Business First May-June 2017 Business First May 2017 | Page 62

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Is it time for you to get on board?
A
rts & Business NI bring together the
worlds of culture and commerce for
mutual benefit. We are currently
recruiting for the Professional Development
Programme which has two initiatives: Board
Bank and Young Professionals on Arts
Boards. The programme places business
executives and young professionals (21­30
years) from the world of commerce onto the
boards of cultural organisations.
This has many benefits for both the
business person and the arts organisation.
The arts organisations gain specialist skills
from the board member and the business
professional gains an opportunity to develop
their skills in a new and very different
environment.
Jacinta Parkhill, Director, Morrow
Communications shares her experiences of
participating on A&B NI’s Professional
Development Programme and how it has
helped shape and support in her career
progression.
What board(s) do you currently sit
on?
I am a director and trustee of Audiences NI,
a charity that helps arts, culture and heritage
organisations to develop their audiences. I
joined the Audiences NI board through the
Arts & Business NI Board Bank programme in
2015.
I am also a board director at Morrow
Communications where I work as part of a
team of integrated communications
specialists delivering marketing, PR, design,
digital, advertising, video production and
events to a wide range of clients across the
UK and Ireland.
What motivated you to join a board?
I joined the board of Audiences NI two
years ago. I was interested in joining a board
to further my professional development and a
friend recommended that I get in touch with
Arts & Business NI to find out about its Board
Bank programme.
I’ve always had an interest in the arts and
come from a musical family – a talent that
sadly passed me by – so I felt the Board Bank
programme was the perfect fit as I could
further develop my leadership skills while
contributing to the arts sector.
How do you think this experience
has helped you professionally?
The Arts & Business NI Board Bank
programme gave me the opportunity to gain
valuable experience as a director on a
professional and skilled board. Joining the
board of Audiences NI allowed me to further
develop leadership skills, hone my knowledge
60 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk
and experience of good governance and work
with an inspiring group of leaders from
across different sectors.
I was able to bring this experience to my
role as a board director at Morrow
Communications, where I head up the
business’s creative services team and advise
clients on brand and corporate
communications strategy.
What have you personally got from
the experience?
Audiences NI is a forward­thinking,
ambitious organisation with a great team
who are passionate about the arts. It’s a
privilege to work with Audiences NI and I get
a great sense of satisfaction from being able
to contribute to an organisation that is
focused on increasing access to the arts as a
means of enhancing lives, communities and
society.
How did the A&B NI board matching
programmes help you?
The Board Bank programme is a great way
for young professionals and those seeking
learning and
development
opportunities to gain
leadership
experience at board
level, while
contributing to the
arts sector. The
experience I have
gained as a board
member of
Audiences NI has
been invaluable and I
would highly recommend the Arts & Business
NI board matching programmes.
Arts & Business NI is also seeking to recruit
new Directors to our Board as a number of
current Directors are coming to the end of
their term. Suitable candidates will have
experience and skills in one or more of the
following areas: cultural leadership, finance
and legal.
We would also be interested in experienced
entrepreneurial individuals with a wide
private sector business network and young
professionals. These positions are placed on a
rolling basis and interested parties will be
held on file for consideration.
Registration now open for A&B NI’s
Professional Development Programme for
both Board Bank and Young Professionals on
Arts Boards.
To find out how to get involved in joining a
board of a local cultural organisation or join
the board of Arts & Business NI please
contact Arts & Business NI, T: 028 9073 5150
or visit www.ArtsandBusinessNI.org.uk to
find out more.