The Donmar is one of the world’s great theatres. It may be small in size but it always packs a punch in terms of quality and accessibility; it's won 132 awards and transferred 78 productions to the West End, Broadway, on tour and on screen in its 30 years. Often described as ‘the actors’ church’, alumni include David Tennant, Nicole Kidman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jude Law, Idris Elba, Rachel Weisz, Kit Harington and Daniel Kaluuya. It plays a key role in the cultural life of its community locally and support the next generation of artists and administrators through its skills programmes.

The Donmar is looking forward to an exciting future supported by a robust business model following its exit from the ACE portfolio in 2023. With the support of many donors and with audiences at their highest point in many years, the Board is confident that the Donmar will remain at the heart of the UK’s theatrical ecosystem. It will continue to be a leading producer of high-quality theatrical productions, whilst developing audiences, being a home for leading creatives and nurturing the next generation of artists and theatre makers.

The Donmar is led by the Artistic Director, Michael Longhurst (until March 2024) then Tim Sheader, (from March 2024) and Executive Director, Henny Finch, who are joint Chief Executives, reporting to the Board. They are supported by a senior management team of eight and a diverse wider team of 50 full-time staff. In a typical year, they welcome almost 100,000 audiences for six productions annually.

A registered charity, with a turnover of around £7m per year, the Donmar is funded by a combination of box office (45%), fundraising from individuals, Trusts and Foundations and corporate sponsorships (40%), and other income e.g. commercial revenues (15%). The Donmar is unique in delivering such a high proportion of its annual income via fundraising, and Board support via personal giving and / or peer-to-peer introductions is crucial to achieving this. 

Purpose

The Donmar Warehouse makes unmissable, high quality theatrical productions of classic plays, new works by leading writers, and intimate musicals - all intended to thrill, engage, and excite our audiences. Located in Covent Garden, in the heart of London’s West End theatre district, it enables audiences to experience the magic of live performance up close, as they sit no more than four rows away from the action in a converted warehouse. The Donmar has blazed a trail for thirty years with legendary performances by some of the world’s greatest artists, reaching global audiences through transfers across the West End and Broadway, and that legacy is the foundation of its approach today. It enables emerging talent to find pathways into the industry and builds sustained careers, and it creates extraordinary opportunities for local young people. Core to all its work is the belief that embracing a diverse range of voices enriches the Donmar, its community, and its audiences, fostering empathy and building a kinder society. The Donmar’s audiences are passionate about theatre, and it is passionate about them. It wants to make them think, make them feel, and leave them wanting more.

All the Donmar's work is underpinned by a deep commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

A highly experienced and representative Board of Trustees, led by Chair Adam Kenwright, includes individuals from the world of the arts, finance, academia, law, business, policy, and audience development. The Board has the ultimate responsibility for the strategic direction, development, and governance of the Donmar.

Supporting the Chair, Board, and the CEOs, it is the responsibility of each Trustee to lead the Donmar, ensuring that the charity is well-managed, risks are anticipated and mitigated against, and the organisation and staff thrive. They draw on their own personal knowledge and experience, and are able to:

• Contribute to constructive debate regarding the strategic development of the Donmar, in line with its charitable objectives and Articles of Association
• Oversee and understand the risks to the organisation, ensuring that financial and other internal controls and systems of risk management are robust
• Monitor organisational performance against the KPI framework and business model, scrutinising as required and supporting as needed
• Be a consistent source of information, sounding board and ally to the Executive on matters relating to the running of the organization
• Bring expertise as required to support delivery of the CEO roles
• Act as an ambassador for the Donmar, promoting and representing the organisation to networks, funders, and bodies
• Use knowledge and experience to help the Board and its Committees reach sound decisions. This will involve scrutiny, setting and leading discussions, focusing on relevant issues, and providing advice and guidance on business planning and / or other issues relevant to the Donmar
• Support fundraising initiatives through event attendance and personal giving in line with own capacity

Trustees are members of relevant Sub-committees and working groups. They attend Board and Committee meetings and actively contribute.

The Donmar is looking to for three new Trustees to continue to strengthen its Board and drive the evolution of the business model in response to its new Artistic Director’s vision. You will be able to contribute in one of the following areas: government policy, fundraising or charity governance.

• Government policy: The Donmar is a respected player in the UK cultural landscape and as such contributes to that national debate with respect to the role of arts and culture in society. With this in mind, a person with experience relating to Government policy making / Government affairs (who is not currently conflicted), ideally in the cultural realm, would be highly beneficial to the Board.
• Fundraising: Given the longstanding importance of philanthropy to our funding model the Board plays a significant role in fundraising. The Donmar is seeking an individual willing and able to lead from the front in terms of fundraising and harness their networks to support in its exciting endeavours.
• Charity governance: Strong governance is essential to the success of any charity and the Donmar is keen to identify individuals with a deep understanding of governance structures, best practice and compliance in a charity context.

The Donmar is looking for Trustees who:

• Have significant experience in Trustee / non-executive roles, ideally for an organisation of national importance and influence
• Have a passion for the arts and a deep understanding of the significance of the Donmar and its standing in the theatrical landscape
• Will provide sound, relevant leadership experience and input to Board deliberations and discussions
• Can effectively challenge thinking and provide insight, content and guidance to the board and CEOs
• Can support and scrutinise as required, bringing external expertise gained through professional roles, lived experience and prior non-executive / Trustee experience
• Have experience of crisis management, providing support and robust guidance through moments of challenge and organisational change
• Will act as a ‘sounding board’ and support the CEOs in their leadership roles as appropriate
• Are able to act as an ambassador for the organisation, harnessing sector contacts, networks and stakeholder relationships which will support the delivery of the Donmar’s strategy
• Will share responsibility for identifying and implementing clear strategic direction, consistent with the local, national, and global ambitions of the Donmar’s work
• Will recognise the responsibility of overseeing a well-governed institution and negating risk by providing experience of good management, strong monitoring, and clear oversight

You will have a passion for the arts and the Donmar’s work onstage. You will be committed to using your significant experience gained in professional and non-executive roles to contribute effectively to the strong governance and leadership of the organisation. All Trustees will demonstrate the right leadership behaviours to be part of our positive company culture.

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed. Trustees are able to commit to attending up to four, in-person Board meetings per year as well as relevant Sub-committee meetings and a strategic planning session and awayday, attending performances and events at the Donmar and being available to provide advice and guidance on matters throughout the year as required. Meetings are usually held between working hours of 10am and 6pm at the Donmar offices in central London.

The appointment is for a four-year term, which can be renewed once at the discretion of the Board.

Adam Kenwright, Chair

Neil Blair

Sarah Carson

Mark Goodey

Jonathan Kanagasooriam

Michael Longhurst

Tiina Lee

Lucian Msamati

Antonia Romeo

Tessa Ross CBE

Jonathan Smith

Professor Hannah Thompson