Leadership for our Times: Meet the 2021 Clore Fellows
Twenty-one creative and dynamic Fellows embark on the new Clore Fellowship Programme this spring, the 17th cohort of leaders from the arts and cultural sector.
The Clore Fellowship is a bespoke professional development opportunity that works to develop leaders from across a wide range of cultural disciplines and sectors. With the benefit of 17 years of leadership mastery, Clore Leadership will draw on its eclectic range of programme options and world-class speakers so that Fellows can access the best knowledge and perspectives the sector has to offer. Looking directly at the challenges of our time, the 2021 Fellowship will flex and adapt to interrogate the leadership themes and issues that have come to the fore during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to core tenets of leadership, Fellows will learn practical skills, reflect on the big questions of the day and collaborate on potential opportunities for the sector moving forwards. An Urban Intensive will explore the changing nature of cultural practice and environments, exploring how culture can play a part in economic recovery.
Clore Fellows are chosen for their leadership ambitions and potential, creativity and vision. The 2021 cohort includes artists, curators, producers, directors and educators, many of whom work across disciplines and co-create with communities and underrepresented groups. Collectively they represent the breadth and depth of the sector covering eight different cultural disciplines, from solo practitioners to those in 200+ people organisations, and are based in eight regions across the UK. All demonstrate a strong desire to achieve positive outcomes as we rebuild and reanimate the sector post-pandemic.
This year, we are thrilled to have garnered stakeholder support to introduce three new Fellowship categories ensuring that the Clore Fellowship reaches the widest breadth of individuals and addresses historical underrepresentation in the cultural sector. The Excellerate Fellowships, funded by Arts Council England, Clore Duffield Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation support early-career leaders aged 24-35 looking to fast track their professional development in the cultural sector. The Duffield Fellowships, funded by Clore Leadership founders the Clore Duffield Foundation, support leaders in medium to large-scale cultural institutions of 200+ staff in the UK. The Transform Fellowships, funded by Arts Council England’s Transforming Leadership Fund, support individuals from communities and backgrounds currently underrepresented in the sector.
This 17th cohort of Clore Fellows are set to further enhance the much sought-after group of Clore Leadership alumni, which includes entrepreneurs and innovators across the cultural and creative industries, leading cultural policy, practice and some of the most prestigious organisations in the country and abroad. Clore Leadership alumni include; Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of V&A East; Sara Wajid, Co-CEO of Birmingham Museum Trust; Hilary Knight, Director of Digital at Tate; Vicki Amedume, Artistic Director and CEO of Upswing and Associate Director at The New Vic Theatre; Dane Hurst, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre; Peter Gaw, Chief Executive Officer Inspire : Culture, Learning and Libraries and many more.
Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England:
‘Cultural organisations around the world have faced unprecedented challenges resulting from the pandemic, but have continued to adapt and respond in innovative ways to provide valuable experiences for people to enjoy. Creative leadership will be vital as we look towards a future where cultural organisations are able to reopen. We’re delighted to be supporting this year’s cohort of Clore fellows which represents a very wide range of talent from across the sector.’
Moira Sinclair, Chair of Clore Leadership:
‘Leadership in our sector has been tested this year in ways that no one could have foreseen. What we know is that as we start to emerge from lockdown, reset and rebuild we will need leaders with vision that are ambitious and able to see the way forward, inspiring those around them to work together with funders, policy makers and communities to create great art for society. I’m delighted to welcome this cohort to what will be a unique Fellowship.’
Hilary Carty, Director, Clore Leadership:
‘We are delighted to welcome the 2021 Clore Fellows, a group that have undergone a rigorous application process and hugely impressed us, not only with their creativity, spark and attentiveness to current issues, but with the originality of their ideas and vision for the sector. This year’s new Duffield, Excellerate and Transform, Fellowships demonstrate the continued commitment of our funders to the leadership of culture in the UK, flexing funding to support what is needed in today’s sector, which in turn will reap rewards for culture in our society.’
We are hugely grateful to the many strategic partners who have joined us in strengthening the workforce and driving excellence and innovation in the leadership of culture.
The major funding partners for the Clore Leadership Programme in 2021 are: the Clore Duffield Foundation, which initiated the programme in 2003; Arts Council England, which funds the Fellowship and a range of other Clore Leadership programmes; a-n The Artists Information Company; the Arts and Humanities Research Council; Creative Scotland; Dancers’ Career Development; Esmée Fairbairn Foundation; the Gatsby Charitable Foundation; the Home Affairs Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through Hong Kong Arts Development Council; National Lottery Heritage Fund; National Trust; The Linbury Trust and Wellcome Trust.
In light of the potential for on-going disruptions due to Covid-19, we have agreed with the Home Affairs Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through Hong Kong Arts Development Council, to postpone the Hong Kong Fellowships in 2021 and look forward to welcoming them in 2022.
Creative Scotland Fellowship
BRYONY McINTYRE
Bryony is a founding co-director of Arika, a political arts organisation furthering the connections between artistic production and social change through festivals, grassroots community-led programmes and international collaborations. Recently awarded a Turner Prize Bursary.
Dance Fellowship | The Linbury Trust and DCD
JONATHAN WATKINS
Jonathan is a Director and Choreographer working across Dance, Theatre and Film. A former First Artist with the Royal Ballet, his choreographic works include ‘KES’ with Sheffield Theatres; ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ with Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre; and ‘Kes Reimagined’ a feature length dance film for BBC/The Space. His adaptation of Orwell’s 1984 for Northern Ballet won the Southbank Sky Arts Award for Best New Dance Production.
Duffield Fellowships | Clore Duffield Foundation
DR DOMINIQUE BOUCHARD
Dominique is Head of Learning and Interpretation at English Heritage where she leads interpretation, contemporary art, learning, digital, publishing, and youth engagement. Trained as an archaeologist and curator, she has worked in museums in Hong Kong, Ireland and the UK, and as expert consultant for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the area of museums, heritage and divided societies. Dominique is passionate about empowering communities to share their own stories.
LAURA GREENFIELD
Laura is the Deputy Director for External Engagement at Cambridge University Libraries, where she leads exhibitions and public programming, communications, and fundraising. She has previously worked at organisations including Arvon, LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) and Clean Break, primarily in fundraising roles, and she has raised more than £10 million for theatre, literature and libraries.
SARAH ROBERTSON
Sarah is Communications and Special Projects Director at Bristol Music Trust, the organisation that runs Bristol Beacon, the largest concert hall in the South West. She spearheaded the concert hall’s recent name change away from the slave trader Edward Colston. Sarah is on the strategic board at Turner Sims concert hall.
Excellerate Fellowships
The Excellerate Fellowships are supported by Arts Council England, the Clore Duffield Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
LINDA BLOOMFIELD
Linda is based in Sheffield and her culture and community work is local, national and international, including projects with the National Theatre, British Library, Future Arts Centres and the Albany. Linda has curated #OpportunityTuesday (to share artist opportunities) for three years and was a 2019 Fellow with Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy.
ADEM HOLNESS
Adem is a senior artistic programmer and cultural strategist, currently working as Music Curator at the Horniman Museum in South London and Relationship Manager at Arts Council England. Having been responsible for arts and cultural organisations, talent development programmes, live music festivals, tours and gigs, Adem specialises in enabling the ambitions of music artists & creatives, predominantly within UK Jazz, Afrobeat, Grime, Reggae, Electronic and R&B music.
ANGELICA SULE
Angelica is the Programme Director at Site Gallery, Sheffield. Supporting and platforming underrepresented artists is at the core of her curatorial practice, which focuses on connections between people, science fiction, care, empathy, community, collaboration, social justice and intersectionality. She previously worked at Nottingham Contemporary and completed the Young Curators Residency Programme at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in 2015.
KATE WHITLEY
Kate is co-founder and CEO/Artistic Director of The Multi-Story Orchestra, a classical orchestra that performs in car parks around the UK. Its widely celebrated performances bring together hundreds of community performers alongside professional musicians. Kate is also a pianist and composer who has written music for choirs and orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Heritage Fellowship
The Heritage Fellowship is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
JOANNA KILLEYA
Jo is Head of Public Engagement, Curatorial and Collections at York Museums Trust where she is responsible for developing an impactful and engaging public programming and for the care and development of the Trusts Collections. She is also Project Director for the ambitious redevelopment of York Castle Museum. She has a background in Interpretation and has previously held leadership roles at Imperial War Museums and Historic Royal Palaces.
National Trust Fellowship
AMANDA CHINNECK
Amanda has held leadership roles at several national organisations including the National Trust, Science Museum Group and Crafts Council. She has spent her career developing and delivering world-class visitor focused interpretation and arts programmes in a variety of contexts.
Natural Resources Wales supported Fellowship
JOSEPH ROBERTS
Joseph is an artist, administrator and policy maker. He works for Natural Resources Wales, where he is responsible for developing their emerging Arts Programme. His passion is for making spaces where creativity and nature can help shape people’s lives, inspiring them to think more about their role in the planet’s future.
Theatre Fellowships
The Theatre Fellowships are supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation
LINDSEY ALVIS
Lindsey is Executive Director & Joint CEO of Hull-based Middle Child Theatre. After 10 years producing theatre, first for London based touring company Headlong & then Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres, Lindsey returned home for Hull UK City of Culture 2017. She is passionate about providing opportunities for artists to live and work in the city in which she grew up, creating world-class art with local resonance and national significance.
POOJA GHAI
Pooja is an award-winning theatre director, actor, facilitator, activist and mentor, recognised as a fierce advocate for giving voice to marginalised groups. Pooja is at the forefront of leadership change and active in organisations whose ethos supports and helps achieve this. She is co-chair of both Artistic Directors of the Future and Stage Directors UK and is a trustee of Pop-Up Projects CIC.
Transform Fellowships
The Transform Fellowships are supported by Arts Council England, Transforming Leadership Fund
CATHY MAGER
Cathy is an artist, producer and curator. She created Sign Night, an internationally acclaimed film for BBC Arts and The Space. She currently leads Forest to Forest in partnership with Forestry England, and the The Lantern Project for Bristol Beacon and was recently Artistic Director of the award-winning The Ring for Canal & River Trust.
Previously, she has worked at Southbank Centre, Art on the Underground and Historic Royal Palaces.
AMANDA PARKER
Amanda is Founder and Director of Inc Arts – set up in 2019 to champion the economic, contractual and creative rights of the UK’s ethnically diverse arts workforce. A former journalist and BBC TV programme maker, Amanda is an RSA Fellow; Board member of Film London and Chair of Artsdepot.
PHIL SANGER
Phil is Programme Leader & Lecturer in Performance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and former dancer with Phoenix Dance Theatre. An LGBTQ+ transdisciplinary practitioner working at the intersection of Dance, Wellbeing & Academia, he is an artist, educator, producer, & life coach. Phil has taught around the globe, raised over £370,000 for local arts projects in Leeds & produced multiple national tours.
DR CECILIA WEE
Cecilia is an independent curator, educator and agitator, addressing equity, precarity and infrastructures for art and social action, working with experimental sound, performance, visual practices. Cecilia has edited books, curated exhibitions, events, workshops and led research with organisations including Akademie der Künste Berlin, Furtherfield Gallery, Heart of Glass, Resonance FM, Royal College of Art and Tate. Cecilia was previously Head of Artist Development, Artsadmin and is founder of tdwm studio.
ROBYN WINFIELD-SMITH
Robyn is a stage and screen director, creative producer, facilitator, educator and activist, currently Artistic Director of Liminal Stage Productions, having recently completed an ACE-funded international live video residency with Katie Mitchell. She is Education Associate Practitioner at the RSC, Research Associate at RHUL and a Directing Tutor at Mountview. The youngest founding board member of Stage Directors UK, Robyn is a passionate voice for positive change and collaboration within the creative industries.
Visual Arts Fellowship
The Visual Arts Fellowship is supported by a-n The Artists Information Company
POLLY BRANNAN
Polly is a curator, educator and artist committed to producing public art and programmes with artists and communities, co-commissioning with them to create new work. She has recently been appointed as Artistic Director of Open School East, a free, independent arts school and community space in Margate and was Education Curator at Liverpool Biennial 2012-18 and Education Curator at Serpentine Galleries 2011–13. She is Co-Founder and artist with network Avant Gardening.
Wellcome Fellowship supported by Wellcome Trust
JEN WONG
Jen is Head of Programming at Science Gallery London at King’s College London, and co-founder and Director of Guerilla Science. She has worked across the cultural sector primarily in museums, galleries, the higher education and music festival sectors.
Themes Alumni Journeys
