetts: Har-
vard Business Review Press

Charities Aid Foundation. 2017. Young Trustee Guide: Developing the Next Gen-
eration of Charity Leaders. https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/
files/download-file/YoungTrusteesReport_1682A_WEB_080915.pdf

Charity Commission for England and Wales. 2018. The Essential Trustee: What
you Need to Know, what you Need to Do. https://assets.publishing.ser-
vice.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/
file/842041/CC3_may18.pdf

Charity Commission for England and Wales. 2017. Charity Commission Response
to the Taken on Trust Research of Charity Trustees. https://assets.publish-
ing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/658758/20171113_Charity_Commission_response_to_Taken_
on_Trust_research.pdf

Charity Governance Code Steering Group. 2017. Charity Governance Code For
Smaller Charities. https://www.charitygovernancecode.org/en/pdf

Committee on Standards in Public Life. 1995. The Seven Principles of Public Life.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-
life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2

De Bono, E. 1985. Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Manage-

ment. London: Little Brown and Company.

29
 06 SOURCES
Foster, K. 2018. Arts Leadership: Creating Sustainable Arts Organisations. Lon-
don: Routledge

Good Governance Institute. 2017. A Proposition Paper Critically Examining Gov-

ernance Development in the Arts. https://www.good-governance.org.uk/
services/governance-development-in-the-arts/

Lloyds Bank Foundation. 2018. Trustee Recruitment, Selection and Induction.

https://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/media/wwmatdti/trustee-re-
cruitment-selection-and-induction.pdf

Rentschler, R. 2015. Arts Governance: People, Passion, Performance. London:

Routledge

Skene, P, K Arrowsmith and T Wilcox. 2017. Cultural Governance Alliance. https://

culturalgovernancealliance.org/practical-guide

Tate. 2018. Non-executive Structure Diagram. https://www.tate.org.uk/about-us/

board-trustees

Volz, J. 2017. Introduction to Arts Management. London: Bloomsbury

UNCTAD. 2018. Creative Economy Outlook: Trends in International Trade in Crea-

tive Industries. https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ditcted2018d3_
en.pdf

30
07
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/blog/art-leadership-episode-1-about-
board Arts Council England podcast about boards of trustees, hosted
by Kirsty Lang and featuring Clare Connor, Moira Sinclair and Gurvinder
Sandher

https://www.cloreleadership.org Valuable resource for cultural leaders

both current and aspiring

https://culturalgovernancealliance.org A rich resource dedicated to pro-

moting good practice in cultural governance. Set up by organisations from
the cultural sector in collaboration with Clore Leadership
08
CREDITS

British Council ® An international organisation author

from the United Kingdom for the promotion of Marcus O’Dair
educational opportunities and cultural relations.
British Council is a non-profit organisation. deputy editor
Alejandra Montemayor Loyo
2020, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL ® Univer-
sity of the Arts London has a world-class rep- design

utation for art, design, fashion, communication Priscila Vanneuville Izaguirre

and performing arts. It is ranked second in the
additional design
world for Art and Design in the 2019 QS World
Ester Mejibovski
University Rankings.

British Council Mexico Arts Team |

Creative Economy and Social Enterprises

Kevin Mackenzie
d i r ec to r b r i t i s h c o u n c i l m e x i c o

María García Holley

head of arts

Alejandra Montemayor Loyo

p roj ec t m a n ag e r

Nancy F. Sánchez García

p r o j e c t c o o r d i n at o r

Toolkit licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence (CC)

Share, build and distribute knowledge

A Practical Toolkit for Cultural Governance is part of the British Council’s Creative Collective project
in México.
32
#CreativeCollectiveMX