Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, the producing theatre serving Outer East London and South Essex, is seeking a visionary and dynamic individual to join them as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Image credit: Hannah Davis
If you are passionate about the performing arts, the Queens Theatre’s communities, share our commitment to inclusivity and have leadership experience, we invite you to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our award-winning theatre.
We are looking for an innovative, forward-thinking individual to join us as Chair of the Board of Trustees to help oversee the next chapter in Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s history and lead a thriving and embedded cultural offer for the London Borough of Havering — someone who is as ambitious as the theatre itself. Someone who will lead a committed Board and a talented executive team, ensure robust governance and help the organisation grow its impact, strengthen its resilience and further deepen our connection with local communities.
As an award-winning producing theatre serving Outer East London and South Essex, the theatre provides a focal point for a community of over one million people. This is a pivotal moment to join us as Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch approaches its 75th anniversary, leading a thriving cultural offer that is deeply embedded in the London Borough of Havering.
Whether you are already familiar with QTH or discovering our work for the first time, this role offers a unique opportunity to play a leading role in a remarkable organisation that attracts over 220,000 people annually through home-grown theatre and inspiring community projects.
If you have the drive and enthusiasm to make a difference and share our commitment to inclusivity, this is a fantastic opportunity to lead a theatre which is central to the sense of place and the cultural life of the area.
Who we are
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch objective:
“…to promote, maintain, improve and advance education and the Arts particularly by the production of plays and the encouragement of the Arts including the arts of drama, mime, dance, singing and music”.
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is the professional producing theatre serving Outer East London and South Essex. We are renowned for a varied and vibrant programme that often champions local writers and works in partnership with theatres across the UK to create dynamic touring patterns. Our work reaches all generations, from baby sensory workshops and school programmes to dementia-focused activities and well-being sessions for older people.
Beyond our stage, we play a vital civic role as the host organisation for Havering Changing, a community-led Creative People and Places Project backed by Arts Council England. We also lead FUSE Havering, the borough’s Local Cultural Education Partnership. In 2025/26, our community activities alone engaged more than 30,700 participants across 1,473 sessions.
Operating as a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, QTH is in a stable financial position with healthy unrestricted reserves. We are a significant regional employer and are deeply committed to environmental responsibility, having made significant inroads to reduce our carbon footprint.
About the role
The Chair holds the overarching responsibility to ensure that QTH’s charitable objectives are met and that the theatre is safeguarded for the future. Leading a board of 12 Trustees, you will provide visionary leadership, ensure good governance and maintain compliance with legal and best-practice standards.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leadership: Providing guidance to the Board and supporting the relationship between Trustees and staff.
- Strategic oversight: Working with the executive team to implement the theatre’s vision and overseeing the development of National Portfolio applications to Arts Council England.
- Management: Acting as the line manager for the Chief Executive, conducting annual appraisals and leading the recruitment process for a permanent Chief Executive.
- Financial stewardship: Ensuring accurate financial information is provided to the Board and monitoring risks to the theatre’s financial well-being.
- Representation: Serving as the public face of QTH to funding bodies, stakeholders and the local community.
- Governance: Ensuring the theatre operates ethically within the UK legal framework and reviewing the skillset and training of board members.
The Chair is expected to be visible within the theatre community, attending performances and events to celebrate our collective achievements.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking an exceptional individual who recognises our worth and shares our belief in the value of culture. The ideal candidate will possess:
- Commitment – A deep passion for the arts and the mission and values of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.
- Leadership – A proven track record of strategic thinking and experience in chairing or leading within an established organisation.
- Governance expertise – A strong understanding of charity governance and the ability to support the development of a diverse fundraising strategy.
- Communication – Excellent interpersonal skills and the confidence to constructively challenge both the Board and the Chief Executive.
- Inclusivity – A commitment to broadening the diversity of our workforce and Board.
- Diplomacy –The ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders and remain equitable when upholding decision-making.
Desirable qualities include a knowledge of and interest in the communities of Hornchurch, East London, and South Essex.
We actively encourage applications from individuals self-identifying as from Global Majority backgrounds, as well as D/deaf or disabled candidates. Above all, we want an advocate with the energy and drive to steer QTH through its next phase of development.
The time commitment for this role will be approximately 2 – 3 days per month.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
David Hingley | david@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07534 244249
Ella Garfinkel | ella@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07432 859534
Welcome from the Interim Co-Chairs
Dear Candidate,
We are delighted that you have taken this step to find out more about the role of Chair of the Board of Trustees at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.
Whether you already know Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch well, or are discovering us for the first time, we hope this site gives you a sense of the ambition, energy and impact of our remarkable organisation.
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch sits at the heart of one of the most rapidly changing parts of the country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people engage with our work through productions, community projects, participation programmes and learning activities. We are proud of the role we play in bringing people together, creating opportunities for creativity and ensuring that great theatre is accessible to as many people as possible.
This is an exciting moment in the theatre’s journey, as we head towards our 75th anniversary. In recent years, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has strengthened its artistic reputation, expanded its community impact and secured significant investment from Arts Council England to support an ambitious programme of development and growth. We have a talented and dedicated team, a committed Board, strong partnerships and a clear sense of purpose.
At the same time, like many organisations across the cultural sector, we are navigating a rapidly changing environment. The opportunity for a new Chair is not simply to oversee governance, but to help shape what comes next. This is a chance to play a leading role in the next chapter of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s story — building on strong foundations while helping the organisation continue to grow its impact, strengthen its resilience and deepen its connection with communities across Havering, Outer East London and South Essex. For this, we are seeking an exceptional individual who recognises our worth, shares our ambition and has the energy, drive and vision to steer QTH through the next phase of its journey
We are looking for someone who shares our belief in the value of culture, understands the importance of public investment in the arts and is excited by the opportunity to work alongside a passionate and dedicated Board and leadership team. Above all, we are looking for someone who will be an advocate for the theatre, its people and its future.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. We hope this pack inspires you to become part of an organisation with a proud history, a strong present and an ambitious future.
We look forward to hearing from you.
With best wishes,
Sonja and Phil, Interim Co-Chairs
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
About us
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (QTH) is the producing theatre serving Outer East London and South Essex, with a wider catchment area of 1 million+ people.
Providing a focal point for our communities, over 220,000 people enjoy the programme and activities each year, including the best in home-grown theatre, visiting live entertainment and inspiring community projects. Beyond this, we are a pivotal employer and provide a vibrant and holistic resource for the people of the borough through our range of community activities and artist development programmes – across all ages, from baby sensory workshops, working with schools to our dementia focused activities.
We strive to provide a warm welcome to our audiences and participants and are renowned for our varied and vibrant programme, often championing the local writer and working in partnership with producing theatres across the UK to create dynamic touring patterns. Increasingly, we work in different ways to engage with new people, often hyper-locally in places that are underserved by arts and culture generally. This includes an increasing focus on D/eaf and disabled practitioners.
Communities: Learning and Participation Programme.
Our communities programme creates opportunities for people of every generation to take part in theatre, arts and culture, connect with one another and thrive.
Our activity, breadth of delivery partners and reach continue to grow, as QTH also plays a wider civic role.
It leads FUSE Havering, the borough’s Local Cultural Education Partnership, and is the lead member/host organisation for Havering Changing (Creative People and Places). Through all of this work, QTH helps local people, artists, schools and community partners shape a richer cultural life for the borough.
Havering Changing: Creative People and Places.
An inspiring community-led arts and cultural project, which is borough-wide and is operationally based at QTH. Backed by a £1 million investment from Arts Council England, it empowers local residents to choose, create, and participate in their own creative experiences. The project is specifically designed for communities where engagement with the arts is traditionally below the national average.
QTH is the host venue for the Havering Changing consortium of eight organisations, which enables our communities to be at the heart of cultural decision-making, to choose, create and take part in inspiring arts and cultural events, telling new and different stories about Havering and which encourages a more connected, ambitious and confident community.
The London Borough of Havering, the third largest borough in London, is currently experiencing significant demographic shifts. Between 2011 and 2021, the population grew by 10.5%, with a 15.2% increase in children and young people – a rate far higher than the London average.
Simultaneously, Havering has the second-highest number of older people (65+) in London. These changes bring both challenges and opportunities, and our mission is to ensure equality of cultural opportunity for all residents.
Our professional producing theatre status means we create our own work, supported by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Hornchurch Productions Limited. Our recent programme has been eclectic, ranging from the national tour of Handbagged to the development of a South Asian pantomime, Surindella. We are particularly proud of our co-creation work, such as Oestrogen Assemble, which featured a community cast of over 30 women.
Looking ahead to 2026–2029, we plan to deepen our work in priority neighbourhoods and launch Storytelling Co-operatives, putting residents in charge of how we share our impact. We also aim to create an Experimental Creative Exchange to connect local communities with international artists. With secured National Portfolio funding and a stable financial base, QTH is poised to remain a pivotal cultural hub for decades to come.
Accessibility information
The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We ensure all recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible and champion the hiring of underrepresented groups, including D/eaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives.
We offer the following amenities:
- Step free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms, and an accessible workstation
- Accessibility dogs are welcome
- Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
- A sign language interpreter can be accessed for interview
- Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
Reasonable adjustments.
We offer several adjustments to ensure a fair process, including:
- Application: Allowing alternative methods such as video-recorded applications.
- Interviews: Sending interview questions in advance and reimbursing travel expenses.
- Guaranteed Interviews: We will interview any disabled person who meets the basic job requirements.
- Access to Work: We support staff who need government grants for special equipment or support workers.
To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
David Hingley | david@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07534 244249
Ella Garfinkel | ella@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07432 859534
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch — Chair of the Board of Trustees” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
David Hingley | david@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07534 244249
Ella Garfinkel | ella@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07432 859534
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
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Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Wednesday 19th August 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: Wednesday 26th August 2026
Interviews: Friday 4th September 2026
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
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