THE ARTS SOCIETY AREA HANDBOOK 2022/2023
PURPOSE OF AREAS The purpose of the Areas is to provide regional support for local Societies, by being actively interested in them and concerned for their success. A Society may not be in ‘need’ of support, but all our Societies should feel supported and cared for. Area Support Teams are part of an extensive support system available to local Societies. They have particular responsibility for contributing their local knowledge, experience of Society activities and a personal touch. As the regional members of the central Arts Society team they are also able to bring new and different perspectives and experiences to the Societies in their Area, through the exchange with other Areas and other support teams; helping to spread ideas, initiatives and best practice across the organisation. The support they can offer to local Societies includes, among other things: • Networking for Societies; • Motivating Society committees; • Raising awareness for The Arts Society; • Supporting recruitment activities; • Facilitating communication and projects between Societies; • Identifying opportunities for Societies; • Making the full range of support services available to Societies (e.g. training). This handbook sets out the ways in which Areas should support Societies. Areas should also support the work of The Arts Society in the regions. With a team of 12 paid staff, the ‘reach’ of the centre is limited. The Arts Society nationally cannot support all Societies without the Area Support Teams, and ‘Guilford Street’ cannot fly the flag for The Arts Society at the many events up and down the country and abroad. So the Area Support Teams are The Arts Society in the regions: in other words, they represent The Arts Society as a whole, not just the Area. Members of the Area Support Teams are colleagues in the Areas. This means they support The Arts Society’s work by: • Representing The Arts Society as a whole, raising awareness and acting as ambassadors • Creating programmes of events in the Areas; • Contributing actively at Forums and other meetings involving Areas; • Being part of a seamless support chain for Societies; • Helping to mitigate perceptions of ‘London-centric’ and us vs. them All activities organised by Area Support Teams should be based on the key consideration of: “Does this activity support local Societies?” If an activity does not support local Societies - tactically or strategically - the Area Support Team should not organise that activity: if in doubt, Area Support Teams should ask the local Societies: “Does this activity support you?”
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