Appointment of Director - June 2022 | Reference: EBDVA - Saxton Bampfylde

Appointment of Director
   June 2022 | Reference: EBDVA

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  Ninety years ago, Hattie, Lady Barber, founded the Barber
Institute of Fine Arts in fulfilment of her and her late husband’s
        wish to establish an arts centre for ‘the study and
      encouragement of art and music’ at the University of
                            Birmingham.

This extraordinary initiative, driven by a courageous woman and funded by Sir Henry’s
property development in his native city of Birmingham, began as a blank slate. The Barbers
had no great art collection themselves and the chosen location was a green field site on the
edge of the Edgbaston campus.

Just seven years later in 1939, the Barber was opened by Queen Mary and through
subsequent decades, Lady Barber’s visionary ambition has continued.

Designed by Robert Atkinson, one of Britain’s foremost architects of the interwar years, the
Barber is Grade 1 listed, a rare survivor of the 1930s. It is the only Grade 1 listed building
on the University of Birmingham campus. With its lecture theatre, library and teaching
rooms, it is considered to be the first facility designed for teaching music and the arts
alongside performance and museum displays; highlights include beautiful purpose-built
galleries and the exquisite Art Deco concert hall. These authentic spaces are little altered
and remain in everyday use as the backdrop to a wide variety of activities for all ages, from
students attending lectures to tens of thousands of drop-in visitors, facilitated school and
family groups and identified target audiences, all of whom experience the Barber’s intimate
elegance.

Envisioned by Lady Barber as having a benefit stretching beyond its academic identity, the
Barber, a free to access museum open all year, has long been a consistent contributor to
the wider cultural offer of the West Midlands, as well as playing a significant role as one of
the UK’s most distinguished public university museums. The Barber’s exhibitions,
programme and acquisitions regularly attract national and regional media attention, from
reviews in the main dailies to the specialist art press.

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                                    The Collection
Owned by the Henry Barber Trust, the art displayed in the galleries matches the superlative
standard of the structure, indeed the Barber is often described as a ‘national gallery in
miniature’. Lady Barber stipulated that everything acquired for the Barber by the trust
established in her husband’s name should be of the highest quality. Nine decades of
collecting have produced an internationally significant and still-growing treasure house
which includes many of the greatest names in Western art – Giovanni Bellini, Botticelli,
Veronese, Rubens, Poussin, Murillo, Gainsborough, Canaletto, Manet, Degas, Monet,
Gauguin, Bellows, Magritte, Gabo and Auerbach. The Barber is also home to outstanding
numismatic holdings of primarily ancient coins, with its representation of Byzantine coins
unmatched in Europe. The collections are designated by Arts Council England in their
entirety, and include around 160 paintings, 1,500 works on paper and over 15,000 coins.

The Barber collection encompasses global diversity and continues to expand, with the
Director recommending acquisitions to the Henry Barber Trust by purchase, gift and
bequest. The Director also identifies and secures works through AIL and CGS and cultivates
the regular support of Art Fund, ACE V&A Purchase Grant Fund. Important recent
acquisitions include Naum Gabo’s Linear Construction in Space No 1 and George Bellows’
Nude: Miss Bentham, as well as many works on paper, including an important sheet of
caricature heads by Agostino Carracci. A recent strand of activity has brought examples by
women artists into the collection and more works from the second half of the twentieth
century.

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                                Exhibitions Programme
Barber artworks regularly feature in landmark exhibitions all over the globe, while a year-
round schedule of exhibitions on campus uses important temporary loans to elucidate and
contextualise the Barber’s masterpieces and share new research, most particularly through
the ‘object in focus’ series which is accompanied by a high-quality publication. Last
autumn’s Miss Clara and the Celebrity Beast in Art 1500 – 1900, was described by the
Observer’s critic as ‘the best small exhibition I have seen in years’ while the annual summer
exhibition is produced by a unique partnership between the Barber, Royal Collection Trust
and co-curated by History of Art MA. Previous exhibition partners have included The
Fleming Collection, The Jerwood Collection and the National Portrait Gallery; in 2022/2023
the Barber will be working with Woburn Abbey. As the Trust cannot acquire contemporary
works, the exhibition programme regularly features projects curated in conjunction with
living artists/gallerists, most recently with Karsten Schubert/Tess Jaray, with the artist
creating a suite of new paintings inspired by the building.

                               Learning & Engagement
The Barber’s Learning & Engagement programme is distinctive and values-driven, directly
reaching (pre-Covid) up to 20% of the total visitor count. The Barber has an established and
thriving Schools and Communities programme and developed a range of new online
resources during Covid. Current activities are hybrid, with more activities on site but virtual
delivery continuing where this is assessed as more effective and/or desired by specific
audience needs; for example, Recovery Art, a programme for those recovering from mental
or physical illness. There is a popular general programme for adult and family engagement
which is highly creative and always oversubscribed.

Barber Health is the Barber’s flagship arts, health and well-being engagement, funded for
its first year by a major Art Fund Respond & Reimagine Grant. This connected with local
residential care homes, combining outreach with gallery visits and has also produced
research into Social Prescribing. A unique feature of this project is a Nurse-in-Residence
who works closely with the Barber Learning & Engagement and collections teams and UoB
School of Nursing, MDS and Pharmacy, introducing new cohorts of students to the
potential of using galleries and artworks in their practice.

The Barber also provide an extensive student enrichment programme, funded by the
Eridge Trust on site and online. Current activities include collaboration with the College of
Medical and Dental Sciences on an inclusion and diversity project, Drop-in-and Draw
sessions and art-inspired Yoga sessions. The team also contribute to academic teaching
across the University, working closely with the Department of Art History, Curating and
Visual Studies which shares the building, but more recently, through innovatory teaching
with the Business School and collaborations with the School of Education in the pipeline.
The Barber’s summer exhibition is delivered in collaboration with the AHCVS, providing MA
students with an opportunity to curate a proper loan exhibition from inception through to
Private View and contribute to the accompanying public programme.

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                                College of Arts and Law
The College of Arts and Law (CAL) is one of the largest concentrations of humanities
academics in the UK with a vibrant community of over 700 academic and professional
services staff working side-by-side, across a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields,
demonstrating the University’s commitment to the Humanities and Law.

In the QS World University Rankings 2021, humanities at the University of Birmingham were
ranked 71st.

The College is a dynamic community, home to over 7,000 students studying a diverse range
of more than 290 taught programmes and over 100 research programmes. Academic and
professional services colleagues work in partnership to create a high quality and inclusive
student experience, enabling learning within the curricula through deep engagement in
disciplines, and with support from dedicated teams committed to the enhancement of
educational delivery, student experience and student wellbeing. The College’s success in
that shared academic endeavour is celebrated by external and internal measures, by the
interactions of students with research, and in a vibrant educational culture.

The College performed very well in the last Research Excellence Framework (REF2021),
cementing its position as one of the strongest faculties of the Arts and Humanities in the
UK; most of our research was rated as world leading (4*), or internationally excellent (3*).
Art History was ranked 9th in the UK out of 86 institutions in total.

The College’s influence on society dates to the University’s civic roots. It collaborates closely
with many of the city and region’s leading cultural institutions, including the Library of
Birmingham, the Birmingham REP, CBSO, Birmingham Museums Trust, and the Royal
Shakespeare Company. In 2021, the University opened The Exchange in Centenary Square,
providing a central focus for its many cultural partnerships and a means of connecting the
University’s research, teaching and local, national and international networks to create a
place of curiosity, celebration, collaboration and change.

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                          The University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham was founded on the vision of Joseph Chamberlain in
1900 to provide a university for the people of Birmingham, ‘a great school of universal
instruction… taking all knowledge in its province’. This philosophy has defined and
shaped UoB as an institution for the city ever since, founded on equality of opportunity
for all.

UoB is proud to continue to find new expressions for these civic roots. The University is
now a global institution, with its doors open, welcoming the best to Birmingham, and
taking the best of Birmingham to the world.

Ranked in the top 100 universities globally, Birmingham is a member of the Russell
Group and a founder member of the Universitas 21 global network of research
universities. Ten of UoB’s alumni and staff have been recognised with Nobel Prizes, and
many others are recipients of the most prestigious awards in their fields. The University
ranks highly amongst employers seeking to recruit graduates.

UoB’s heritage as the original ‘redbrick’ is combined with an ambitious agenda to
continue the transformation of the University. In recent years, the University has
significantly increased its number of leading academic colleagues and has undertaken
a £1 billion renewal of the campus estate. It has established its own non-selective
secondary school and sixth form serving the diverse communities of Birmingham and
has just opened a new campus in Dubai.

Through the University’s Birmingham 2030 Strategic Framework, it has set an aspiration
to become a top 50 global institution. UoB recognises this is a genuinely challenging
aim, which will require a vibrant, intellectually exciting, and diverse University
community for research and education, as well as close work with its partners in
Birmingham and around the world.

UoB takes its role seriously as an anchor institution for the UK’s diverse, youthful, and
dynamic second city, and are one of the largest employers in the region. It values its
partnerships with local organisations including through its Civic University Agreement
signed with Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Through The Exchange, UoB now has a city centre base from which to work with
partners, and are currently working with Bruntwood SciTech and NHS partners to
develop the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus which will open in 2023.

Birmingham 2030 strengthens UoB’s commitment to sustainability as one of the core
pillars of our activity. This includes using its research and education to make a major
global contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and a headline aim to
be net zero carbon for scope 1 and 2 by 2035 and overall by 2045. UoB is an active
partner in Birmingham’s Tyseley Energy Park developing new technologies to
contribute to Birmingham’s net zero ambitions.

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                                 The city of Birmingham
Birmingham is a major European centre and the second city of the United Kingdom. It has a
rich and diverse community that creates a vibrant, multicultural, and exciting place to live
and work, and is a city of business and ballet, canals and world class concerts, jewellery and
jazz, historical interest and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Birmingham is also the ideal base for
exploring one of Britain’s most fascinating regions for tourism, being within an hour’s drive
of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, the Potteries, and the Cotswolds.

The city has undergone a major transformation in the last decade and regularly features as
a top place to visit; in fact, it was the only place in the UK listed in the Rough Guide’s Top 10
places in the world to visit in 2015. In a recent Sunday Times/Zoopla report on the ‘Best
Places to live in Britain’ three areas of Birmingham all made the top 50 best places to live in
Britain, with the suburb of Moseley being voted the overall winner.

The new heart of Birmingham is symbolised by Symphony Hall, considered one of the
greatest concert venues in the world. Symphony Hall forms part of the impressive
International Convention Centre, which overlooks attractive canals at the hub of the UK’s
canal network. This setting is a very suitable venue for the CBSO, the globally-respected
symphony orchestra. At the magnificent Hippodrome Theatre is the internationally-
renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet, adding further cultural depth to the city. Apart from
London’s West End, Birmingham boasts the highest concentration of live theatre in the UK,
including regular tours by the major opera companies.

The City Museum and Art Gallery houses the world’s finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite
paintings, alongside a major collection of Old Masters, Modern and Contemporary pictures.
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts houses one of the best UK university collections of
Impressionist and Renaissance art. The restored Gas Hall Gallery has international touring
exhibitions, while the Halcyon and Ikon galleries feature innovative contemporary works.

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National landmark sites abound, including the National Indoor Arena, the National
Exhibition Centre, National Motorcycle Museum, National Car Heritage Museum and the
National Sealife Centre.

The iconic Bullring Centre is the largest dedicated shopping facility in Europe. Sports and
recreation are well served; the city offers international Test cricket, top-flight football,
International Championship golf and top class rugby. The International Convention Centre
and National Indoor Arena have spawned a whole new Downtown area at the centre of the
city. The National Exhibition Centre, on the outskirts to the city, remains one of the largest
exhibition facilities in Europe.

The City hosts the 2022 Commonwealth Games this summer and the university will be
playing a significant part as an official partner, signing the most comprehensive university
partnership agreement in the history of the Commonwealth Games. The University will be a
competition venue for both hockey and squash and the principal campus athlete’s village
during the Games. Birmingham 2022 will be the Games for everyone, bringing people
together from across Birmingham and the region, to provide a warm welcome to millions of
visitors during the summer of 2022; regarded a catalyst for transformation across the West
Midlands, attracting new investment and funding, creating jobs and apprenticeships for
local people and new opportunities for local businesses, as well as accelerating projects
that will ensure the region is ready to host a fantastic sports and cultural celebration.

As a multicultural city, Birmingham is also renowned for the breadth of its cuisine and has
more Michelin starred restaurants than any other English city outside London.

There is a high standard of all types of private accommodation, with high quality affordable
family housing in several attractive residential suburbs. Public parks and large domestic
gardens are a special feature of this greenest of European cities. Quality public and private
schools are widely available, with several consistently rated in the top 10 on examination
performance in annual league tables of England and Wales.

Birmingham is at the crossroads of the UK’s motorways. From Birmingham International
Airport, many airlines operate scheduled services to destinations worldwide. The University
is the only mainland UK University to have its own dedicated railway station, while 50 million
passengers a year use Birmingham New Street Station, and the city will be a major hub for
the high-speed rail network. London is 80 minutes away, with trains every 20 minutes.

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                The role – Director of the Barber Institute
The University of Birmingham now seeks a new Director of the Barber Institute.

The new Director will be committed to the Barber’s mission – the study and encouragement
of art and music – and build upon recent achievements at the Barber, continuing to raise
the profile of the Institute and lead on developing its contribution to the rich cultural life of
the University, the city of Birmingham and the wider region.

The new Director will play a significant role in the visioning and delivery of a refurbishment
project and have a track record of leading the successful delivery of a capital
redevelopment project. They will be expected to lead a major fundraising campaign to
secure the philanthropic and grant support that is likely to be necessary and they will be
inspiring and compelling when advocating for the Barber to a range of stakeholders,
internal and external, and potential supporters.

The University and the Henry Barber Trust will be celebrating the Barber’s 100th birthday in
2032; a significant milestone and the new Director will have the opportunity to shape these
plans joining at the beginning.

Main responsibilities

   •   To develop a clear vision and a well-articulated strategy for the Barber Institute,
       encompassing all areas of the Barber’s work, defining and articulating its core

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    mission; setting and achieving key objectives over the next decade, aligned to the
    University’s Strategic Plan 2030;
•   To work effectively with the Chair and Board of Trustees of the Henry Barber Trust
    and senior office holders of University of Birmingham, including the Vice-Chancellor,
    the Head of College of Arts and Law, Director of Estates; observing good governance
    practice and nurturing a good working relationship between all parties;
•   To direct the care, maintenance, security, development and management of the
    Barber collections;
•   To manage the Barber’s resources (human, physical and financial) efficiently and
    effectively;
•   To lead the artistic vision for the Gallery; encompassing all areas of the Institute's
    work including the permanent collection, the temporary exhibition programme,
    music, learning and engagement, the site and audience development;
•   To lead on identifying and making appropriate acquisitions for the collection;
•   To identify, cultivate and secure appropriate gifts and bequests to recommend to
    the Henry Barber Trust;
•   To lead a programme of public engagement aimed at raising the profile of The
    Barber and increasing public accessibility to its collections;
•   To maximise The Barber’s impact on the academic work of the University, forging
    new opportunities for student engagement and development, and opportunities for
    collaborative research and teaching ventures with academic departments;
•   To be an effective ambassador for The Barber, building and maintaining strategic
    partnerships, and enhancing its status within the University and city of Birmingham,
    and in the national and international museums and heritage community;
•   To pursue opportunities to fund-raise working with the Trustees;
•   To identify and steward key Patrons, supporters, sponsors, donors. Also looking to
    broaden the base of donors and supporters;
•   To drive visitor numbers and enhance the visitor’s experience through leading on
    high standards and innovation;
•   To provide leadership, management and development to staff, inspiring them to
    contribute to the delivery of the Institute's strategy and to its sustainability.

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                                Person specification
Ideal candidates will bring an outstanding and sustained profile of achievement evidenced
by the following:

Experience

   •   Wide ranging experience of museum and gallery management at a senior
       leadership level; proven leadership capabilities with the ability to inspire through
       clarity and relevance of vision.
   •   Extensive experience of stakeholder management; evidence of working
       harmoniously with Trustee boards, academic peers and public communities, an
       understanding of governance issues;
   •   Evidence of strategic vision and the ability to develop and implement an agreed
       strategic plan;
   •   An international network and knowledge of the global sector beyond the domestic;
   •   Significant experience of fundraising with a track record of success;
   •   Financial and commercial acumen, able to demonstrate ability to maximise impact
       from income, budget and financial planning;
   •   Evidence of ability to forge partnerships and networks and to work collaboratively
       and inclusively with external organisations, committees and communities;

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   •   Practical experience of the art market and informed knowledge of the processes
       involved when making acquisitions including a sound understanding of Due
       Diligence;
   •   Experience of exhibition curation, with an understanding of both practicalities and
       current sector priorities;
   •   Experience of public programming with an understanding of current sector
       priorities and the Barber’s dual mission for the study and encouragement of art and
       music;
   •   High level understanding of collections care and environmental and security
       requirements.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviour

   •   A clear, strategic thinker with the ability to take decisions and exercise sound
       judgement;
   •   A demonstrable comprehension of and sympathy with the artistic schools and
       media represented in the Barber’s collections; high-level and peer-respected
       specialist knowledge of an aspect of the Barber’s collection;
   •   Sound aesthetic judgement and confidence when assessing physical works of art;
   •   High level knowledge and understanding of contemporary curatorial, cultural and
       engagement issues and debates;
   •   Experience of negotiating and securing partnerships with high profile arts
       institutions;
   •   Successful track record of managing large-scale redevelopment capital projects,
       people and finances;
   •   Financial acumen, and the ability to work within budgets and to recognise
       commercial opportunities;
   •   Full understanding of good governance; a high level of personal integrity and ethical
       standards, an understanding of Due Diligence and museum ethics.
   •   Excellent communication and ambassadorial skills; including media and digital,
       ability to communicate with, and affect different audiences; able to write
       persuasively and clearly;
   •   Good-interpersonal and people management skills; positive approach and ability to
       secure consensus and buy-in.;
   •   A strong commitment to equality and promoting diversity and an inclusive
       management style.
   •   Ability to work well under pressure, manage a demanding workload with multiple
       simultaneous commitments.

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                                               Terms of appointment
This is a full time permanent post based at the Barber Institute at the University of
Birmingham campus.

The salary range on offer is from £73,782 to £90,110 as a grade 10 Senior Officer.

In addition to salary, the University offers a generous benefits package including:
     •     USS pension scheme
     •     40 days holiday including public holidays and closed days
     •     Relocation package available
     •     Access to our sporting facilities
     •     Workplace nurseries
     •     Health cash plan and dental insurance
     •     Cycle solutions and travel season ticket options
     •     Perks at Work

                                                          How to Apply
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to University of
Birmingham, Barber Institute of Fine Arts on this appointment.

Candidates should apply for this role through our website at
www.saxbam.com/appointments using code EBDVA.

Click on the ‘apply’ button and follow the instructions to upload a CV and cover letter, and
complete the online equal opportunities monitoring* form.

The closing date for applications is noon on Tuesday 28th June 2022.

Preliminary interviews with Saxton Bampfylde for longlisted candidates will take place w/c
4th & 11th July 2022; informal meetings for shortlisted candidates with key stakeholders will
take place on Thursday 21st July 2022 and final interviews will take place on Thursday 15th
September 2022 in Birmingham.

* The equal opportunities monitoring online form will not be shared with anyone involved in assessing your application. Please
complete as part of the application process.

GDPR personal data notice
According to GDPR guidelines, we are only able to process your Sensitive Personal Data (racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or
philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, health, sex life, or sexual orientation) with your express consent.
You will be asked to complete a consent form when you apply and please do not include any Sensitive Personal Data within your CV (although
this can be included in your covering letter if you wish to do so), remembering also not to include contact details for referees without their prior
agreement.

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