Trustees Needed for Theatre Company - Volunteer

Change Act! is recruiting founding Trustees as we become a charity. Join an inclusive, Disabled-led applied theatre company working in London and the South East since 2022. Help shape governance, strategy and sustainable growth. Trustee experience not required.

Trustees will play a vital role in strengthening Change Act! at a pivotal moment in its development. As we transition from a Community Interest Company to a registered charity, Trustees will help ensure the organisation grows responsibly, sustainably and in line with its values, while remaining accountable to the communities it serves.

Change Act! works with Disabled, neurodivergent and marginalised adults who are often excluded from arts participation and decision-making spaces. Trustees will help protect and embed this inclusive, co-produced ethos as the organisation scales its work, ensuring that growth does not come at the expense of access, safety or integrity. Their involvement will directly support our ability to deliver high-quality applied theatre that educates, challenges and creates space for dialogue and social change.

Trustees will strengthen governance, financial oversight and strategic planning, giving the organisation greater resilience and credibility. This is particularly important as we seek multi-year funding and longer-term partnerships. Strong governance will enable Change Act! to secure resources more confidently, manage risk effectively and build a stable platform for future activity.

By offering insight, challenge and support, Trustees will help the Co-Directors focus on artistic and community-facing work while knowing that robust systems and accountability are in place. Trustees will also act as ambassadors, helping to raise the profile of Change Act! within the arts, charity and community sectors and supporting new connections that can expand our reach and impact.

Ultimately, the role helps ensure that inclusive applied theatre continues to reach people who most need access to creative, educational and reflective spaces. Trustees will be contributing to a model of practice that centres Disabled and marginalised voices, challenges exclusion and demonstrates the value of arts-led approaches to education, wellbeing and social understanding. Their contribution will have a lasting impact on both the organisation and the wider communities we work with.

Change Act! is looking for Trustees who are aligned with our values and committed to equality, inclusion and social justice. We value people who can offer thoughtful support alongside constructive challenge, and who are willing to learn with us as the organisation grows. You do not need previous trustee experience. We welcome early-career applicants and people who bring lived experience alongside professional or voluntary experience. In particular, we strongly encourage applications from Disabled and neurodivergent people, people from Global Majority and working-class backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people, and others under-represented in the arts and charity sectors.

We are seeking Trustees who demonstrate integrity, curiosity, good judgement and a collaborative approach. Trustees should be able to think strategically, engage with differing perspectives and contribute to collective decision-making. A commitment to trauma-informed, accessible and inclusive practice is essential.

Useful experience or interests may include, but are not limited to charity governance, finance or fundraising; safeguarding, HR or volunteer support; marketing, communications or audience development; work with trusts, foundations or public funders; applied theatre, community arts or facilitation; disability rights, social care, mental health or advocacy. We do not expect any individual Trustee to bring all of these skills.

Above all, we are looking for people who care about the role of the arts in education and social change, and who are motivated by supporting a values-led, Disabled-led organisation at a formative stage. Trustees should be willing to give time to prepare for meetings, contribute their perspective and act in the best interests of the organisation and the communities it serves.

Change Act! is seeking a small group of founding Trustees to support the organisation through its next stage of development as we transition from a community interest company to a registered charity. This is a pivotal moment for the organisation, and Trustees will play an important role in shaping our governance, strategy and long-term sustainability.

The organisation is currently led by two Co-Directors, who founded Change Act! in 2022 and have overseen its steady growth in projects, partnerships and income. As we formalise our charitable status, we are establishing an independent board to strengthen oversight, bring in new perspectives and ensure the organisation continues to grow responsibly and in line with its values.

Trustees will work collaboratively with the Co-Directors to provide strategic direction, oversight and constructive challenge. Core responsibilities include ensuring the organisation operates legally and safely, overseeing finances and risk, supporting strategic planning, and safeguarding the organisation’s mission, values and public benefit. Trustees will also act as ambassadors for Change Act!, helping to build confidence, credibility and connections across the arts, charity and community sectors.

Depending on skills, experience and interest, Trustees may take on a particular area of focus such as finance and fundraising, safeguarding and people support, governance and compliance, artistic direction, or communications and engagement. There may be opportunities to contribute through small working groups or informal subcommittees, but involvement will be proportionate and agreed in line with each Trustee’s availability. At this stage, we are not recruiting a formal Chair, although this may be reviewed as the board develops.

The role is especially important because Change Act! is a Disabled-led organisation working with Disabled, neurodivergent and marginalised adults who are often excluded from decision-making spaces. Trustees will help ensure that the organisation remains accountable to the communities it serves while strengthening its systems, resilience and impact.

Trustees are expected to attend around four board meetings per year, with occasional additional meetings if required. The role is voluntary, with reasonable expenses covered. No previous trustee experience is required. We particularly welcome Trustees with lived experience of disability, neurodivergence, social exclusion or long-term health conditions, as well as those with skills or interest in finance, fundraising, safeguarding, HR, communications, community arts or social justice.

This is an opportunity to shape a values-led organisation at a formative stage, where Trustees can have meaningful influence, develop governance experience, and support inclusive applied theatre to reach those who need it most.