News & Events News

An update on Clore Leadership activities in light of Covid-19

As the dramatic impact of Covid-19 plays out across the cultural sector, Clore Leadership, like all cultural organisations, is having to review and revise plans and opportunities that were in place but three weeks ago.

In the current circumstances, we are unable to open applications for our Fellowship Programme, Leadership Intensive and Emerging Leaders courses in April 2020, as originally intended.

Enhanced skills and capacity are critical at a time of crisis and we know there is an ongoing demand for skilled, inspiring and generous cultural leadership. We remain determined to offer strong support to the sector and, in collaboration with our highly respected facilitators and trainers, have accelerated the work to produce a dynamic range of leadership learning offers, to be delivered online. We have already mined our resources to share a range of views, strategies and approaches in our Perspective on Leadership focussing on Crisis Management and will continue to build this as a dynamic resource, available to all.

In an immediate response to the current situation, we are collaborating with legal firm Counterculture to provide a webinar on Furloughing – an issue we know many in our sector are trying to understand and apply, at speed.

Our new ‘Leading from a Distance’ series also launches this week. Cultural leaders, facilitators and trainers who contribute to our programmes will share ideas, tips, tools and strategies for leading effectively amidst current uncertainties. 

We are working to re-schedule our 2019/20 Fellowship Programme, moving to an online engagement, and creating a new suite of opportunities to enable the Clore 16 cohort to benefit from shared and dynamic leadership learning experiences.

We are hugely grateful to our funders and supporters for the flexibility which will enable us to act swiftly and creatively at this time.

Covid-19 has impacted every business nationally and internationally, and all are considering the most dynamic ways of re-engineering for the future. What emerges will be a new landscape, new modes of engagement and delivery.

“It’s all too clear that coming out of this crisis we are going to need excellent leadership, and that leaders, at all scales and across all sectors, will need to embrace their role as change makers. The challenges that leaders at all levels and in all sectors must face and respond to – this imminent crisis as well as ongoing challenges such as the climate emergency, economic inequality, isolation and disconnection, polarisation – are complex and will need patience and nuanced approaches, collaborative skills and new behaviours.”

Moira Sinclair, Chair, Clore Leadership, April 2020

We are keen to explore how the Clore Leadership community can be active agents in rebuilding the sector post the crisis and will be sharing case studies, perspectives and experiences to reflect and facilitate the new ways of working that will be critical for a strong cultural sector in the times ahead.

Our plans need to stay adaptive and responsive as this unpredictable event unfolds. Please ensure to sign up to the visit our research library. for information, opportunities and ways to stay engaged and connected at this challenging time.

Themes Sector Insights