Arts Council England calls for ideas on Cultural Leadership Programme

IFACCA/Artshub, 25 July 2005,United Kingdom

Arts Council England has announced the publication of Cultural Leadership Programme – A call for ideas which outlines the scope of a proposed cultural leadership programme, following the Government’s commitment of £12 million to promote leadership skills within the cultural sector. Chancellor Gordon Brown announced the investment in his 2005 Budget statement. “To help improve the business impact of cultural creativity, the Government will provide £12 million over two years from 2006-07 to Arts Council England and others to promote excellence in management and leadership within the cultural sector. This will ensure that a larger number of talented high-flyers in cultural organisations will be able to develop commercial and business leadership skills, encourage the leadership talents of leading ethnic minority figures in the arts, and create new opportunities for business-arts collaboration,” he said. The Cultural Leadership Programme will run for two years from April 2006 and will focus on the dual priorities of: Creating a culture of strong leadership To embed a culture of support and development for leaders in the sector. Diversity in leadership To enhance the diversity in cultural leadership with a particular focus on leaders from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The Arts Council is seeking partnerships across the sector and to learn from other sectors facing and tackling similar challenges. Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said: “We can be proud of the many great leaders we have today but what this programme will do is ensure that we have a generation of high flyers for the future. In designing this programme we are looking for informed and challenging views. We want big ideas, creative and strategic thinking so that we can create a programme that guarantees our cultural sector the excellence in leadership it deserves.” The Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “I am delighted to support the call for ideas to develop the Cultural Leadership Programme, which represents a significant and substantial opportunity for the sector to meet its future leadership skills requirements. I hope as many as possible across the relevant cultural sectors will give this vital initiative the benefit of their support and imagination.” Arts Council England has worked to establish a programme steering group, which includes representatives of Arts Council England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Clore Leadership Programme, Creative and Cultural Skills and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council together with Farooq Chaudhry, producer with the Akram Khan Company. The steering group will publish details of the Cultural Leadership Programme, including commissioning and application guidelines, by the end of the year. Arts Council England is supported in this initiative by the Clore Leadership Programme, Creative and Cultural Skills, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. To view a copy of Cultural Leadership Programme – A call for ideas, CLICK HERE For further information, CLICK HERE

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