JOIN THE METTA THEATRE BOARD!
We are currently looking to expand our Board of Trustees and are searching for dynamic individuals from all walks of life to help us develop our work over the coming years and to support the strategic development of the company. We are strongly committed to diversity in all its forms and are keen to continue diversifying the ethnic make-up of our board to better reflect the work we make and the communities we serve.
Metta Theatre was founded in 2005 by visionary writer/director P Burton-Morgan and Motley trained designer William Reynolds. We are a midscale touring company in regular receipt of project funding from Arts Council England. We are also in the process of developing a new mixed economy business model (expanding more into the commercial theatre sector) – so it’s an exciting time to get involved with the company!
We make new work - predominantly under the umbrella of musical theatre but typically cross art form using hip hop, circus, puppetry and video projection alongside text and music. But that sounds a bit dry and doesn’t really give you the full picture of the vibrant, diverse and exhilarating work we make - so some of the highlights of the last few years include our 2019 musicals ‘In The Willows’ (Kenneth Grahame meets Hamilton, with integrated British Sign Language) and ‘The Rhythmics’ (Full Monty crossed with Cool Runnings with twirly ribbons) and our 2018 circus musical ‘Little Mermaid’ (a feminist, trans positive take on Hans Christian Anderson, plus circus).
Our patrons are Olivier award-winning playwright Laura Wade and multiple Olivier award winner and national treasure Clive Rowe.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?
We are specifically, but not exclusively, hoping to expand our current Board with expertise in the following key areas:
Accountancy and financial management & oversight
Environmental Sustainability and advocacy
We are not expecting to find one candidate with all these skills, and if you have knowledge and experience in some of these areas we’d love to hear from you. You will join our friendly and enthusiastic Board of experts within the fields of theatre, opera, and financial & business management.
The Board meets four times a year, currently over Zoom, and when we go back to in-person then a mix of central London / Somerset. In addition the trustees are asked to offer some specific advice, networking or help in their areas of expertise, outside of these meetings. Currently most meetings take place during weekday evenings (typically 6.30-8.30pm), although this can be reviewed according to trustees’ availability.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
As well as the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a small charity (especially one that punches way above its weight), and insight into our creative processes (trustees are encouraged to attend shows, but we also invite you into the rehearsal room to observe rehearsals and witness how the shows are made) we also hope that board members learn as much from us as we do from them. We are a small organisation and historically most of our board have come to us having never served on a board before. Becoming a Metta trustee has definitely helped our current and previous board develop their confidence and understanding of charity governance and offered a stepping stone to serving on and becoming chairs on the boards of much larger organisations.
Here’s some of what our current board members have said about their time with us:
‘It is so refreshing to be involved in something truly meaningful outside of the day job - but also to be able to use skills from that day job in making a real difference.’
Ed Lane, (Lawyer, Harbottle & Lewis)
'I am honoured to be a member of the board for such an exciting, forward thinking and energetic company. I work for many producers and brilliant theatre companies so it takes something truly special for me to dedicate my time to a company for free. Metta Theatre put the audience and their passion at the centre of their work, they break boundaries, smash stereotypes and work to make both enjoyable and enlightening theatre.'
Emma Martin (Freelance Marketing Consultant)
‘It’s a thrill to spend time with a diverse group of talented people, using our skills and experiences to support P and Will in creating exciting new musical theatre, and being part of an organisation with such a strong sense of purpose and values.’
Matt Ellis, (Consultant, Robey Warshaw)
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in discussing these roles and getting more information on the responsibilities and expectations on you as a trustee, please contact our chair Greg Jauncey on 07736 314507 or gregjauncey@mac.com and please make us aware if you have additional access needs so that we can do our best to accommodate them.
We will recruit to the board on a rolling basis and review applications as they come in so just contact us whenever is the right time for you. To apply please send a CV and a brief covering letter explaining how you think you could support Metta to gregjauncey@mac.com.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
We are committed to equal opportunities and value diversity in all our work. Metta is a small company with a strong commitment to all forms of diversity. We are committed to gender parity and our casts are, on average, 50% ethnically diverse. Our Board of Trustees is 50% female or non-binary and we strive to make sure it is always representative of who we make work both with and for.
TRAINING & PLACEMENTS
We believe that training placements are a vital way of making the industry more accessible. We currently have no training placements available. If you are a placement provider and wish to find out more, please contact admin@mettatheatre.co.uk.
VOLUNTEERING
If you are interested in voluntary work placements or internships, please contact admin@mettatheatre.co.uk with a CV.