Statement - TaPRA (Theatre and Performance Research Association)
Draft as discussed and amended by the Steering Group @ 11 July 2005 and agreed at the TaPRA inaugural conference 10th September 2005
Purpose
The Theatre and Performance Research Association (hereafter TaPRA) exists in order to facilitate research through and into theatre and performance. It is based in collegiality with a formal structure that advances informal, productive and dynamic networks.
TaPRA is located in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It seeks to facilitate the research activities of members based in these countries.
TaPRA welcomes international membership and seeks to engage with research across a wide range of cultures, disciplines and geographies.
TaPRA does not express a political affiliation and is not a lobbying body.
TaPRA is non-profit-making. [Charitable status t.b.c.]
Objectives
In the field of research into theatre and performance:
- To create, facilitate and sustain research networks concerned with theatre and performance
- To foster research that is both self-governing and integrative, by:
- Enabling links between the academy and the field of professional practice
- Enabling links between practitioners and scholars within our disciplines and across cognate fields
- Liaising with specialist organisations and groupings
- Encouraging early-career researchers
- Establishing a mentoring scheme that enables research development
- To communicate with bodies and individuals who are relevant to the development of our disciplines
- To develop and sustain international links
- To offer consultancy on a specialist and/or non-commercial and/or peer-to-peer basis
Membership
Membership is on an individual basis. TaPRA does not feature group or institutional memberships.
Membership is normally open to any individual on payment of the appropriate fee. In exceptional cases the Executive Committee may refuse an application for membership or renewal of membership.
Honorary life membership may be granted to individuals who have given distinguished service to the organisation. Such memberships will be confirmed at the Annual General Meeting.
All members have a right to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting.
Subscription
Subscription is on an annual basis with effect from 1 September to 31 August.
Annual subscriptions are as follows:
Waged £25.00
Unwaged £10.00
Applicants are charged at the higher rate unless they can demonstrate their eligibility for a lower rate to the Membership Secretary.
Subscription rates for the year to come are confirmed annually at the AGM.
Organisational structure
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee will put into action the strategy and policy of the organisation. The Executive Committee will actively consult a broad range of Advisers from within and without the organisation.
TaPRA is managed by an Executive Committee comprising nine officers. The posts are as follows:
Possible list of officers:
- Chair
- Secretary
- Conference Secretary
- Treasurer/Membership Secretary
- Website/IT Manager
- International/External Liaison
- Working Groups Coordinator
- Postgraduate Representative
- Liaisons Manager
Members of the Executive Committee will normally serve for a period of three years, subject to the terms outlined under ‘Election of postholders’ below.
The Executive Committee is responsible for the affairs of the Association. The committee will reach decisions, where necessary, by a majority vote of those present or in electronic communication within a 48-hour period, subject to the participation of at least two thirds of the Committee. Where a vote is tied, the Chair will have the casting vote.
The Executive Committee may co-opt individuals in order to form a larger management team, as described below.
The Chair will oversee the business of the Executive Committee.
The Chair will be required to call a meeting of the Executive Committee at the request of any three members of the Committee.
The management team will normally meet as a group in advance of the Annual General Meeting. Business will also be transacted by way of a series of Commissions, chaired by members of the Executive Committee and featuring the involvement of members of the management team, as described under ‘Operation’, below.
Working Groups
The Association facilitates a series of working groups, each managed by one or two coordinators. The activities of the working groups are central to the Association’s purpose. The groups are described more fully under ‘Operation’, below.
Election of postholders
The officers of the Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
The election of officers shall be undertaken by secret ballot of those present at the AGM, scrutinised by a member who is not on the Executive Committee and is not standing in the election. Postal and proxy voting will be permitted only by prior arrangement through the Secretary.
The Executive Committee and the AGM will endeavour to ensure that the members of the Executive Committee provide for broad representation.
Officers will be members of the Association and are elected on receiving the largest share of the votes cast.
Officers will normally serve for a three-year period without re-election. Where appropriate, officers may serve for a further year, subject to re-election at the AGM. Officers may not serve for a period of longer than four years and may not stand for re-election to the same role after serving for four years in the role in question.
Individuals who have served on the Executive Committee as officers in a particular role may stand for election to the Committee in a different role.
The Association’s first officers will be elected at the first AGM. There will not be an election of officers at the second AGM unless one or more of the Executive Committee chooses to step down at that point. At least one member of the Executive Committee will be replaced at each subsequent AGM. The Executive Committee will endeavour to ensure that not all of its members are replaced at any one time.
Unforeseen vacancies can be filled on a short-term basis until the next AGM by decision of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee may receive and propose nomination of candidates for election after not less than three weeks’ notice to all members. Candidates may propose themselves for job-sharing in any of the positions on the Executive Committee.
To be eligible for nomination and election, the Postgraduate Representative must be enrolled in a Masters or Doctoral research degree (full or part-time), and will normally serve for a maximum period of three years, or the period of his/her postgraduate candidature, whichever is the shorter.
Operation
TaPRA operates by way of the schedule of meetings and activities described below.
Conference
TaPRA convenes an international conference, normally on an annual basis and at a time that is convenient to a majority of members. The conference is likely to feature a mix of activities reflecting the research concerns and issues of the membership. It provides
- A forum for exchange with leading international practitioners and scholars
- A forum for the activities of working groups
- An opportunity for researchers to engage with the work of other practitioners and/or scholars
- A gathering and dissemination of practices, findings and outcomes within groups and for the conference as a whole
Annual General Meeting
The Association holds an Annual General Meeting. This normally takes place during the conference. All members are invited to attend, with notice given at least four weeks in advance of the meeting.
The AGM confirms the election of officers and the level of the subscription fee for the forthcoming year. It receives brief reports from working groups and commissions. It considers changes to the Association’s constitution as and when appropriate.
The AGM is quorate when at least 15% of the membership at the time of the AGM are present.
The Chair of TaPRA is chair of the AGM.
Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee will normally meet in advance of the Annual General Meeting. The meeting will consider reports from the Association’s Commissions. It will agree future actions, where appropriate, and identify any issues for further consideration at the AGM.
The Chair chairs meetings of the Executive Committee.
Working Groups
TaPRA fosters the creation and ongoing activities of working groups that address specific areas of research through and into theatre and performance. The groups are intended to be inclusive, to allow for creative synergies and to cut across institutional, disciplinary and cultural/geographic boundaries.
Each working group has one or two coordinators who self-identify as prospective leaders of the group and are confirmed in role by the Executive Committee. The role of coordinator(s) will normally rotate on a biennial basis. The coordinators are responsible for ensuring that the respective group works in accordance with the overriding purpose, interests and formal rubrics of TaPRA. The coordinator/s will represent the group’s activities and research outcomes where appropriate at the annual conference and the AGM.
Subject to the provision, above, each group manages its own communications and arranges its own schedule of activities during the year. Working groups are obliged to report on their activities annually to the association via the AGM.
The life-cycle of each group is not pre-determined. Groups may form and disperse according to the interests and energies of members.
The Membership Secretary & Working Group Coordinator will keep a record of groups currently in operation, with contact details of coordinator/s.
Commissions
TaPRA’s management team arranges its ongoing business through a series of Commissions chaired by relevant officers of the Executive Committee, as indicated below:
Commission | Core members | Chair |
Communication and dissemination |
| Secretary |
Finance |
| Treasurer/Membership Secretary |
Strategic Development |
| Liaisons Manager |
Conference |
| Conference Secretary |
All members of the Executive Committee are ex officio members of each Commission. However, core members of the respective Commission are identified in the table above.
Each Commission may meet in person or transact its business electronically, subject to due notification of business by the chair.
Each Commission can co-opt Advisors as necessary and appropriate.
Each Commission may co-opt one or two parties in order to assist its operations (for example, in the maintenance of databases).
The chair of each Commission will report to the Executive Committee in advance of the Annual General Meeting, and by way of summary at the AGM.
Decisions that substantively affect the direction, profile and/or governance of TaPRA will be referred to the Executive Committee for ratification according to the normal decision-making process.
The Executive Committee shall create and disband Commissions as appropriate.
Accounts
Three members of the Executive Committee will be signatories to payments, and any cheque must be signed by two of those three signatories. No reimbursement made to an officer of the Association shall be made or signed by that officer. The Treasurer will have oversight of the Association’s bank account, cheque book and credit/debit cards. The Treasurer will present to the Executive Committee an independently-examined account of the Association’s financial transactions on an annual basis.
Amendments to the constitution
The Association’s Annual General Meeting may amend the Constitution subject to a majority of two thirds of the members present and voting, provided that a quorum of at least 15% of the membership at the time of the AGM be present and that written notice of the amendment proposed has been circulated to all members not less than four weeks before the Annual General Meeting. The membership list will be available on request from the Treasurer/Membership Secretary.
Dissolution
The Association may be dissolved by the agreement of not less than three quarters of those members present at an Annual General Meeting or a General Meeting specifically summoned for the purpose by the Executive Committee, giving all members at least one month’s notice of the date of the meeting and the reasons for the proposed dissolution.
In the event of dissolution, any funds existing after the payment of all liabilities will be transferred to one or more organisations having similar objectives to the Association.| Next > |
|---|
