Six priority areas have been identified for a new programme being planned by Arts Council England to help develop the cultural leaders of the future. The cornerstones of the new Cultural Leadership programme will be the embedding of a culture of leadership into organisations, the development of more diverse leadership, and support for improvisational entrepreneurs and future leaders of enterprises and institutions. Improving governance, addressing barriers to leadership development and understanding leadership in the organisational context will also be core themes. The programme is being drawn up in response to the Chancellors allocation of £12m for cultural leadership in the budget last March.
The list of priorities was developed after consultation involving more than 170 written responses and 75 interviews with individuals in the sector. The consultation found that the proposals were seen as timely and relevant, though concerns have been expressed about the time-limited nature of funding and unrealistic expectations of delivery in two years. To make the most of the short time-frame, respondents stated that not reinventing the wheel and building on existing good practice were important, and that the programme should invest in creating a longer-term infrastructure, moving beyond current practice of short-term, sector-specific initiatives. A project group is currently devising the delivery mechanisms for the programme and is approaching potential partners, aiming for a project launch in March 2006.
Published: 16-01-2006