Director Callout

About GOBS Collective

GOBS Collective is a spoken-word poetry collective and Community Interest Company based in Nottingham. Built on compassion, creativity, community, integrity, and inclusivity, our mission is to build community through creativity, nurturing confidence, connection, and expression through poetry and performance, particularly within underrepresented communities.

Founded in March 2020 by Bridie Squires and Ioney Smallhorne, GOBS began as a series of creative-writing workshops that quickly adapted to online delivery during lockdown. Since then, the collective has grown in scale, ambition, and impact.

We deliver poetry performances, workshops, book clubs, masterclasses, education programmes, and regular events, and our members have performed at major local cultural events including Nottingham Poetry Festival, We Out Here, and Hockley Hustle. We also publish anthologies and curate showcases that platform both emerging and established artists.

Working in partnership with organisations across the arts and community sectors, GOBS Collective supports and celebrates Nottingham’s spoken word scene, creating opportunities for artistic development, connection, and creative growth.

Joining GOBS Collective as a Director

This is an exciting moment to join GOBS Collective as a Director. We are transitioning from an individual-led series of successful projects into a fully functioning Community Interest Company, built to sustainably support spoken word artists across Nottingham and beyond. Our next phase is about strengthening governance, deepening community impact, and creating long-term structures that allow artists and audiences to thrive.

As a Director, you will help guide this transition and shape the future of an organisation that already has strong roots in the local spoken word scene. We have recently launched a new collective membership structure, including paid membership, and are seeing growing momentum from artists who want to be actively involved in shaping opportunities, programming, and peer support.

Alongside this, we have a growing network of community members who have registered with us and are ready and waiting to engage. There is clear appetite for talent development opportunities, progression pathways, and meaningful creative connection within Nottingham’s spoken word community, and GOBS Collective is uniquely placed to respond to that demand.

We also have a strong and developing network of strategic partnerships across the arts, community, and cultural sectors, providing a solid foundation for future collaboration, programming, and growth. 

Governance, structure and development

New Directors will play a key role in reviewing, developing, and implementing policies, procedures, and organisational structures as GOBS Collective moves into its next phase. This work will be undertaken collaboratively, with a shared commitment to building systems that are transparent, inclusive, and fit for purpose.

Directors will be formally appointed as Company Directors and registered with Companies House, in line with Community Interest Company requirements. Prior board experience is not required.

This is an opportunity to help shape how the organisation operates at a foundational level, embedding good governance, clear processes, and values-led decision-making that support both the artistic vision and the long-term sustainability of the company.

Directors are responsible for ensuring GOBS remains artist-led, community-rooted, and financially and ethically sustainable. Each Director holds a shared responsibility for governance and strategy, while leading on one key area of focus.

Time commitment and involvement

Directors are expected to attend four board meetings per year, with work taking place between meetings as required. This may include contributing to working groups, reviewing documents, offering strategic insight, or supporting key decisions as projects, partnerships, and organisational systems develop. We aim to keep this commitment realistic, flexible, and meaningful.

This role is ideal for someone excited by growth and change, who values community-led arts practice, and who wants to contribute to shaping an organisation at a pivotal stage in its development. By joining the board now, you will have a genuine opportunity to influence how GOBS Collective evolves, supports artists, and serves its community for years to come.

Payment:

These are voluntary roles. With the recent introduction of membership subscription fees, we expect to be able to offer a small honorarium at present, with the intention to increase this as membership grows and additional funding is secured.

All Directors are expected to:

• Uphold and embody GOBS’ values of compassion, creativity, community, integrity, and inclusivity

• Contribute to strategic planning and decision-making as part of a collective board

• Support ethical and inclusive governance in line with CIC regulations.

• Attend regular board meetings and occasional community sessions

• Act as ambassadors for GOBS, internally and externally

• Support the wellbeing, sustainability, and creative development of the organisation

• Have basic digital and IT skills, including confidence using tools such as email, Google Drive, shared documents, and Zoom, and the ability to communicate clearly and professionally online

Other Director positions include:

Creative Director - Bridie Squires