ICO Board Members

Salary: Expenses paid for attendance at board meetings

The Independent Cinema Office (ICO) is recruiting for new board members.

The ICO has a number of long-standing Trustees stepping down in 2025 and we are consequently seeking some new Board members.

We are especially interested in hearing from people with skills in finance, HR, fundraising and organisational development as well as from people who reflect more widely the communities we serve in audiences across the UK, whether that be through heritage, lived experience or access to opportunities.

Currently, our staff of 19 and board of 13 are not truly representative of everyone we work with (see our most recent data on ICO staff and board demographics). We are endeavouring to change the way we operate and share the privilege and space we have with other people – and believe we can do this a lot better with your help.

About the ICO

Founded in 2003, the Independent Cinema Office (ICO) is the leading cultural agency in the UK for film exhibition and has pioneered successful models for a sustainable, culturally challenging and inclusive exhibition sector that are shared both nationally and internationally.

At the ICO, we believe that like all great art forms, cinema can transform people’s lives. We try to ensure that everyone in the UK has access to the widest possible range of cinema and the ability to share it with other people. We do this by bringing different kinds of work to audiences via our network of partners – mostly independent cinemas but also film festivals, village halls, community venues and pop-ups.

We run industry leading training schemes from entry level through to CEO level. We work with distributors, filmmakers, producers and national and international agencies. We programme cinemas, release films, create touring programmes, deliver consultancy services, fund filmmakers and support Young Programmers’ groups amongst other activities. For more information about our work, see our About Us section and our annual reports.

About the role

We are looking for people who love cinema as much as we do and who have the energy, commitment and lived experience to help us continue and develop our work. We are also very interested in young Trustees: we know that the future of the industry is in your hands and want to be mindful of the current and future challenges for your generation.

We believe that with your help we can develop a more equitable industry and enable people to connect on screen with stories that resonate with them. We want to create a more open and challenging sector and help build more sustainable businesses to support it.

Trustees provide direction, challenge and support to our leadership team. We don’t want you to deliver work or get involved with day-to-day operations (although we would love you to attend our events and programmes) – what we need are fresh perspectives alongside oversight and supportive encouragement as well. 

Key info

• Four board meetings per year, with some additional time to review meeting papers
• Meetings usually last no longer than 90 minutes and we try to accommodate everyone’s needs around timings
• Last year all meetings took place on Zoom, but in future we hope to meet in person at least once a year
• Trustees are unpaid (though we cover expenses)
• The ICO’s offices are near London Bridge but we are a national organisation and most of our work takes place across the UK. We also have a special responsibility for the South East of England through our role as the lead organisation for Film Hub South East, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network.

ICO Trustees usually serve three years in the first instance, but we recognise that young Trustees may have different commitments throughout a three-year period, so we propose to appoint for a year initially and then review in hopes that you can stay. However, if a year is all you can commit to, we still want to hear from you.

What’s in it for you?

Joining the ICO board is a fantastic opportunity to help steer and shape a national cultural agency and in doing so, influence the activities and practices of the wider UK film exhibition sector. The ICO is a relatively small but extremely creative and dynamic organisation that responds quickly to new ideas, enabling you to make a meaningful difference and help effect real change in what can be a hugely rewarding role.

You will have the opportunity to bring existing skills to the table as well as to develop new ones – in governance, planning, team working, financial operation, arts administration and more – and gain valuable insight into and experience of the UK film industry. You will also be able to access ICO events and programmes.

We know that Trustee job descriptions can sound quite dry – and to be clear, it is a legally responsible position that will require commitment on your part. But the professional skills and lived experience you bring to the table might simply be around working with other people and having initiative and a passion for cinema; you don’t need to be at a senior level in the film industry to contribute. As an organisation, we want to include everyone in our definition of audiences – we don’t want to leave anyone out – and our Board of Trustees must do the same.

Support on joining

If you are invited to join the board and accept, we’ll give you a thorough induction process. You will be paired with an existing board member as a support “buddy” for the duration of your term, as well as a member of ICO staff who will be your chief contact and another point of support for you during your time with us. You will meet the staff, have the opportunity to undergo financial training with our Head of Finance, and have the support of your buddy when reviewing board papers. You can come and observe a board meeting before taking up your place if you wish.

Find out more

Watch the recording of our Q&A sessions to learn more about the roles and responsibilities involved in becoming a Trustee, and if your question wasn’t answered please email info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk and a member of the ICO team will get back to you.

To hear more from ICO Director Catharine Des Forges, head to YouTube to watch our second Q&A session.

How to apply

Interested? Read through our Board Recruitment Pack before submitting a cover letter and/or a short video explaining why you would like to join our Board of Trustees and the qualities and skills you feel you can bring to the ICO.

If you would like to submit a video, please send a downloadable file (MP4, MOV or AVI) or a viewing link. Videos should be no longer than three minutes.

Email your cover letter and/or video link to:  info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk

If you would like a copy of our info pack in a different format, please let us know at info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk and we can supply.

Interviews will take place on Zoom.

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The closing date for this position is 18/12/2024 at 17:00