Developing the board

Monday was a board development day. With new people on the board, it was important that we re-examined the role of the board in the company, and exploited its full potential. Jessica Stockford from Arts and Business agreed to facilitate the day. Her main remit is to work on governance in arts organisations, so we got lots of useful guidance on the duties of trustees, and the risks (!); but she was also very good at helping us to address our needs in developing the company. The scale of the projects we create now far outstrips the infrastructure, and we have to catch up. I think we have the right group of people to do that: the trustees are a very high-powered bunch, and they are very dedicated to what we're trying to achieve.

One thing which really surprised me was the emphasis placed on needing a written statement of our vision, mission and values. For a long time, I'd be tootling along, thinking that these things were self-evident. Clearly they aren't. If we're to focus the organisation, then everybody needs to know what it is we're trying to do. So - that's a first priority for me.

Two very useful meetings with potential funders. The Swedish Cultural Attache was very excited about the role of Teater Eksem in the Trilogy, and Creative New Zealand had lots of positive things to say about Origins. Apparently the report they received on it was one of the best they've EVER had!

In praise of Oliver Fryer

After no less than 14 years on the board of the company, Oliver Fryer finally resigned at our board meeting on Thursday night. It will take a few days to sort out the formalities - but it feels a bit like the end of an era! Now only Peter Scott and I are left from those original meetings, all that time ago!

Still, it feels like he's leaving on a high - and it's not for any negative reason. In fact, it really is to spend more time with his wife and family. Yes, honestly, it is.

The board of a charitable company is a strange thing. Officially it has all the power. In practice, as unpaid trustees, its members are involved with the company as volunteers, and so don't do much of the hands-on work. But this group of people is really valuable, as much as anything for expertise and advice. Oliver's been our legal presence - and he's said that he'll carry on giving us legal thoughts, so in many ways we aren't losing him. But it's good to have the chance to say how great he's been over a very long time!