[NOW CLOSED]

 

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is looking for a proactive individual to join their team!

Please read carefully the job description below and contact [email protected] if you are interested in the position.

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JOB DESCRIPTION

Royal Society of Portrait Painters Co-ordinator

 

Job Title: Royal Society of Portrait Painters Coordinator
Hours of Work: 40% (2 days) with the potential to rise to 60% (3 days)
Reports to: RP President
Work closely with: RP Council
Location: FBA, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD

Background

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters stated aim is to promote the practice and appreciation of the fine arts and, in particular, to promote excellence in the art of portraiture.

The Society vigorously looks to uphold the values and practices of its long and distinguished history, and at the same time, to explore and develop new artistic models and perspectives in this endlessly fascinating and relevant discipline. Membership is through election for the merit of work.

The Society of Portrait Painters was founded in 1891. Twenty years later it became the ‘Royal Society of Portrait Painters’. Alumni have included John Everett Millais, G. F. Watts, Whistler, Sargent and Augustus John. It is a registered charity, Her Majesty The Queen became the Patron in 1984.

The present membership of 46 represents a variety of stylistic and intellectual approaches and continues to make a significant contribution to the ongoing tradition of portraiture in Britain today. The society holds an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries and there is a permanent collection of members’ work at Girton College, Cambridge. The society also runs a commissioning service to help those wishing to commission a portrait.

It is run by a volunteer council of honorary officers. The council meets six times a year and there is an annual AGM. The President is Anthony Connolly.

Over the next five years the RP aims to:

• raise awareness of the RP and its members both from a wider public and artists through increased marketing, staging exhibitions, organising prizes and running events
• Be a forum for discussion on portraiture
• Increase the no of commissions for portraits by RP members working closely with the portrait commissioner, Federation of British Artists
• Increase the membership
• Generate more critical engagement

The RP works closely with the Federation of British Artists at Mall Galleries which manages its portrait commissioning service and the annual exhibition.

The RP seeks a proactive individual who is self-sufficient to assist with the organisation, marketing & publicity and overall administration of the society’s activities and itself. This is a new position. This role and the job description to support it is wide-ranging. Not all the activities will be active or ongoing at the same time, the purpose of the job description is to indicate the range.

Overall Purpose of Role:

• Attract new clients through events, marketing and promotion
• Co-ordinate with the RP members and the FBA re the RP annual exhibition
• To ensure good governance through timely minute taking, administration of meetings and AGMS and the filing of accounts
• To stage exhibitions and co-ordinate displays
• Attract new RP members through prizes and displays
• To initiate fundraising activities eg. RP Friends

Specific Duties
To organise agreed annual activities supported by members of the RP Council, these will include:

Marketing

• Write, commission & edit content for the RP website therp.org.uk, keeping it lively and interesting
• Take ownership of RP social media platforms, employing a pro-active data-driven approach to
  producing and scheduling posts.
• Report on campaigns and channels on a monthly basis, using a variety of analytics tools.
• Liaise with the FBA @ Mall Galleries especially the Digital Marketing Coordinator and other external
  agencies when relevant eg. press consultant to create content – digital, video and print
• Sharing recommendations for improvement across all digital channels and staying up to date with
  the latest digital trends – through webinars, seminars and networking events.
• Create targeted communications

Exhibitions

• Annual exhibition – to co-ordinate the displays for invited artists and loaned works in line with the annual exhibition timetable
• To work closely with the Exhibitions Coordinator at the FBA
• Work with the FBA Head of Commissions on promotion of the portrait commission service during the annual exhibition
• To administer additional exhibitions and displays eg. Co-ordinating the judging selections virtually or physically
• Administer the complete collection of artworks for an exhibition by selected, invited and member works of art ready to be uploaded to the website and for the physical hang
• Co-ordinate the receipt (working with couriers), hang, take down, despatch of works
• Private views and previews – co-ordinate the operation of the event and manage guest lists

Projects

• Support the creation of an RP essay writing prize or residency
• Working with the president to engage critical engagement of portraiture Governance
• Organise and administer Council meetings and AGMs to include a timely distribution of papers
• When necessary take and distribute Council minutes.
• Support the honorary treasurer in the compilation of the annual accounts
• File the accounts annually

New Members

• To work with RP members to deliver interesting events and activities
• Promote current and new prizes to the artistic community
• Liaise with other portrait societies, art schools to promote the RP to potential new or associate
  members

Income

• Portrait Commissions – Assist with the FBA Commissions service through the promotion of the service and assisting with client commission portfolios
• Fundraising – establish a funding channel eg. the RP Friends or Patrons – seek sponsorship for RP art prizes

Other

• To prepare reports
• To conduct relevant research
• To be the data protection officer for the organisation
• To be self-administering
• To support the organisation in other ways as appropriate
• To attend RP exhibition openings
• You will be required to act in accordance with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to take reasonable care for the health and safety of any person who may be affected by your acts or omissions in carrying out your duties. You may be asked to carry out other duties as may arise from time to which are commensurate with the post.

Person Specification
Experience required:

• Good administrative experience
• Event and/or exhibition organisation
• Experience of delivering a content plan across multiple digital channels to include – Experience of using website content management systems to publish and edit website content
• Experience of managing and monitoring social media accounts on a daily basis.
• Knowledge of digital channels and what makes good digital content including Google Ads and Facebook
• Experience of using email service providers to create, edit and send email campaigns (Mailchimp).
• Knowledge of SEO and experience of writing content for organic search
• Experience with digital analytics and reporting

Skills required

• Degree level education
• Understanding of the art world and an interest in portraiture
• Copywriting skills with high attention to detail.
• Negotiating and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with people at all levels
• Organisation and administration skills, including broad knowledge of Microsoft Office and digital platforms
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter

Remuneration

• The salary for this post will be between £26,000-29,000 pro rata. In addition, the post holder will
  receive 23 days pro rata paid annual leave plus the three days between Christmas and New Year,
  plus a 3% contribution to a personal pension scheme.
• To apply please send a covering letter or supporting statement explaining how you match the person specification for this role and your CV by email to [email protected]
• Please put the job title in the subject line of the email.

Deadline for applications – Friday 21st October 2022

Date of interview – Thursday 10th November 2022

This role will be part home-based and part based at the FBA offices at Mall Galleries.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS ROLE.

If you are not invited to interview regrettably you have not been shortlisted for this position.
Therp.co.uk

September 2022