Recruiting a new Reading Cultural Education Partnership (RCEP) Steering Group
Reading Cultural Education Partnership (RCEP) is recruiting for a new Steering Group who will oversee, develop and drive forward our activity.
The Reading Cultural Education Partnership (RCEP) exists to develop a collaborative, sustainable infrastructure that enables opportunities for every child and young person in Reading to aspire, achieve, influence and participate in quality arts and culture whilst nurturing creative and cultural education for all children and young people in the town. We aim to act as a collaborative space for organisations in the arts and cultural education areas, uniting the education, youth, physical activity and cultural sectors.
We are a growing consortium of 51 diverse organisations.
Our strategic priorities and outcomes 2022-24 (link to full strategy here)
- Champion the youth voice and empower more children and young people to be able to engage with and shape culture in Reading
- Develop cultural communities by ensuring there are clear pathways for children and young people’s development in cultural activities and careers
- Contribute to the wider cultural sector by developing the representation of the CEP and clarifying its functions
How we work
Following consultation and research, the RCEP agreed to a new structure of Chair, Vice Chair and a Steering Group of eight members to drive forward our plans for the next year. Alongside this structure, Task and Finish Groups will be set up as and when funding is received to support activity.
Reading Borough Council support the RCEP in kind with time allocated from the Cultural Placemaking Officer role. For this partnership to be sustainable, it is dependent on the wider arts and education sector being willing and able to also provide support to the RCEP.
Apply to join the Steering Group
The RCEP is seeking to appoint eight members of the Steering Group. Members will be appointed for a two-year term. Members will commit to offering in kind support, which we estimate will be between half a day to one day a month, to:
• Lead a strategic priority area or fundraising on behalf of the RCEP with one other Steering Group member, including driving forward plans or advocacy work.
• Attend Steering Group meetings approximately every six to eight weeks and Members meetings four times a year. Meetings will take place online. They may also occasionally take place in person.
• Represent the RCEP at wider cultural and education sector meetings, as part of delegations, at roundtables or other events; review documents and communications; or to help make connections or introductions for the RCEP.
There are existing ‘Holding’ Steering Group terms of reference appended. We anticipate the
first task of the new Steering Group will be to update these.
How to apply
The RCEP will prioritise individuals with the skills, expertise and capacity to contribute to the RCEP’s strategic priorities and outcomes, and lived experience of communities who are under-represented in leadership positions in education, arts and culture. We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnically diverse backgrounds and from those who identify as disabled*.
Please answer the following questions by the 23rd of April to apply:
1. Name
2. Email
3. Job title
4. Organisation
5. How will your expertise, skills, lived experience and background help support delivery of the RCEP strategic priorities and outcomes? (600 words maximum or 6 minutes audio or video)
6. Select the strategic priorities and outcomes area you are interested in leading on from the following:
a. Fundraising for the wider sector
Delivery of priority areas:
b. Health and Wellbeing
c. Pathways and progression
d. Workforce for the future
7. I can commit to the equivalent of one day a month in kind support to the RCEP from April 2024 to April 2026. (Yes/No)
You can apply through video, audio or written statement. To apply please email reading.cep@reading.gov.uk. If you have any access needs please contact us directly we are happy to support.
Please email by 23 April 2024.
*The term “disabled” covers people who self-define as D/deaf, as neurodiverse, as disabled or as learning disabled.
Short conversations about your application with the RCEP Chair, Vice Chair and Coordinator will take place the week of 15th April.
1. Name
2. Email
3. Job title
4. Organisation
5. How will your expertise, skills, lived experience and background help support delivery of the RCEP strategic priorities and outcomes? (600 words maximum or 6 minutes audio or video)
6. Select the strategic priorities and outcomes area you are interested in leading on from the following:
a. Fundraising for the wider sector
Delivery of priority areas:
b. Health and Wellbeing
c. Pathways and progression
d. Workforce for the future
7. I can commit to the equivalent of one day a month in kind support to the RCEP from April 2024 to April 2026. (Yes/No)
If you’re not sure whether joining the Steering Group is for you, and you’d like an informal conversation with Zsuzsi Lindsay, Cultural Placemaking Officer about the scope and nature of the role before you submit, we would be happy to offer you a 15-minute chat. Please contact zsuzsi.lindsay@reading.gov.uk with the subject header STEERING GROUP REQUEST FOR CONVERSATION. Please don’t feel you have to do this, it is absolutely not a mandatory part of the process.
Timeline
• Steering Group applications open 11 March 2024
• Steering Group application deadline 23 April 2024
• Conversations with RCEP Chair/Vice Chair and Cultural Placemaking Officer week 15 April
• All applicants informed of outcome by 1 May
• May 2024 first Steering Group meeting.
Access
We aim to provide an inclusive environment and will work with individual participants to make sure we can meet your access needs, such as confirming wheelchair accessible venues, providing support workers or British Sign Language interpreters. This also applies to our online application process. If, for any reason, you need to apply in an alternative format, do get in touch to discuss your needs.
Election of the Vice Chair of the Reading Cultural Education Partnership (CEP) 2024
The Reading Cultural Education Partnership aims to allow every child and young person in Reading to have the opportunity to aspire, achieve and participate in high quality arts and culture, and to develop a collaborative, sustainable infrastructure to maintain such engagement.
The Partnership is made up of representatives from the cultural, health, education and justice sectors all striving to achieve this aim.
The CEP has two levels of participation: those who deliver against the strategy and are signed up to the its action plan, and those who would like to remain involved with a view to potentially delivering against the plan in the future.
The CEP is chaired by Councillor Hacker and supported by Reading Borough Council and was set up with investment and support from Artswork, SE Bridge organisation. We elected our first Vice Chair in 2022. Unfortunately, the 2 year term has come to an end. It is now time to elect a new Vice Chair and thank the outgoing Chair Chris Cuming.
This is an exciting time to join the Reading CEP as it moves into its next stage of development and we look to appoint a Steering Group with the hope that we will be able to further develop the partnership.
We very much hope that you consider taking on that leadership role with the Chair of the CEP.
Role of the Vice Chair
The role of the Vice Chair is first and foremost to support the Chair and the development of the Cultural Education Partnership.
- Support the Chair in agenda setting
- Ensure that the CEP is meeting its targets as laid out in the Action Plan
- Support the Steering Group by ensuring that either the Chair or the Vice-Chair attend all meetings between them
- Provide strategic direction where needed
Election of the Vice-Chair
To stand for the role of Vice Chair the nominee must lead an organisation that is responsible for delivering against the 2020-2024 CEP Action Plan or be able to bring with them strategic insight that might help the CEP achieve its strategic priorities.
They will be nominated by at least 1 member of the CEP partnership who attend the meetings on a regular basis.
The nominee must submit no more than 500-word personal statement outlining their vision for the CEP for the CEP members to consider. The members will then have a defined period to vote. If there is more than one nomination. It is the individual that is being elected not the organisation. If the individual elected as Vice Chair steps down from the organisation that it represents a elections will be reopened unless otherwise decided by the Chair and the Steering Group.
Voting will be done anonymously via a google form each organisation will get one vote so please make sure that coordinate votes if more than one member of your organisation attends the CEP meetings. The form will be managed by the Culture Development Officer.
In the event of a tie, the Chair will have the casting vote.
Length of Service
The Vice Chair will be up for re-election every two years.
Application for the post:
To be considered for the role, all personal statements must be received by the 8th of April along with the names of three nominators.
Voting will open on the 9th of April.
Please send all personal statements and the names of those nominating to zsuzsi.lindsay@reading.gov.uk.
Appendix A
Reading Cultural Education Partnership (RCEP)
Steering Group ‘Holding’ Terms of Reference
• The purpose of the Steering Group is to support RCEP development and creation of the next strategy for 2024-2027.
• The Group will facilitate the successful delivery of any funded project and will provide advice for developing and realising a resilient and sustainable RCEP.
• The Group is made up of representatives of the cultural and education sectors. We will recruit members who represent the health sector, young people, physical activity and education sector.
Terms of service and role
2. In addition to attendance at Steering Group meetings, Steering Group members may be called upon to represent the RCEP at meetings, as part of delegations, at roundtables or other events; to review documents and communications; or to help make connections or introductions for the RCEP.
3. Where possible, Steering Group members should regard their membership as part of their core day-job, and should integrate the work of championing the RCEP and its work into their own work and that of their organisations, identifying any opportunities to contribute to the wider Reading picture, and, where possible, aligning any relevant events, resources or messaging to the needs of the RCEP.
4. Meetings of the Steering Group will take place approximately every six to eight weeks. Members should notify the Chair in advance if they are unable to attend a meeting.
5. Meetings will take place online via Zoom or another suitable platform. They may also occasionally take place in person.
6. Steering Group members are expected to attend at least 60% of Steering Group meetings annually. If a member misses three meetings in a row they will be deemed to have submitted their resignation from the group. In extenuating circumstances the Chair can choose to waive
this requirement.
7. The agenda for each meeting will be sent a week in advance, and members are invited to send requests for agenda items for the chair to consider ahead of this, or include them as AOB.
8. The steering group will share their decisions with the full RCEP membership by circulating agreed minutes to all RCEP members. Any matters deemed to be confidential will be agreed at the end of RCEP Steering Group meetings and will be omitted from the minutes shared with the full membership.
9. If a member of the Steering Group behaves in a manner that is not in keeping with the ethos and values of the RCEP, a quorate of members of the Steering Group can remove their membership of the Steering Group and RCEP. The Steering Group is quorate when more than half the members are present. The RCEP ethos and values are anchored in our aims and objectives as well as the Seven Nolan Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Members will also adhere to the following RCEP Conflict of interest statement.
‘Integrity: Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their organisations, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.’
