Medway Theme Groups key role elections

This is the first meeting of one of the five Creative Medway Theme Working Groups, the Spaces and Places Theme Working Group. At these meetings the election of the key roles in the group will take place, before the role-holders take over the process of operating the group.

We want you to be involved - please read on to find out how.

After nearly twelve months of consultation (with a little COVID-related break in the middle), we are at the exiting stage of turning discussions into action and starting to build the delivery mechanism and get on with delivering Medway’s new Cultural Strategy. The new structure for Creative Medway is a radical shift from previous models and reflects the consultative process and shared delivery needed in achieving Medway’s ambitious vision.

This November, the key roles in the Theme Working Groups will be recruited and we will need your help.

The Theme Working Groups will be made up of those interested in developing and delivering the ambition of the work strands for each of the Themes. Membership of the Groups is active and self-selecting. Anyone is invited to join any one or more of the Groups. One of the agenda items for this first meeting will be Group membership and who else needs to be there.

To ensure the Theme Working Groups run smoothly and transparently, each group will annually elect three roles: Facilitator, Yoda, and Champion. The role descriptions for each of these can be found at the end of this document, but in overview the roles invite you to share your experiences and skills to help support how the Theme visions are delivered in Medway and beyond by:

• Attending four or five two-hour meetings a year at an accessible venue in Medway (some meetings may happen online)

• Attending selected pre-meetings to aid the smooth operation of the Theme’s Working Group

• Offering advice and championing the Theme Group’s work.

Who we are looking for

• We welcome interest from people based in the Medway area who are passionate about the place and the people in it. Also, we welcome interest from those outside of the Medway area who are interested in the Theme Group’s vision and area of work.

• We want the Theme Groups to reflect the diversity of our local community, and we especially welcome expressions of interest from underrepresented voices in culture and creativity, including disabled, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse members of our community as well as people of all ages.

• For this year, as the groups are getting going, we are particularly looking for people who have experience in getting things started, facilitating and bringing others together and ensuring inclusion.

Interested?

• You can simply book a place at the meeting and then indicate your interest and reasons for standing at the meeting.

• However, it would be helpful for everyone – particularly as some of the groups may be large – if you could send an expression of interest in advance of the meeting.

• If you can’t make this particular date but are interested in standing, then please send an expression of interest and it will be considered by those attending the meeting.

Please send an expression of interest in whichever format suits you best: a short email saying hello, a video message, an audio file. Email it to info@gjgconsultancy.com or call 07980 853910 by 12th November 2020.

Please note that to make it fair for all, and so all can be read/listened to, the expression of interest must be SHORT – no more than 300 words or two minutes.

Interested in the vision and supporting the work but don’t want an elected role?

Your views are just as important. We need a wide membership of all Theme Groups. Come along to the first meeting and help elect the roles; share widely with others you feel should be there.

Election of the key roles

The key roles will be elected at the first Theme Group Meeting by attenders of the meeting. At the meeting those attending will look at all the expressions of interest for key roles in that Theme and will ask if there are any more on the day. Elections will be held for each of the three roles and where more than one person has put themselves forward, those present will vote (through an online secret ballot) for the person they feel will best deliver the role.

We look forward to seeing you there!