Appointment details

Arts Council England, Music National Council Member

Summary

• Organisation: Arts Council England
• Sponsor department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Culture, Media & Sport
• Skills: Media, Education
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 2 day(s) per month
• Length of term: 4 Years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 28 August 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   17 July 2026

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 28 August 2026

3. Sifting date

   3 September 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   30 September 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

We are seeking to appoint a new member to Arts Council England’s National Council board.The National Council helps to ensure our organisation is well governed and successfully delivering our priorities through effective management of the resources we have thanks to investment from the public.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for making these appointments in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will manage the appointment process with support from Arts Council England.

Appointment description

As a member of National Council, the successful candidates will become trustees of Arts Council England, and alongside other members of National Council will be expected to: 

• Uphold the Arts Council’s mission and objectives. 

• Set the strategic direction of the organisation and make key investment and policy decisions. 

• Ensure that the Arts Council has effective management arrangements and is managing its resources responsibly. 

• Individual council members may be asked to advocate for the cultural sector and represent the work of the Arts Council.  

• From time-to-time council members may be asked to lead or assist with specific aspects of policy development.  

• Council members are expected to remain up to date with developments in the sector including opportunities, challenges and risks, drawing the Chair of the Arts Council and its senior executives’ attention to the issues as appropriate.  

National Council members are expected to attend at least six meetings each year. Council members may also be asked to participate in a number of committee or panel meetings each year. National Council meetings generally take place during the working day in Birmingham.

Organisation description

Arts Council England champions creativity and culture across the country. It develops talent and supports artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries to create, curate and present high quality and ambitious work in villages, towns and cities across England. The Arts Council’s  work is guided by the principle that everyone, no matter where they live, who they are or what their background, should have the chances and choices that can allow them to explore and develop a rich creative and cultural life. It does this by making sure that there is greater access to the very best in arts and culture in more places.  

The Arts Council believes that access to excellent creativity and culture not only inspires us, but brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us, helping us feel proud of the villages, towns and cities we live in. In short, creative activities and cultural experiences make life better. 

It supports a wide range of different disciplines: combined arts, dance, libraries, literature, museums, music, theatre, visual art, and digital arts. Through a range of funds, the Arts Council provides investment over the short, medium and long-term for individual artists, arts organisations, museums, and libraries.

Board composition

The National Council is Arts Council England’s main governing body, or non-executive board. National Council members are also the trustees of the charity. 

National Council is currently supported by five Area Councils which advise it on and promote the work of the Arts Council in the five English regions: London, the South East, South West, Midlands and the North. 

Together all Area Councils fulfil a similar role – ensuring that the work of the Arts Council continues to be informed by a diverse range of perspectives from artists, arts organisations, museums, libraries, local authorities and other key stakeholders across the country. Chairs of each Area Council also serve as members of the National Council.

For this recruitment round we would particularly welcome applicants from outside London and the South East

Person specification

Essential criteria

All applicants must demonstrate the following: 

• Music expertise in at least one genre. 

Candidates should also be able to demonstrate the following 

• Knowledge: a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of Arts Council England and the context within which it operates. 

• Relationship building: ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, with the creativity and culture sector and other stakeholders. 

• Communication: strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenges and constructively challenge others in discussions. 

• Judgement: effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of Arts Council England’s objectives. 

• A demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion; and tackling inequalities to unlock the advantages of creativity and culture for everyone.

Desirable criteria

We are also interested in applications from candidates with expertise/ experience in one or more of the following areas: 

• Arts And Technology

• Business/ Commercial

• Change Management

• Children and Young People

• Creative Education

• Creativity, Health and Wellbeing

• Developing community-led cultural activity

• Environmental Responsibility and Innovation

• Sector experience working in Further and/ or Higher Education

• International Cultural Exports

• Philanthropy

Application and selection process

About this appointment

Some public appointments are made by the Prime Minister, or the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Others are made by Secretaries of State or other ministers and are of interest to the Prime Minister.

Public appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister

How to apply

To help you succeed, we have provided application guidance on our public appointments campaign page. In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in. Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all applicants are required to provide:

• equality information (including the option of ‘prefer not to say’)
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a supporting statement
• a short professional biography (150 words)

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate. You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application. 

If you require any adjustments or have questions about the process, you should contact the team as early as possible using the email listed under 'Contact details' at the end of the advertisement.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Rosa Schiller-Crawhurst – Departmental Official

Rosa Schiller-Crawhurst has no political activity to declare.

Dawn Airey – Public Body Representative

Dawn Airey has no political activity to declare.

Skinder Hundal – Independent Panel Member

Skinder Hundal has no political activity to declare.

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact aedan.obrien@dcms.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Public Offices and bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity.

We collect and monitor diversity data about applicants’ characteristics, including people’s educational and professional backgrounds, to understand the diversity of applicants and appointees. As set out in section 3 of our privacy notice, we do this to ensure we are attracting a broad range of people and our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it is difficult to see whether the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups or our changes are making a positive difference.

When you apply, you can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. Once you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. We use this anonymised data to create reports on the timing and outcomes of our recruitment campaigns, as well as the diversity of our appointees. This transparency helps us create a fairer environment for everyone by highlighting where we need to do better.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol to show our commitment to good practice in appointing disabled people. The scheme helps our organisation recruit and retain the expertise of these applicants, supporting their journey into leadership roles in public life. 

As part of the scheme, the panel will aim to offer an interview to those who meet the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advertisement, and who have asked that their application be considered under the scheme. If a high volume of applications is received, the panel will ensure that a proportionate number of interviews are offered to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria, rather than all of those candidates.

Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will not prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria' we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates how you meet the level of competence required under each criteria. This does not mean that all disabled applicants are entitled to an interview. If you have any questions or want to discuss your application in confidence, please contact the team as early as possible using the email listed under 'Contact details' at the end of the advertisement.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure applicants with disabilities and/or, long term conditions, covered under both the Equality Act 2010 (England, Scotland & Wales) and Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Northern Ireland) are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. 

We aim to create an accessible and supportive experience that allows every applicant to demonstrate their full range of talents and perspectives and work closely with applicants to ensure that any necessary reasonable adjustments are in place to remove any barriers. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats (for example, large print);
• making adaptations to interview locations including hybrid arrangements;
• allowing applicants to present their skills and experience in a different way, for example receiving interview themes in advance, having additional processing time during assessments, or choosing a communication style that best showcases their skills. Examples of different styles may include a video or audio application or a presentation in place of a supporting statement; 
• giving additional detailed information on the selection and interview process in advance to allow applicants time to prepare themselves;
• arranging support such as British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters or allowing support workers; 
• making provision for support animals to attend where possible;

If you require any reasonable adjustments, you will have the chance to request these early in the application process;  

If you have any questions or want to discuss your application in confidence, you should contact the team as early as possible using the email listed under 'Contact details' at the end of the advertisement.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. 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 family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying.

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at  They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy. 

The Department for Culture Media and Sport will use your data in line with our privacy policy. 

Attachments

• National Council Member with Music Expertise – Recruitment pack

Contact details

If you have any questions about the appointments process, please contact publicappointments@dcms.gov.uk or aedan.obrien@dcms.gov.uk

If you would like to speak about the role itself, please contact David.Bryant@artscouncil.org.uk