Volunteering on the board of an arts organisation
The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre
Source Keith Saunders
Many people know little about the workings of boards. The Arts & Culture Magazine Editor had a conversation with Peter Keel, the chair of the Bundanon Trust, about his volunteer work for Bundanon.
New board members have recently been appointed by the Minister for the Arts, and that, says Mr Keel, brings a skill set with a new look to Bundanon.
Mr Keel is a partner at the law firm Clayton Utz, and also chairs the board of the Eye Foundation, which raises funds for an arm of the ANZ College of Opthalmologists. He is one year into his second three-year term.
Arts & Culture Magazine: Is the day-to-day role of the board members more nuts and bolts, including assisting the CEO to manage—or is drawing the threads across all their areas of interest, and being animateurs, part of the job?
Peter Keel: We do all sorts of things in addition to the strict board roles. What board members do for Bundanon is to give time to the encouragement of all sorts endeavours, rather than necessarily just giving money.
Bundanon has an atmosphere that inspires artists of all kinds to create. Working on the board for Bundanon is inspiring too. When you are working for a non-profit board and doing it for free, to be blunt, it helps if there is something, some enjoyment in it too. One of the things about Bundanon is that, if you have an interest in the arts at all, it's magnified. And you ripple that enthusiasm about Bundanon out and away into other areas.
Bundanon works in a different way from the usual board of a not-for-profit organisation, as it is nominated by the Minister for the Arts and the assets are owned by the federal government.
The reason I think I was chosen is that I have had an interest in visual arts. When I joined the Bundanon board, it was suggested it would be sensible to have a chair from Sydney, as much of the Bundanon activity is NSW related, so I took on the role. As a lawyer I could bring to the board some understanding of business, and of the legal framework within which Bundanon operates.
The other skill I think I brought is a reasonable strategic sense. You are taught to think strategically as a lawyer. Many – not by all means all – lawyers are pretty good strategic thinkers and communicators. Bundanon is now looking at where it is to go in the next 10 or even 20 years, and there is a lot of that sort of analysis going on. So at the moment the skill set is probably appropriate.
A&C: What is the mix of skills on the reconstituted board? Do you all have an interest in the arts, and is there a place for people who aren't really in touch with the arts sector but have sound business skills?
Peter Keel: Most of the people on the board are interested in the arts. There is a local member of the board, Tony Emery, who brings the local community perspective. And that is part of the hard mix at Bundanon: we have to balance its impact in the region with its responsibility in a national and international context.
We have Geoff Ainsworth, a businessman and an art collector; Simon Elliott, of the National Gallery of Australia; Richard Morcroft, journalist and photographer, who lives on the New South Wales south coast; Angela Clark, formerly of Macquarie Radio. Michael Snelling, an arts administrator from Brisbane with a lot of experience in galleries, is our longest serving board member. Peter Watts, a former CEO of Historic Houses and an architect himself, is helping us a great deal through the analysis of where Bundanon should go.
The Boyd family is represented by Arthur's daughter Polly, and the Australian Government by Jenny Anderson. It is a great mix of skills.
In the past, board members have made enormous contributions to Bundanon. Some years ago some early board members gave some money to Bundanon which led to the building of cottages for the artists in residence. Another benefactor gave money toward the building of the education centre – an iconic Glen Murcutt/Wendy Lewin building. I cannot imagine the amount of time that many of the former board members have contributed.
That visionary support has been a great enabler for Bundanon. There just aren't many places with the facilities for this sort of exposure to the arts for kids or exposure to the solitude and environment for artists in residence.
A&C: Do most of the members sit across other boards?
Peter Keel: Most people have other boards as well. Bundanon can provide an interesting contrast to other work, because it is a not-for-profit whose day-to-day turnover is underwritten by the Australian Government. Bundanon is now at a stage, though, where it has got to begin to get more extensive philanthropic support. What this board has got to do is make sure Bundanon does that properly – bringing benefactors to the table and keeping them passionate and enthused. That is not something to be taken lightly, or done in a slapdash way.
Bundanon patrons tend to be passionate and enthusiastic. Originally the Boyd family were the sole patrons, but it has grown to something I suspect that Arthur and Yvonne Boyd didn't envisage.
The board is tremendously proud of Bundanon's achievements. About 300 artists in residence will go through this year—some being groups, some individuals; it has education programs which take through schools. There's an adopt-a-school program which supports disadvantaged schools. It has public performances, a working farm. The work of Bundanon includes conserving its $20 million art collection.
And on top of it all, it has this extraordinary environment to look after. Our long-standing volunteer Jim Wallace has a passion for the environment at Bundanon, so he is very much in synch with Boyd's interests as well, Boyd having been an ardent environmentalist as well as a painter.
All this means that Bundanon is a very complex business which has got to be administered properly, and we can't afford to let any aspect fail.
We are lucky in that we have a great CEO, Deborah Ely. In the last three years she has put in place new collaborations and initiatives which have lifted Bundanon dramatically. There has been an artists/scientists collaboration, the Ten Trenches, and a collaboration between the Sydney Theatre Company and the UK Almeida Theatre where actors from Sydney and London worked on a voice project under the guidance of Cicely Berry—to name just two projects.
We communicate with and variously collaborate with or mentor many institutions. Locally we're doing some work with the University of Wollongong, and we've arranged exhibitions at the nearby Shoalhaven Gallery.
It's also good to know we have the minister supporting us. Every time we've met with him about Bundanon he has been very enthusiastic. It is wonderful to have that level of support.
A&C: Given that Arthur Boyd was from Victoria, perhaps Bundanon's untraditional aspects have something of the flavour of the early days of Heide about them – the many visiting artists, the engagement with the outdoors …
Peter Keel: It does, but it's more than Heide in one way and less in another. I don't think the Boyds could ever be compared to the Reeds, and Heide has that amazing gallery … we don't have that.
Like any board, we have had a couple of issues over the years that have been difficult.
A&C: Boards always do, though, don't they? There's always going to be contests of ideas and some conflict. It must go with the territory.
Peter Keel: We all like the idea of debate but I also like the idea of progress!
A&C: Does decision-making, especially on the environmental aspects and infrastructure, rest with the board rather than with the CEO?
Peter Keel: We will always listen to the recommendation of the CEO, and of course the day to day running of the business is for the CEO. But we now face some serious issues in which the Board is taking an active role – Bundanon has reached the limit of what it can do with the facilities that it has. We're in a fantastic position, but the question is, do we want to do more and, if so, what and how can that be?
A&C: It's a perennial question; not only having to take account of the growth of population in the region, but also the growth in the creative economy – and you'll be part of that.
Peter Keel: All of that is right, but of course it is a unique environmental and cultural environment which we mustn't wreck by trying to do too much. I have two more years to run, and I'd like to make sure that we have a very considered approach to future planning in place.
A&C: Is there a limit on how many times a chair can be reappointed?
Peter Keel: In our case it's at the minister's discretion, and if he feels things are ticking along he may decide to carry on as is, but if he feels the board would be well served by changes, well that will happen.
A&C: Do former chairs tend to stick around, sort of step back down to the “backbench” when their term is over?
Peter Keel: You have to be in the position long enough to understand it, and put into effect what you need to: new ideas and new things. Then a point comes where you need to step away, and change is good. I think we have a good, refreshed board which will step into the role of answering “Where Bundanon goes next”, and I would like to see at least the process in place whereby some of those choices can be made and are made. That's really important.
A&C: And you manage to maintain your professional career on top of all this enthusiasm for Bundanon? It's not costing your day job to any extent?
Peter Keel: Not at all! Clayton Utz has its own foundation and pro bono programs, and the firm supports Bundanon by giving it pro bono legal advice. All of us are encouraged as lawyers within the firm to do work outside our normal work.
It does mean of course that you have to do things which impinge on other aspects of your personal life rather than your professional life, but that's OK. My daughter is nine, and we had a weekend down at Bundanon recently with some friends— the facilities can be rented out. The kids played, painted and looked for wombats at night. Now my daughter is starting to say, “You've had your time at Bundanon Dad, can I go down and do a painting workshop with my friends?”
A&C: Your daughter's experience of Bundanon certainly reflects the intent and purpose of the institution—inspiring creative skills and a love of the environment.
Peter Keel: Indeed, and it's very much reflecting the Boyd legacy. It's wonderful to see that the legacy is beginning to touch many, many more people. I think that Arthur would be very proud. I know Yvonne is.
Bundanon was gifted to the Australian people in 1993 by Arthur and Yvonne Boyd. The Bundanon property, which includes the Bundanon Homestead site and the Riversdale site, is located on 1,100 hectares of pristine bush land overlooking the Shoalhaven River, near Nowra in south-eastern New South Wales. The Australian Government established Bundanon Trust as a wholly-owned Australian Government company by the guarantee. The Trust's Board of Directors reports directly to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, who in turn appoint the chairperson and the directors.
The Bundanon Trust website: http://www.bundanon.com.au
