Web Deputy of the British Shakespeare Association

23rd May 2023

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Board of Trustees of the British Shakespeare Association wishes to appoint a new Web Deputy to further the Association’s aims to educate, promote, and foster a better understanding of Shakespeare and his work. The Web Deputy is an important position within the BSA, working closely with the Web and Communications Officer, as well as the Board of Trustees as a whole, to support the Association’s work. The Web Deputy will be a co-opted member of the Board of Trustees in the first instance, but will be required to be formally elected a Trustee of the BSA.

The position is open to any member of the BSA who possesses the necessary technical skills (see below for the specifics). Trustees work voluntarily (with reasonable expenses reimbursed when necessary) to further the aims of the BSA across its four main constituencies of members: academic researchers, teachers, theatre practitioners, creatives, and members of the public.

The British Shakespeare Association is a registered Charity and its Trustees are also Directors, and take joint responsibility to help the Board promote the Association’s objectives which are: to educate, promote, and foster a better understanding of Shakespeare and his works in a manner consistent with an educational charity limited by guarantee; and benefiting those individuals, members, charities, or institutions with an educational purpose toward the study of Shakespeare in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The British Shakespeare Association has a diverse and widespread international membership, and we warmly welcome applications from any member of the Association from any part of the world, in line with these objectives, and with its policy for diversity, inclusivity and equal opportunities. We particularly welcome applications from disabled applicants, those from BAME backgrounds, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Trustee profile and duties

Trustees are required to attend three meetings of the Board of Trustees per year, which are normally held via Zoom in January, May, and September, and to attend the Association’s Annual General Meeting (normally held in November). The BSA will meet reasonable expenses for UK travel associated with attending any BSA meetings where necessary, and accepts virtual attendance via videoconferencing. In addition, some of our Trustees also sit on sub-Committees of the Board (whose business is usually conducted virtually).

The Web Deputy will:

• Assist the Web and Communications Officer with maintaining the BSA website.
• Assist with commissioning, receiving, copy-editing, and uploading content to the website (training will be provided), particularly the BSA’s blog and news sections.
• Report to the BSA Board alongside the Web and Communications Officer on issues relating to the BSA’s web content and technical running of the website.
• Offer comments and advice from a web and communications perspective on other items and events discussed on the agenda at Board meetings.
• Occasionally assist with the organisation of virtual conferences and events, and act as a member of the BSA’s Conference Team, which works closely with institutional hosts of BSA Conferences.

The BSA is a charitable company limited by guarantee and all Trustees share a responsibility as Directors to ensure that the BSA is managed well.

• For more information on the roles and responsibilities of a Trustee, please read the documents published by the Charity Commission here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3
• To make sure you are eligible to become a Trustee, please check the criteria on the Charity Commission website: https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/take-part/help-run-a-charity

What are the benefits of joining the BSA Board?

You will gain:

• opportunities for networking, mentoring and collaboration with scholars, practitioners and education professionals in Shakespeare studies
• professional development through contributing to a non-profit charitable organisation
• a wider perspective on Shakespeare and advance knowledge of Shakespeare-related events and research
• the opportunity to steer the organisation to better meet the needs of practitioners in theatre, radio, TV, film, education, and academia, and to engage members of the public with the work of Shakespeare.

Application process:

If you wish apply for this post, please submit a CV and a 300-word (max.) statement that outlines your interest in the role and any relevant experience. Please submit this by email to José A. Pérez Díez and Maria Shmygol, Joint Deputy Chairs of the BSA, at the BSA’s email address by Monday 26^th June 2023.

The Web Deputy plays an important role on the BSA Board; appointment to this role therefore requires a short interview by a small panel of current BSA Board members. The interview will be conducted online via Zoom or Teams. The new Trustee will be expected to take up their role from July 2023, following the BSA Conference in Liverpool.

Please contact the current holder of the post, Kat Hipkiss, should you require any further information about this role.