Purpose
The Site Gallery is an international centre of excellence which provides the best in contemporary art by offering innovative and engaging lens-based, digital and moving image exhibitions. The gallery aims to bring the best in contemporary art to diverse Sheffield audiences, and to represent the best emerging art from the region in the most advantageous professional context possible.
Key Priorities
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Develop a sustainable business model
In common with every regularly funded organisation (RFO) supported by the Arts Council of England (ACE), Site has been asked to plan for a 10% reduction in funding from April 2011, and is aware that subsequent cuts may be deeper still. A similar scenario has been communicated by Sheffield City Council, another important stakeholder. This presents the new Director with a significant challenge, yet it is also an opportunity. Site has two gallery spaces, a cafe, bookshop, meeting space and units hired out to creative micro-businesses. A key priority for the new Director is to develop a sustainable business model that maximises available resources and is supported by stakeholders.
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Establish a vibrant public engagement programme
As well as taking advantage of the building to develop a sustainable business model, there is also tremendous scope to use the various spaces to increase visitor numbers. Moreover, Site is in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter and neighbours one of Sheffield’s two universities. There is scope to strengthen Site’s relationship with a range of organisations within the city, to work collaboratively to achieve shared public engagement goals, and broaden the range of local audiences that engage with Site. The education programme also offers public engagement opportunities.
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Build on the gallery’s distinctive artistic identity
It is the quality of the programme that defines Site, and it is vital that its distinctive artistic identity is nurtured and developed over the coming years. Site has remained artistically relevant over its thirty-year history by constantly reinterpreting what it means to be an international centre for contemporary art. Thus, this particular priority is absolutely not about maintaining the artistic status quo. Rather, the Board seek a Director who can develop an artistic vision that is consistent with the gallery’s past, and appropriate for its future.
Structure and Resources
Site Gallery is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. It has a Board of seven plus a range of patrons.
The organisation had a turnover of £365,000 to March 2009. Arts Council England and Sheffield City Council are the principle revenue funders, and project grants have been received from a range of trusts and foundations.
At the moment, no member of staff works on a fulltime basis (including the current Director).
Deputy Director – 25 hours a week, responsible for programming and marketing.
Gallery Operations’ Co-ordinator – 20 hours a week, responsible for buildings and operations management.
Technical Manager – 30 hours per week, responsible for web content and all IT infrastructure.
Financial Administrator – 20 hours per week.
Education Manager – a freelance contract that expires in October 2010 and supported by an intern.
Front of House – two part-time posts, sharing responsibility for front of house and managing the intern programme. Each post has additional specific responsibilities for retail and bookshop development and commercial hires.
The gallery is open to the public 11.00am – 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday.
Additional Information
There is a wealth of information available on the website for the Site Gallery at www.sitegallery.org.uk.
A copy of the business plan and recent accounts are available from Pam Henderson at pam@artsintelligence.co.uk.
