Trustee – Pimlico Opera

UK Registered Charity – No 1003836

Pimlico Opera, sister company to Grange Park Opera, was founded by Wasfi Kani CBE in 1987 and aims to use music and drama to advance personal development, particularly with younger people. Artistic excellence is an essential part of achieving this aim. The company works in prisons and primary schools.

In Prison

The annual project costs around £200k. A cast of inmates are taken from their prison regime and work full-time alongside professionals to create a show of the highest quality. The intensive 6 weeks of rehearsal – all day, every weekday – is challenging: most prisoners have never been to the theatre, some cannot read, for some English is a second language. The end result is a truly excellent piece of musical theatre performed before the public and prisoners’ families. There are separate performances for prisoners who witness the astonishing talent in their fellow-inmates.

In Primary Schools – Primary Robins

Primary Robins are disadvantaged children within disadvantaged communities. Their schools have low Key Stage 2 results, higher-than-average numbers of children receiving free school meals and NO MUSIC.

Fifty years ago, every primary school had children sitting around a piano learning songs. In 2013, Primary Robins was introduced to four Hampshire schools, giving 430 Robins a weekly half-hour singing class.

Today there are 6,060 Robins spread across the country: Newcastle, Durham, Manchester, Essex, Kent, Lewisham, Hampshire, Surrey. In a school year, this equates to 100,000 hours of teaching.

A year of singing classes is £40 per child.  The project costs £250k each year.

The project is startling in its simplicity and effectiveness. The Robins sit around the piano together and learn traditional songs every week. Every term the Robins have a new specially prepared Song Book of around ten traditional songs, one of which is in a foreign language. The Song Book includes musical notation. It is not intended to teach the children to read music, but some see the pattern of how they sing and what the dots do.

Current Board/Skills required

The Board currently has a well established board which has been in place for a number of years but wishes to expand it skill set. Two new trustees will have an interest in the importance of the arts as a springboard to learning, creativity and intellectual development in other disciplines. The new trustees will help:

• broaden the reach on social media, thereby increasing awareness of the work in prison and primary schools
• broaden the demographic of people attending the prison performances
• develop and host an under 36s network
• suggest improvements to website, social media strategy and other digital initiatives
• keep abreast of developments at Grange Park Opera (charity no 1068046) and attend events to represent Pimlico Opera.

Applications

Please send a copy of your resume or biography with a covering note indicating why you feel that you have the skill set for this role and your passion for the charity. The initial appointment of a charity trustee is for 3 years and we have three meetings per annum which are typically in London but can use digital access for remote meetings also.

Deadline

April 20th 2023

Please send applications to Wasfi Kani, CEO on wasfi@grangeparkopera.co.uk

The trustees will seek to consider all applications and organise a video call with shortlisted candidates to discuss further. We hope that we can appoint a trustee by mid June.