Appointment of Chair Eleven Arches On 2 July 2016, Eleven Arches produced and presented the first season of Kynren an epic tale of England, an open-air summer spectacular on a monumental scale, inspired by the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 Olympics and templated from the award-winning Cinéscénie produced by Puy du Fou in France. Just 10 months after we broke ground, we opened to the public in Bishop Auckland in County Durham, at the foot of the escarpment on which Auckland Castle sits, in the shadow of the Victorian viaduct from which we get our name. The captivating storytelling journey through 2,000 years of British history, myth and legend is brought to life by a 1,000-strong cast and crew of volunteers whose outstanding work has been awarded with numerous accolades including The Queen s Award for Voluntary Service. Kynren s five-star reviews on TripAdvisor are a further endorsement to highlight the passion of the volunteers that has taken the show to extraordinary world-class levels. Our inaugural season was an unmitigated success with more than 100,000 tickets sold. After the Premiere, word of mouth went viral, thanks to the quality of the entire experience, which was shared on social media networks. To date more than 200,00 people have come to Bishop Auckland to watch Kynren and we welcome a third of our visitors from all over the UK and all over the world; from the USA to China, from South Africa to the Middle East. Eleven Arches mission is to produce Kynren as a world-class show, to be a trip attractor, encouraging overnight visits to County Durham and bringing tourismrelated expenditure, capital investment and jobs. It is the overnight visitors who make a significant difference to the regional economy: while day trippers typically spend 19 per day, overnight visitors are likely to spend 157, a driver for the creation of jobs. Offsite tourism expenditure around Kynren is expected to be in the region of 4.75million per annum, and that will be compounded by what is spent at other attractions when visitors build a short or long-stay around the show. Eleven Arches is the vision of philanthropist and investment manager Jonathan Ruffer, one of two charities he has established in Bishop Auckland, the other being the Auckland Castle Trust. Together, the aim of the charities is to establish Bishop Auckland as an international tourist destination, attracting visitors and investment which will contribute to the fortune of the area and empower the community.
Kynren was created thanks to an initial 35m investment, funded entirely by charitable donations, used for the infrastructure of the site and the show area, and creating, producing, operating and marketing the show in its first year. Appointment of Chair Eleven Arches We have many reasons to be proud: 2016 was our first ever year delivering a project no one (including Puy du Fou or people from the world of ceremonies) has ever done at that scale, at that speed, and with that level of ambition. Within less than 10 months we recruited, trained and empowered 1,000 volunteers to operate a highly complex and spectacular show. Within less than 10 months we also built an open-air stage and a permanent grandstand, award-winning visitor facilities and a cavalry to stable and train 34 horses all year round. Within less than 10 months we convinced more than 100,000 visitors to enjoy a brand new experience that did not exist in the UK previously. From 2017 onwards, we strive to operate on the previous year s proceeds. However, the production of world class arts is an ongoing journey. Profits from tickets and merchandise sales flow back to the charity to reinvest in the show and keep it at its best. We also continually increase the skill level for our cast and crew to make this show the success it must be. There is a need to train more people in more skills each year, to create extraordinary with ordinary people, to sustain the long-lasting social and economic regeneration loop we sparked from inception. Despite great commercial success in our first season and strong continued interest in subsequent years, sustaining ticket sales at the 2016 level has been challenging and driving visitor numbers is a work in progress.
Kynren was built with Puy du Fou's DNA, and as an award-winning operator of a daytime visitor attraction attracting more than 2 million visitors a year between April and September, Puy du Fou continues to be the inspiration for the next chapter of our development. Eleven Arches five-year vision is to emulate this journey. Our ambition is to open a daytime attraction as an extension to the Kynren concept that reconciles entertainment and education, culture and recreation. The theme is travel through time, with a combination of indoor and outdoor spectacles and immersive experiences. This would happen on our site and extend into neighbouring land, connecting us to The Auckland Project developments, including Binchester.
Like Puy du Fou, Kynren is not-for-profit; as a registered charity, Eleven Arches is committed to education and community development. We endeavor to professionally train all our volunteers each year in the key skills needed to produce a world-class show to ensure its longevity for decades to come. The full impact of being an Archer, as the volunteers are known, is of course individual to each one. However, based on the extensive research we commissioned after the first season, over 85% of our volunteers feel they have developed new skills thanks to their Kynren experience, from production related skills to softer skills, improving their quality of life and their own pathways to success in their professional and personal lives: teamwork, communication with people from all walks of life, self-confidence, commitment, persistence. Of great significance has been the forging of new friendships from developing a wider social group and having more fun, to deep, personal friendships which have dispelled loneliness, isolation or grief. Kynren has given our volunteers a sense of belonging, an appreciation of the importance of being part of a community; they feel great pride in what has been achieved through Kynren, both on and off stage, and their contribution to creating a better future for Bishop Auckland. What makes Kynren so special is the multi-generational nature of our volunteers. Entire families have joined in, with grandparents, parents and children all getting involved and finding their Kynren experience bonds them in a way few other leisure interests can.
Appointment of Chair Eleven Arches Kynren's story is closely associated with Auckland Castle, one of the most important medieval bishop s palaces in Europe, which served as private residence for the esteemed Prince Bishops of Durham for nine centuries. In 2012 Auckland Castle was put into trust for the people of the North East, along with Jacob and His Twelve Sons, a significant series of twelve paintings by Spanish master, Francisco de Zurbaran, which have hung there for 250 years. Auckland Castle now forms part of The Auckland Project, an arts, faith and heritage destination of international significance, with a mission to revitalise Bishop Auckland. This world-class visitor destination, being created in and around the Castle grounds, will also include a new Faith Museum, Spanish Gallery, Walled Garden, Auckland Tower visitor centre, Deer Park, Mining Art Gallery, a hotel and restaurants, which will open in stages up to 2020. Beyond that The Auckland Project plans to realise the full potential of Binchester, a Roman town just a mile from Auckland Castle. The Eleven Arches site lies between the Castle and the Roman site, surrounded by the River Wear and connected to the town by the viaduct. The site was purchased by the Trust in 2012 to provide a seamless addition to the castle experience to a wider audience, away from the historically and ecologically sensitive setting of the Park itself. Eleven Arches was set up as a sister charity to The Auckland Project to further the development of the site, and support the creation of an international tourist destination in Bishop Auckland, a new engine for economic growth.
With Kynren, the community around Bishop Auckland made history, and it now thrives on its renewed sense of belonging, pride and purpose. Kynren is truly an inspiration for participants and visitors alike. The backstage of Kynren showcases a vibrant community with a soul, humility, positivity, warmth, dedication and professionalism. Eleven Arches has delivered a bold and unconventional regeneration mission in the North East, an example of a work of arts underpinned by an innovative and engaging education and community development programme. The organisation s founding Patron and Chair, Jonathan Ruffer, has played a crucial role in the successful foundation, launch and early growth of Eleven Arches, and has now decided the time is right to step down from the role of Chair. The Board is seeking an exceptional candidate to succeed Jonathan, who will remain a Trustee. The Board s other Trustees are: Louis Greg, Stefa McManners, Dennis Tindall and Nick Turner. This is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to a unique organisation that is on a remarkable journey. The main responsibilities of the Chair include: Providing leadership and focus for the Board; Working closely with and supporting the Chief Executive and senior management team to develop the vision and strategy and establish an outstanding, sustainable future for Eleven Arches; Serving as a champion and ambassador for Eleven Arches; Monitoring the effectiveness of the organisation s governance arrangements, developing and recruiting board members; Ensuring close cooperation with The Auckland Project.
Appointment of Chair Eleven Arches The next Chair of Eleven Arches will bring all or most of the following: Senior executive experience; Proven effectiveness as a Chair and/or non-executive; Good business sense and experience of leading an organisation from start-up phase through growth and transformation, including the development of a high performing team; An understanding of production-led organisations; An outstanding listener and communicator, with the experience to exercise wise counsel and judgment; Outstanding strategic and commercial leadership; A passion for Kynren and a strong commitment to the aims and purposes of Eleven Arches, An understanding of board strategy and governance; Integrity and a proven ability to build relationships across diverse group of stakeholders; Charisma, energy and enthusiasm. The post of Chair is a part-time, unpaid, nonexecutive appointment. The Chair will be expected to attend some performances, development and education events, as well as making themselves available for consultation with the Chief Executive and meeting with diverse stakeholders as required. Total commitment to be around 3-4 days per month (this would not necessarily all be in the North East) plus performances and events, although initially this may be more as the new Chair gets to know the organisation.
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to Eleven Arches on this appointment. Candidates should apply for this role through our website at Candidates should apply for this role through our website at www.saxbam.com/appointments using code FAVHB. Click on the apply button and follow the instructions to upload a CV and cover letter. The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 13th August 2018. LONDON 9 Savoy Street London WC2E 7EG EDINBURGH 46 Melville Street Edinburgh EH3 7HF saxbam.com Partners in Panorama - Search around the world panoramasearch.com