We’re thrilled to be partnering on Empowering Curators with Art Fund, this is a vital and timely programme supporting global majority leaders in the museums and galleries sector.

“The Empowering Curators programme is of its time – strategic, ambitious, thoughtful and focused. It draws together key sector partners, learning from the past, and contemporary perspectives, to make a sustained investment in the future of curatorial leadership.” – Hilary Carty OBE

Today, in partnership with Clore Leadership and the Cultural Governance Alliance, Arts Council England have published a new guide to support working relationships between Chairs and Chief Executives across the arts and cultural sector. 

Developed by Fiona Allan, this resource provides practical advice, tools and templates to help organisations strengthen governance at the top of cultural institutions.

You can find out more information on the guidance by reading this article by Fiona Allan in The Stage.

Clore Leadership in partnership with The Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA) are excited to announce the launch of a new governance EDI Benchmarking Tool. We’re committed to helping organisations embed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into their governance practices and have developed a practical tool to help you move from intention to impact and create tangible change. The tool has been developed in collaboration with Clore Leadership Governance Associate, Keith Arrowsmith.

The tool’s development and launch has been supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. 

I found the (benchmarking tool) exercise valuable for identifying areas for improvement and board effectiveness.
Diversifying Governance Cohort Member

Benchmarks are invaluable governance tools that provide quantitative measures to track progress, identify opportunities, and set strategic direction. Our EDI Benchmarking Tool is designed to help your board review its performance and set goals relating to EDI policies and processes.

While a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t suitable for EDI, good governance supports transparency and consistency. This particular tool will help you assess whether your governance arrangements actively encourage a diverse board, rather than directly measuring your organisation’s current diversity.

After undertaking initial benchmarking, the tool will provide a score across different aspects of EDI in your governance, along with insights and free resources to help you work on the areas you’re seeking to improve. To support accountability, you will then be invited to revisit the tool to reassess progress on a timeline that suits your organisation.

I especially liked the final aspect of the benchmarking as I could actually see how this could be applied in our organisation and with the work across the EDI strategy and policy straight away working across all levels.
Diversifying Governance Training Day Participant

Arts Professional: Art Fund leader demands ‘laser-like focus’ on creative subjects in schools
In a panel, hosted by Creative UK at the Labour Party Conference, entitled Creative Learners, Future Leaders: A Curriculum for Growth, representatives from the likes of the National Theatre and Music Mark discussed issues including the sector skills gap. Read more.

Art Fund calls for creative learning and school visits to be embedded into the curriculum. Read more.

Campaign for the Arts: Labour Conference 2025 explainer. Read more.

The Art Newspaper: Town of Culture competition will highlight ‘creativity, history and identity’, says UK government. The newly announced initiative follows the popular City of Culture scheme, which has been running since 2013. Read more.

Exeter University: Pioneering placemaking and regional identity in the creative industries foregrounded at the Labour Party Conference. Read more.

Blog: A National Recovery by Aleksander Szram, Artistic Director at Trinity Laban. Read more.

Equity: Support collective bargaining in the arts” Equity urges government. Read more.

Arts Professional: Nandy launches UK Town of Culture competition to tell ‘working-class’ stories. The contest is to complement the success of the existing UK City of Culture scheme, the government says. Read more.

Musician’s Union: MU General Secretary Addresses Artificial Intelligence and Music Streaming at Labour Party Conference. Read more.

Following a competitive selection process, the chosen initiatives stood out for their creativity, strong local relevance, and potential for meaningful and lasting impact. They each demonstrate clear alignment with the programme’s aims and themes, and together represent a rich mix of geographies, approaches, and leadership practices.

Roots and Reach supports Clore Leadership’s International Alumni to design and deliver community-rooted projects that connect cultural practice with global perspectives. The programme provides resources, mentorship, and peer learning, enabling leaders to strengthen their leadership skills while making a difference in their home contexts.

The five selected projects are: 

1. Manal Ataya, Sharjah Museums Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 

Project title: Leadership & Wellbeing: A Micro-Series 

The Leadership and Wellbeing programme, led by Dr. Louise Lambert and co-facilitated by Manal Ataya, is a women-only initiative designed to enhance emotional literacy, strengthen stress management, and foster healthier workplace dynamics.  

Over the course of three months, participants will engage in a series of interactive sessions that explore happiness, emotional regulation, relational patterns, and the power of art as a therapeutic tool. The programme will also incorporate art therapy workshops, offering creative avenues for participants to process emotions and reduce stress. The safe and supportive environment will enable women to share and reflect on their wellbeing, while addressing workplace challenges that impact leadership effectiveness.  

Through pre- and post-assessments, the programme will measure its impact, equipping participants with practical tools and resources to enhance their professional performance, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing. The programme can host up to 30 participants in onsite or online formats. 

2. Vicky Fung, Every Life is a Song Limited with Susanna Chung & Wiki Lo, Hong Kong 

Project title: Coaching for Cultural Leadership in Hong Kong 

Coaching for Cultural Leadership in Hong Kong is an initiative by Clore Fellows Susanna Chung, Vicky Fung, and Wan Ki Lo, aimed at empowering mid-career cultural leaders through transformative coaching practices. This project introduces coaching as a vital leadership tool to build resilience and help the sector navigate challenges in an evolving creative landscape. A one-day workshop will introduce coaching as a leadership practice, supported by a Chinese-language workbook tailored to Hong Kong’s cultural context. A Community Sharing and Networking Day fosters cross-sector dialogue and peer learning that builds a more supportive leadership community in Hong Kong. This pilot also serves as a research basis for evaluating coaching practices in Hong Kong, with potential for future expansion.

Deepti Navaratna, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, India 

Project title: Indian Cultural Diplomacy Leadership & Advocacy Group: Culturati  

Deepti proposes establishing Culturati, a research and advocacy group to address leadership gaps in India’s cultural diplomacy. India’s current framework suffers from institutional fragmentation, limited civic participation, and weak integration of cultural policy with foreign policy. Culturati will create an inclusive platform bringing together artists, policymakers, and scholars to generate policy-relevant knowledge, connect cultural diplomacy with the creative economy, and strengthen India’s international cultural presence. Anchored at NIAS, the initiative will deliver a cultural diplomacy research monitor, three annual conclaves, and a policy brief in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, fostering leadership in reimagining India’s global cultural engagement. 

4. Amayah Pelegrin, The Field Società Cooperativa, Trieste, Italy 

Project title: Cultural Power 

Bringing together cultural leaders in Trieste (north-east Italy) for three leadership development days, Cultural Power aims to share best practice and build capacity for place-based and culturally-led climate action to flourish locally. Hosted by the Museum of the Bora, the programme will take place in the context of the GO2025 Capital of Culture and the launch of Italy’s first national report on cultural climate action. Amayah will aim to network cultural leaders with potential collaborators from the civil and public sectors, share knowledge and build skills around place-based climate action, engage with policymakers, and articulate how culture can drive social and ecological transition. 

5. Anurupa Roy, Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, New Delhi, India 

Project title: Jugaad – Mapping Socially Engaged Arts Practice for Future Leadership in India 

Socially Engaged Art/Art for Social Change/Applied Art is a political/social practice widely unmapped and often misunderstood within the wider Indian cultural landscape.  A nation that is more familiar with ‘traditional heritage arts practices’ and gallery/museum-led practices, those leading in an SEA landscape are often dispersed, isolated and unseen and, due to the vastness of the country, unable to travel to see and learn from one another’s leadership journeys.   
  
They will work accessibly through digital practice to collaboratively map leaders (current and emergent), understand practice needs, give skills and network them together for a stronger SEA sector leadership in India with global reach.   

 Through a pan-India online offer (webinars, pecha kuchas, mentoring, workshops), they will bring leaders together to contextualise their practice, network, map challenges/solutions, and create vital systems for knowledge-share and care, promoting resilience.

Clore Leadership will support the delivery of these proposals between now and March 2026.

This programme is kindly funded by the British Council.

Find out more about the Roots and Reach programme.

Clore Leadership is delighted to welcome 24 exceptional cultural leaders to the 2025/26 Clore Fellowship, representing a diverse spectrum of disciplines, perspectives, and approaches to strengthening leadership across the arts, culture, and creative sectors.

This year’s cohort brings together leaders who are grappling with what it means to lead in an evolving cultural sector; from navigating funding pressures to leading through social, political and global upheaval. These Fellows are not only responding to change but actively shaping it. The Fellowship will support them to strengthen their leadership capabilities, offering space to reflect, experiment and collaborate with peers from across the globe as they develop their potential to drive systemic change and build a more resilient and thriving cultural sector.

The Clore Fellowship remains the UK’s most prestigious programme for leadership development in the cultural sector. Over the past 22 years, it has equipped over 500 Fellows to lead with integrity, impact, and imagination. Each year, the Fellowship attracts leaders working across museums, theatre, dance, film, literature, heritage, policy, and beyond. Many Fellows are challenging established ways of working, questioning traditional approaches and organisational structures, and exploring new pathways to cultural excellence.

Geographically, the cohort includes leaders from across the UK, from Northern Ireland to Kent, alongside international representation from China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Brazil, and India. This reflects the Fellowship’s focus on strengthening cultural leadership in the UK while fostering global perspectives and collaboration.

The Fellows demonstrate remarkable resilience and vision and a deep understanding that cultural leadership today requires adaptive strategies, collaborative approaches, and the flexibility to respond to an ever-accelerating pace of change while maintaining an unwavering commitment to lead with hope, care, and creativity.

Moira Sinclair, Chair of Clore Leadership, welcomed the cohort:
“Leadership in culture today demands courage, compassion, and an ability to adapt. As we continue to navigate significant change, this cohort’s commitment to evolving their practice and the sector more broadly is inspiring. I look forward to seeing how this group will shape the future of culture.”

Kate Bellamy, Director, Clore Duffield Foundation, added:
“We are proud to support a programme that continues to invest in thoughtful and ambitious leaders, and helps them to drive change across cultural organisations, networks and communities. We’re excited to welcome this talented cohort of 2025/26 Fellows.”

The Clore Fellowship provides tailored leadership development through a programme that blends facilitated reflection, contemporary leadership theory, and peer learning. Residential content explores authenticity, values, inclusive cultures, strategic planning, and the practice of leadership in action.

Clore Leadership is grateful to its strategic partners, including major funders the Clore Duffield Foundation and Arts Council England, alongside a-n The Artists Information Company, Chevening Secretariat, Dancers’ Career Development, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, The Linbury Trust, and National Trust.

The 2025/26 Fellows are:

Cultural Learning Fellowship

Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation

Tom MacAndrew

Tom is a freelance producer specialising in poetry, spoken word and live literature. He has delivered work for clients including the BBC, British Library, British Museum, Forward Arts Foundation, Harper Collins and World Book Day. His work has covered education programmes, podcast series, commissions, publications and touring live literature shows nationally and internationally with poets including John Hegley, Joshua Idehen and Joelle Taylor. He is the producer of Out-Spoken, London’s largest regular poetry night, and in partnership with Spread the Word he runs Deptford Literature Festival. Tom is a trustee of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.

Heather Minto

Heather is a proud northerner based in the Tees Valley where she grew up. She is passionate about supporting children, young people and families to access cultural experiences.

She has a decade of experience in leading and evaluating multi-artform community engagement programmes, including national and regional initiatives for charities, public bodies and local authorities. In her role at Tees Valley Museums, she develops and supports programmes including award winning youth engagement initiatives that reduce the barriers to cultural engagement across five local authorities.

Jenna Omeltschenko

Jenna is a producer specialising in theatre and participation. Jenna has held senior roles at both Sheffield Theatres and the National Theatre, and has recently been working in Ukraine with artist, the vacuum cleaner, and young people living near the front line.

Jenna is of Eastern European and Irish heritage. Her working-class upbringing informs her work ensuring that all young people can lead creative lives.

Jenna became the first young person to sit on the board of Contact and is a Trustee of Theatre by the Lake. Jenna is also a founding Trustee of the Live Entertainment and Arts Foundation (LEAF).

Culture & Climate Leaders Fellowship

Supported by The Linbury Trust

Farah Ahmed

Farah is an organiser, facilitator, creative producer and curator, working to build powerful movements for climate justice. They were formerly the Climate Justice Lead at Julie’s Bicycle and co-founded Our Diaspora Futures collective. They are interested in how we can imagine and practice decolonial, ancestral, and anti-capitalist ways of being. They believe in building a cultural movement for climate justice which is accessible, radical, well informed, and grounded in deep care for the human and more-than-human world. Farah is a trustee of Platform and on multiple advisory boards focusing on grassroots-led collective action for climate justice.

Dance Fellowship

Supported by Dancers’ Career Development and The Linbury Trust

Zenaida Yanowsky

Zenaida Yanowsky is a former Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet and former Ballerina with Paris Opera Ballet. Raised in Spain, she trained with Anatol Yanowsky and Carmen Robles before winning several international ballet competitions. As a performer and artistic leader, she has worked across major European ballet companies and now serves as a guest coach for The Royal Ballet and international companies. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland.

Duffield Fellowship

Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation

Laura Collier

Laura is an Independent Creative Director and Executive Producer, empowering cultural organisations to thrive, driving artistic strategy and cultural change and enabling artists to make their best work. Laura most recently was the first ever Creative Director of Shakespeare North Playhouse, and as Head of Studio at the National Theatre, as well as Associate Producer at Battersea Arts Centre and the Traverse Theatre.

Laura is a trustee of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatre and is an Associate Artist of Shakespeare’s Globe

Ben Travis

Ben is the Director of Audiences at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. An experienced strategic leader, he has spent nearly 20 years at Kent’s largest theatre, in which time the organisation has grown into one of the most successful independent regional theatres in the country.

Ben oversees the theatre’s marketing, communications, design and data analysis functions, leading on a wide range of innovative and impactful audience development initiatives. He is passionate about the essential role that regional theatres play in broadening access to the arts.

Excellerate Fellowship

Supported by Arts Council England

Nancy Adimora

Nancy is an award-winning publishing consultant, working at the intersection of creativity and culture. She’s the founder of OtherStories, a publishing consultancy and studio, and AFREADA, an African literary magazine. Most recently, she was the Head of Talent and Audience at HarperCollins Publishers, where she sat on the publishing board and led initiatives to deepen engagement with writers and readers from underrepresented communities. She’s since transitioned into consulting, working with clients and partners across the creative and cultural industries to further her vision of democratising storytelling. 

Ellie Claughton

Ellie is a cultural leader and producer. She is the Executive Director of Improbable, the multi-award-winning company behind productions such as My Neighbour Totoro. She has worked extensively across the UK’s independent and touring theatre sectors, holding senior leadership roles including Executive Director at Boundless Theatre and Executive Producer at Paines Plough. Ellie has a strong track record of transforming artist-led companies with bold creative visions into resilient, functioning organisations, including LUNG, Breach and Barrel Organ. She trained in Creative Producing at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and is a Trustee of Oxford Playhouse and Chair of Zoo Co.

Tom Ryalls

Tom is a writer and cultural organiser. He founded BAP! to interrogate the relationship between creativity and wealth redistribution, working with companies across the country on their fundraising, business planning, and campaigning to affect policy. He is the chair of Graeae, a trustee of Unlimited, and the Deputy Chair of the Disability Advisory Committee of Arts Council England. In his writing practice, he often makes very camp shows through a Marxist lens, entertaining and interrogating how we might change who gets to imagine the future.

National Trust Fellowship

Supported by the National Trust

Emma Cunningham

Emma leads inclusive, community-driven work across heritage, nature and culture, with a background in ecology, education, and leadership. Her work spans climate resilience, landscape restoration and sustainable farming, underpinned by a deep commitment to equity and access. She pioneers inclusive design in heritage spaces and has built partnerships that empower underrepresented voices. With experience in both local and international contexts, Emma brings a strategic perspective to cultural and environmental regeneration, working to create just and beautiful futures for people and planet.

Self funded and Employer Funded Fellowships

Katie Bailiff

Katie is an accomplished British television producer and executive, known for her impactful documentaries and commitment to social issues. She co-founded the award-winning production company Century Films and later became CEO of Women in Film and TV (UK), advocating for gender equality in the industry. With a career spanning over three decades, Bailiff has produced critically acclaimed programmes for major broadcasters including the BBC and Channel 4. Her work often focuses on real-life stories, giving voice to underrepresented communities.

Theatre Fellowship

Supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation

Matthew Austin

Matthew is a Bristol-based producer and curator, and the co-founder of MAYK. Alongside Kate Yedigaroff, he was Co-Director of the organisation from 2011 to 2025. At MAYK, he co-directed Mayfest, Bristol’s biennial festival of international theatre. Most recently, he co-curated Confluence, a residency programme exploring the changing nature of Bristol through the voices of artists and communities. Matthew is Chair of the Bristol Culture Network and a member of the One City Culture Board.

Amaya Jeyarajah Dent

Amaya is a Festival Director, Programmer, and Senior Creative Producer. Formerly Artistic Director (Interim) and Head of Programme at LIFT, she has collaborated with artists worldwide to create bold, unforgettable cultural events across the capital.  

She produced The Walk, overseeing Little Amal’s remarkable journey through 10 UK cities; worked with Emergency Exit Arts to create large-scale theatre in landscape; and collaborated with immersive studio Anagram to stage performances in iconic locations using emerging technologies.  

Amaya is committed to representing international perspectives in culture and believes in the transformative power of theatre where people live, work, and gather.  

Transform Fellowship

Supported by Arts Council England

Ben Evans

Ben is the Project Director of Europe Beyond Access (EBA), the world’s largest transnational Arts & Disability project. Ben initiated this project whilst working as the British Council’s European Head of Arts and Disability. Previously, Ben’s roles at the British Council have included: Head of Arts, Portugal, and Theatre and Dance Advisor (EU and sub-Saharan Africa). Ben is the Chair of the European Arts & Disability Cluster and is an independent Accessible Culture policy consultant and advocate.

Eve Loren

Eve is an award-winning researcher/writer/multidisciplinary artist with a social practice. Eve was raised in poverty and dropped out of art school aged 19. Drawing on training in anthropology, and a career in TV/film, she returned to the arts in her 30s to make narrative-led multimedia works alongside minoritised communities. Recent projects examine health inequalities, institutional violence and collective listening as practice/protest. Eve works across health/social care/carceral systems, improving access to culture and artists’ labour conditions. She teaches ethical co-creation practices, consults and presents work internationally. Current research explores creative resistances to fascism, decolonising and neuroqueering methodologies in cultural leadership. 

Visual Artist Fellowship

Supported by a-n The Artists Information Company

Christopher Samuel

Christopher is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in identity and disability politics. 

Often echoing the many facets of his own lived experience as a Black disabled man, his work tells stories, highlighting the often-unseen experiences of his day-to-day life and those of others in similar circumstances. His practice includes small, detailed ink drawings, film, print, audio, research, and large installations.  

Samuel works alongside galleries, museums, archives and other institutions to address missing representation in our cultural spaces. His exhibition ‘Watch Us Lead’ is showing at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

International Fellowships

The Hong Kong Fellowship is supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council

Chloe Chow

Chloe is a Hong Kong based curatorial and programme strategist with extensive experience in contemporary art, museum leadership, and arts education. Recognised for bridging academia and industry, she mentors emerging talent and advances socially engaged projects. She is Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at WMA (Witness, Mobilise, Action) and former Associate Curator at M+, Chloe’s projects include Realms of Memory (Royal Photographic Society, 2024) and Chan Hau Chun: Silent Sojourns (WMA, 2023). She is also assistant editor of Hong Kong Visual Culture: The M+ Guide (2022).

Gigi Leung

Gigi is Curator of Learning and Engagement at M+, the museum of visual culture in Hong Kong. Since joining the museum in 2014 as one of the founding members, Gigi has been instrumental in shaping the museum’s learning initiatives and engagement strategies. She is committed to fostering creativity, inclusivity and social change through museum engagement. She has conceived and developed a wide range of dynamic and thought-provoking experiences for visitors of all backgrounds including families, young people, adults, older adults and communities with different needs. She believes in the transformative impacts of collaborations with artists, makers, educators and community partners across disciplines to promote active learning, strengthen social connection, and enhance the well-being of individuals.

Chevening Fellowship

Chevening Fellowships are supported by the Chevening Secretariat at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Chevening offers individuals who show potential to inspire, inform, and influence positive change the opportunity to study in the UK.

Cao Xi

Cao is a theatre director, playwright, and educator whose work explores the role of political theatre, drama in education, youth development, and cultural change. Based in Beijing, he serves as Executive Director of Jian Xue International Education and Culture Institute and Creative Director of Drama Rainbow, one of the most influential educational drama and theatre organisations in the Chinese-speaking world.

Denisse Flores Somarriba

Denisse is a cultural strategist and public affairs professional based in Guadalajara, Mexico. She leads the Office of Innovation and Cultural Engagement at the University of Guadalajara.

Beyond her institutional work, Denisse is also active in independent cultural production through Dolorca Producciones, Female Sessions, where she curates and manages performing arts projects such as flamenco cycles and interdisciplinary showcases in regional venues across Jalisco.

She is a recipient of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Emerging Leader Award and has built a strong international network through her collaborations with the British Council, the Kennedy Center, and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in Los Angeles.

Mariana Garcia

Mariana has dedicated over 14 years of her career to the cultural sector, with a particular interest in initiatives that broaden access to classical music in Brazil. She serves as the Communications Manager for the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra Foundation, one of Latin America’s leading cultural institutions. Mariana has spearheaded the expansion of the Orchestra’s digital presence, comprising artistic, educational, and outreach programmes, and led its rebranding process, two essential steps towards audience renewal and the sustainability of the organisation.

Saima Iqbal

Saima is a conservation architect and cultural leader from Kashmir, India, renowned for her bold, community-centred approach to heritage preservation. She brings over 20 years of experience reviving endangered building crafts, restoring historic sites, and shaping policy through advocacy and action. Founder of Studio-SAHEN, a platform nurturing young professionals in heritage, Saima’s work bridges tradition and innovation, with a strong focus on conflict-affected regions. She is committed to shaping the next generation of cultural leaders by fostering dialogue, collaboration, and hands-on engagement with conservation practice.

Smriti Raigarhia

Smriti is the Executive Director of Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival. Over her 11 years at the Foundation, she has overseen 10 editions of the multidisciplinary arts festival, including two virtual editions. 

An architect with a Masters Degree in Design, Smriti has over two decades of experiences in the arts sector. She previously served as Director of Swarai Arts Archive in Noida where she worked in cultural preservation and curation. Smriti believes in culture’s power to dive social changes and focuses on developing new institutional frameworks within the arts sector to widen audience demographics.  

Keith Arrowsmith, Managing Director, ProArts Plus

Keith is a qualified solicitor providing specialist legal and governance advice to organisations in the cultural, creative, heritage, and educational sectors. Keith is the Lead Governance Associate for the Clore Leadership Programme, one of the authors of the Cultural Governance Alliance’s Handbook, and creator of the EDI Benchmarking tool.  

Keith has been recommended in the independent legal publications, Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.  

Keith was played by actor Joel Fry in the Netflix film, Bank of Dave, and casting for the musical version is due to take place in the autumn. 

Fiona Allan, Chair, Hayes Theatre

Fiona Allan is a highly respected leader in the performing arts, known for her bold approach to transformation and championing innovation in the sector. She has held executive leadership roles across major international cultural institutions, including most recently as CEO of Opera Australia. Previously, she served as Artistic Director & CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome, CEO of Curve Theatre, and Artistic Director of Wales Millennium Centre. She has also held influential industry Non-Exec positions, including President of UK Theatre and Chair of The Space, and chaired the West Midlands Tourism Board in the lead up to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Currently she serves on the Executive Council of Live Performance Australia and chairs Sydney based Hayes Theatre Co.

She is a recent Graduate of the Company Directors programme run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and this year became a certified Coach and a Mental Health First-Aider.

Delia Barker, Chair, Phoenix Dance Theatre & CEO Brixton House 

Delia Barker is the CEO of Brixton House. She has worked at senior level within the cultural sector for several years, regularly delivers mentoring sessions and public speaking engagements across sectors, fundraises for charities such as Dementia UK, and is a Member for the Mulberry School Trust. Previous roles include Director of Leadership and Organisational Development at Deeds and Words, Programmes Director at The Roundhouse, Director of English National Ballet School, and Chair of Phoenix Dance Theatre following 10 years as Chair of Studio Wayne McGregor. Delia is also a Governor of the Royal Ballet School. Alongside her governance work, as a consultant she has supported organisations such as Drake Music, Jasmin Vardimon Company, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Greater London Authority, and Clore Leadership. She has also supported organisations such as BT, Nationwide, and NHS England to address specific issues around organisational cultures and race equity. Delia is accredited as an Organisational Development practitioner after studying with the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioural Science and is trained in Action Learning Set facilitation (including virtual sets). 

Ankur Bahl, Actor, Writer and Culture-Sector Executive

 Ankur is an actor, writer and culture-sector executive. 

Ankur’s theatre career has spanned performances with DV8, National Theatre, Rifco Arts, RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tara Arts, and Wise Children. His film and TV credits include productions for Apple, Disney, HBO, Marvel, Netflix and Sky. Ankur is also the Associate Director and Writer at VOXED.

Additionally, Ankur advises culture sector clients through Studio Reith and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Programme. Previously, Ankur was the Director of Digital Stage & Studio at Sadler’s Wells and was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.  

A graduate of NYU, London Contemporary Dance School, SOAS and Northwestern University, Ankur was also a Fulbright and Marshall Scholar. He proudly serves on the Board of Trustees of Paines Plough and co-hosted the podcast Arts Work.

Vicki Grace, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change

Vicki is Achates’ Director of Recruitment and Organisational change and leads on our distinctive approach to executive appointment, leadership training and development, and organisational change management for a range of organisations across the sector.

Vicki leads all of our recruitment and organisational change work and has developed Achates’ distinctive approach to Executive Appointment, Recruitment and Organisational Change. 

Prior to joining Achates, Vicki was Executive Director at award-winning theatre company Improbable, responsible for the business function of the organisation. Prior to that she was Development Director at the Royal Court Theatre and Deputy Development Director at the Donmar Warehouse specialising in income generation growth and managing complex stakeholder relationships.

She has held other fundraising roles at Shakespeare’s Globe and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Vicki is also Chief Operating Officer of the Institute for Constitutional and Democratic Research and has held Board positions with Magic Me, Pleasance Theatre Trust and Theatre Uncut.

Francesca Hegyi OBE, CEO, Edinburgh International Festival

Francesca Hegyi OBE is Chief Executive of the Edinburgh International Festival. She has worked in culture, the arts and major events for more than 25 years.  

Francesca began her career in the museums sector before becoming Head of Regions and International at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. In 2005, she joined the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Here she was responsible for the framework for the UK-wide cultural programme, leading fundraising and commercial partnerships for the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival – a £126 million programme which worked with more than 40,000 artists.  

As Executive Director of Hull 2017 UK City of Culture, Francesca oversaw a programme of events which reached over 95% of Hull residents, created over 800 jobs and added more than £300 million to the local economy. She was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year Honours list for this work.  

Having previously studied and worked in Edinburgh; Francesca returned to the city to join the Edinburgh International Festival in February 2019. Outside of the Festival, she serves as Deputy Chair of the Creative Industries Council, as a member of the UK Government’s Soft Power Council, the Scottish Government’s Event Industry, and Scottish Connections Advisory Groups and the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leaders Group. 

Darren Henley, CEO Arts Council England 

Darren Henley CBE is chief executive of Arts Council England. His boardroom experience spans arts, media, education, charity and government. While managing director of Classic FM, he authored independent government reviews into music education and cultural education in England. His book ‘The Arts Dividend: How Investment in Culture Creates Happier Lives’ champions the positive impact of public investment in the arts, museums and libraries. He holds a degree in politics, a postgraduate diploma in coaching, master’s degrees in positive psychology, management and art history, and a doctorate exploring the role of the outsider as an agent for change. 

Owen Hopkin, Director, New Technologies & Innovation, Arts Council England

As Director of New Technologies and Innovation at Arts Council England, Owen supports the use of new technologies, the distribution and business models of digital content, as well as digital and data skills in the arts and culture sector. He joined Arts Council England from The Space where he was Head of Audience Development and Distribution, working on over 70 commissions across a range of artforms. Before The Space, he was a Marketing Manager at Amazon in the Video Games category, where he was responsible for developing the customer base and revenue-generating strategies. Prior to that, Owen was at Global Radio, managing the digital properties of some of the UK’s biggest media brands. He began his professional career as a musician, touring internationally and recording. His work as a musician continues with Far From Saints, the chart-topping UK/US collective. 

Obi James, Executive Coach, Leadership & Inclusion Expert

Obi James is an award-winning Finnish-Nigerian Executive Coach, Leadership & Inclusion Expert, and Author of the #1 Amazon bestseller Let Go Leadership: How Inclusive Leaders Share Power to Drive High Performance. 

For over 20 years, Obi has developed senior leaders and boards across Europe, Africa and the Americas – transforming organisations to turn inclusion from a value statement into a practical driver of performance, innovation and trust. Her work equips leaders to navigate power and difference, embrace healthy conflict, and build the high-performance cultures needed to thrive in complexity. 

Her career spans in-house leadership roles at Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Bank of America, and Northern Trust (where she served as Vice President), and client engagements with organisations such as Bloomberg, the NHS, Greater London Authority, MunichRe, London Business School, and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters. 

A powerful facilitator and keynote speaker, Obi blends systemic thinking, deep democracy, and behavioural science to develop leadership teams to unlock collective potential and lead lasting change. 

She serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director at UAC of Nigeria Plc (one of Nigeria’s oldest conglomerates), and is a Trustee and Chair of the Nominations & Governance Committee at the Royal African Society (est. 1901). She’s also a Judge for the Africa CEO Forum, UK StartUp Awards, Business Book Awards and Speaker Awards. 

Stella Kanu, CEO Shakespeare’s Globe 

Stella Kanu is CEO at Shakespeare’s Globe, a cultural landmark that exists to produce trailblazing and inspiring productions, experiences, and Education programmes that, ‘Puts Shakespeare to Work’ for this moment. 

Previously Executive Director at LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) she led the strategic strands of the business as well as executive producing international work like The Second Woman starring two-time Olivier Award winner Ruth Wilson voted the best show of 2023 (Time Out). Stella has worked in the theatre, festival, and cultural sector for 30 years. She founded The Pivotal Place, a coaching practice and methodology for creative leaders, in 2005. 

She is Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s representative to Arts Council England, and sits on the Advisory Board at the drama school Rose Bruford. An alumna of University of Wales, Aberystwyth; Middlesex University Writing Centre and Oxford Brookes University Business School. She is a sought- after panelist, speaker, and writer. 

Stella is a Cultural Leadership International Powerbrokers Fellow (2008), an Honorary Fellow at Rose Bruford College (2021), was named one of the Alfred Fagon Award 25 Black Theatre Champions (2022) was recently named one of the 100 Black Women to Have Make a Mark (2023) and listed in The Stage 100 power list (2024). 

Yasmin Khan, Director, Individual Practitioners and London, Arts Council England

Yasmin Khan is Director for Individual Practitioners and London at Arts Council England. Her 50/50 role at Arts Council England combines policy and practice, from local to national. As Director for Individual Practitioners, she collaborates with teams and sector partners to integrate a freelancer lens across art forms and regions. For the other half of her remit as Director of Visual Arts and Museums, she leads a team of Senior Relationship Managers responsible for 60 National Portfolio Organisations in London. 

Prior to joining the Arts Council in 2024, Yasmin ran Covalent Creatives, a curatorial consultancy that produced socially engaged projects including Empowering Curators at the Art Fund as Programme Consultant, curating Outwitting Cancer at the Francis Crick Institute, Britain’s largest biomedical lab; launching the Cultural Governance Alliance with Clore Leadership; and hosting a limited-edition podcast series called The Museum of Truth & Lies as part of her 2023/4 Fellowship at the Storytelling Institute, University of the Arts London. 

Yasmin’s earlier career includes roles at the Science Museum and the British Library. She was a committee member for Arts Council England’s Accreditation Scheme and was also an Artistic Quality Assessor for museums. 

Joanna Moriarty, Partner, Green Park

 Joanna is a Partner at Green Park Executive Search, and sits in the Civil Society and Government Practice, where she focusses on work in Arts, Culture and Heritage, and with Trusts and Foundations. Her recent clients include the Royal Court Theatre, the National Trust and the Barbican. She has a background in the third sector, and a deep interest in governance, especially how the board can influence culture and creates conditions for change. She currently sits on the board of an INGO and a large Multi-Academy Trust.

Caroline Mccormick, Director, Achates

Caroline leads on the development of Achates’ strategic approach and major projects. She has developed and delivered strategies, campaigns and processes of organisational change in all artforms and scales of organisation across the country and internationally. Caroline developed The Achates Triple Bottom Line© and purpose-led, audience-informed approach which seeks to ensure arts organisations balance the interests of diverse audience groups with the priorities of culture to enable resilience with integrity.

In 2005, having completed the £70 million capital campaign to create the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, Caroline became the first Director of PEN International, heading up 145 Centres in 105 countries and acting as the Literature Representative at UNESCO. Taking up the role four days a week also allowed her to start working with her first consultancy client, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Professor Wangari Maathai, whom she advised and worked with until her death.

Since founding Achates, the company has advised over 500 organisations of all scales, from individual artists and activists to major national charities. Caroline is currently leading the development of Organisational Strategy and Theory of Change for organisations ranging from the Barbican, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Roundhouse.

Caroline is Chair of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation and, in 2015, founded the national campaign for support for the arts, the Achates Philanthropy Prize. She is a Trustee of the National Centre for Writing in Norwich.

John Mcgrath, Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Factory International

John is Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International, the company which runs Manchester’s recently-opened Aviva Studios, Manchester International Festival and Factory Academy, as well as a substantial online and international programme.  Before opening Aviva Studios in October 2023, John curated four editions of Manchester International Festival, featuring new work by an international range of artists including Yoko Ono, Philip Glass, Skepta, Ibrahim Mahama, Tania Bruguera and many more. 

Prior to this role, John was the founding Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales, where he directed work including The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning, and produced shows such as The Passion of Port Talbot and Coroilan/us.  He has also led Manchester’s Contact Theatre, and was Associate Director at Mabou Mines in New York.  He has a PhD from New York University and an honorary doctorate from the Open University, and has published widely in the field of cultural theory.   

Caroline Norbury, CEO, Creative UK

Caroline Norbury, OBE is the founding Chief Executive of Creative UK.  Dedicated to championing the creative industries, Creative UK invests in and supports creative ideas, talent and businesses, harnessing the power of the creative sector to build a fairer, more prosperous world.  Creative UK has leveraged over £100m into creative businesses and projects across the country and uses its extensive membership and networks as a change maker and advocate for a world where creativity is valued and recognised as a driving force of our future.  

Caroline began her career working in community arts before becoming a film and TV producer, focusing on supporting new talent and those whose voices had traditionally been absent from mainstream media and storytelling.  

A member of BAFTA and the Royal Society of Arts, Caroline sits on the Creative Industries Council and co-chairs the Growth working group of the Council.  Caroline is a founding board member of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Agency, (CIISA) and Chairwoman of the cross-industry “Roundtable” group focused on reducing bullying, harassment, and discrimination in the Creative Sector.    

Caroline is a member of the Board of Trustees at Aardman, an employee-owned company and has two honorary doctorates from the University of Essex and Arts University Bournemouth.  She was previously a trustee of the PRS Foundation, supporting the development of new music and musicians, and was previously Chairwoman of The Music Works, a small charity in Gloucestershire supporting young people in challenging circumstances to have better lives through music. 

Nicola Nuttall, Consultant and Director of Tempus Fugit Consultancy & Director, Charles Causley Trust 

Nicola has worked in the wider cultural sector for 30 years, starting her career in archaeology and the built heritage, before specialising in museum and gallery strategy, governance, advocacy, engagement and fundraising. Since setting up her own consultancy since 1997, Nicola has worked with over 90 clients ranging from national museums and heritage organisations to small volunteer led charities and universities. She is currently the part-time Director of the Charles Causley Trust and the Ken Stradling Collection, a mentor, trainer and advisor to the Association of Independent Museums, Heritage Compass, Cause 4 and the Universities of Exeter, Plymouth, and Falmouth. 

Laura Pye, Director, National Museums Liverpool  

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool, joined the organisation in August 2018. Born in Liverpool, Laura returned to the city following several years as Head of Culture for Bristol City Council, with responsibility for the five museums in the city.  Prior to moving to Bristol, Laura was interim Heritage and Culture Manager for Warwickshire County Council, covering a similar mix of services to Bristol including the Museums and Archives, Arts, Archaeology and Ecology teams.  Laura’s early career in museums was focused mainly on museum education, and she has a wealth of experience of working in the North of England, across Liverpool, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. 

Fran Sanderson CFA, Chief Executive Officer Figurative

Fran started her career in fund management at JPMorgan following an MA in Philosophy and Maths and periodic work in charity administration and fundraising. After this, she took a career break in which she travelled around Europe and settled for a year living off-grid in Portugal with her young family. On her return, she joined Big Society Capital (now Better Society Capital) as an investment director, where she worked on a wide variety of impact investment deals. 

Fran joins Figurative from Nesta, where she was Director of the Arts & Culture Investments and Programmes team. The team worked on various projects with the aim of understanding and articulating the full breadth of impact of arts, culture and the creative economy; promoting innovative funding models and partnerships such as impact investing, blended finance, and crowdfunding; and helping arts and cultural organisations experiment with, benefit from and boost their impact via new technologies. 

Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director, Graeae Theatre

Jenny Sealey OBE has been Graeae’s Artistic Director since 1997.  She has pioneered a new theatrical language-‘aesthetics of artistic access’ experimenting with bilingual BSL(British Sign Language) and English, prerecorded BSL, creative captioning, in ear/ live audio description methods. Two, The Fall of the House of Usher, peeling, Bent, Blasted (2005), Diary of an Action Man, Blood Wedding, opera Paradis Files(Japan) Romeo and Juliet in Japan and Bangladesh, and most recently at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre by the Lake are particular examples. She co- wrote and performed her one woman show Self Raising in 2023 and in that same year was on Desert Island Discs and created the first ever BSL version of this. 

Graeae’s ethos, the aesthetic and placing of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists centre stage has engineered a cultural shift and influenced and changed how the wider mainstream creative industry work nationally and internationally.   

Outdoor productions include Against the Tide; The Iron Man; The Garden, and This Is Not For You as part of 14-18Now with disabled veterans. 

Jenny co-directed the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony alongside Bradley Hemmings (GDIF). The same year she won the Liberty Human Rights Arts Award. She is a honorary fellow at Middlesex University, Royal Conservatoire Scotland, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Kent University.

Cat Sheridan, Senior Producer, Unlimited

 Cat Sheridan (she/her) is a disabled queer senior cultural leader and producer with a track record of delivering ambitious artistic programmes and driving organisational change. As Senior Producer at Unlimited, she heads the programme department, overseeing national and international commissioning, projects and strategic partnerships. She also leads Unlimited’s CONNECT priority, linking allies with artists and supporting the wider sector to drive systemic change and build equitable, mutually beneficial partnerships. Cat is also Managing Director of an award-winning queer therapy service. Previously, she held senior roles at Cumbernauld Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre, pioneering accessible, relaxed, and disabled-led performance. She creates programmes that challenge expectations, expand audiences, and embed inclusive practice at every level of cultural leadership.  

Robin Simpson, Chief Executive Creative Lives

Since 2005 Robin Simpson has been Chief Executive of Creative Lives, the UK and Republic of Ireland charity which champions community and volunteer-led creative activity, and works to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative. Creative Lives works with communities, organisations, policy-makers, funders, communities and creative individuals as a voice for positive change, to improve and expand the landscape in which creative participation can take place. It works to address inequalities in access to creative participation, promotes inclusivity, connects people and communities, and seeks to increase awareness of the links between creativity and wellbeing. 

Previously Robin was Deputy Chief Executive of Making Music – supporting over 2,000 amateur music groups throughout the UK, including choirs, orchestras, and music promoters. Robin also worked as General Manager of The British Federation of Festivals, supporting the volunteer organisers of more than 300 festivals of music, dance and speech & drama across the UK. Robin has substantial experience of working with volunteers having also worked for six years for the Royal National Institute for the Blind, managing a team of over 130 volunteer readers to record academic textbooks onto tape for visually-impaired students. 

Robin is the Chair of Peterborough Presents, the Peterborough Creative People & Places Consortium. From 2015-22 Robin was Chair of the Steering Group for the national Get Creative campaign – a partnership between the BBC and hundreds of arts and cultural organisations across the UK. Robin was a founding Trustee of Luminate – Scotland’s creative ageing organisation. He has been a Trustee of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and a member of the ChangeUp Volunteering Hub Scrutiny Committee. Robin has served on committees and boards for: Cabinet Office; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Moira Sinclair, Chair, Factory International & Chair, Clore Leadership

Moira Sinclair was Chief Executive of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, one of the UK’s largest independent grant makers from 2015 to early 2025 .

An experienced cultural leader, Moira is Chair of Clore Leadership and Chair of Factory International in Manchester. She is also a trustee of National Landscapes and the National Theatre Foundation and she chairs the Investment Committee for the Arts Impact Fund. In 2022, she became an Honorary Fellow at the Exeter Centre for Leadership. She was previously Chair of the London Mayor’s Cultural Strategy Board and a member of the British Library Advisory Council

As Executive Director London and South East for Arts Council England for nearly 10 years, she oversaw a portfolio of 322 funded cultural organisations and contributed to national policy development, with a particular focus on the resilience and sustainability of the cultural sector and workforce development. She played a key role supporting the cultural programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and continues to support its legacy at home and internationally.

Kate Varah, Executive Director National Theatre

Kate Varah (she/her) is Executive Director at National Theatre, working with Director Indhu Rubasingham to deliver and advocate for the theatre’s huge national and international impact on stages, in cinemas, classrooms, community spaces, and online. Kate became joint CEO in May 2024. 

Experienced arts leader, related current trustee and advisory roles include: Council Member, Creative UK; Sheffield Theatres Crucible Trust (Trustee); PiPA Parents in the Performing Arts (Ambassador); member of: CIISA Co Creation Council; Creative Industries Council Growth Group; the Erskine Analysis formed UAL Advisory Council to understand how trade, migration and foreign policy can better support the creative industries. 

Previous roles include Executive Director at the Old Vic; Business Development Director at inclusive theatre company Chickenshed; Solicitor Advocate (Employment) at Linklaters in London, Hong Kong, on secondment to JPMorgan, and additionally managing Pro Bono and Community Investment. 

Varied past Trustee and Chair roles performed including: Society of London Theatre Board (Trustee, 2020-2023); Chickenshed, inclusive theatre company (Trustee, 2010-2016); Samaritans Chad Varah Memorial Appeal Taskforce, funding Samaritans Connect (Committee, 2010); and co-founding The Michael Varah Memorial Fund, a grant giving trust working to level the playing field for offenders (Trustee, 2007-date). Honorary Fellow at Keble College, Oxford and Fellow of the RSA. 

Jenny Waldman, Director Art Fund

Jenny Waldman is Director of Art Fund, the UK’s national fundraising charity for art and museums. For over 120 years, Art Fund has helped museums and people to share in great art and culture: through funding art, helping museums to enrich their collections today and forever; building audiences, with our National Art Pass opening doors to great culture; and advocating for the museum sector, through Art Fund Museum of the Year award and creative events that bring the UK’s museums together. 

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the death of Prue Skene CBE, a champion of the arts and a long-standing Associate of Clore Leadership.

Prue held a number of key roles in the arts in the UK, with dance featuring strongly through her work as Executive Director (1975-1986), and later Chair of Rambert (2000-2009), where she played a pivotal role in securing the company’s relocation to their purpose-built new home on London’s South Bank.

She chaired the Dance Panel at Arts Council England from 1992 to 1995 greatly expanding the opportunities for dance development and increasing resources for independent dance companies and artists. She also chaired the National Lottery Panel, as it transformed and regenerated the capital landscape for culture across England, a time she reflected on in her book Capital Gains: How the National Lottery Transformed England’s Arts, published in 2017.

Prue led the Board Development programme for Clore Leadership from 2007, delivering a range of Board training days for Chairs and CEOs, Trustees and senior leaders nationally. She was a popular favourite on our Fellowship and Intensive Courses, where her supreme knowledge and experience of cultural sector governance meant no challenges were left unexplored. For our 21^st Anniversary, Prue looked back on this time with fellow Governance Associate Keith Arrowsmith: https://www.cloreleadership.org/resource/21-years-of-clore-leadership-and-the-changing-landscape-of-governance-and-boards/

Prue also worked assiduously with Keith and Tom Wilcox (Senior Partner and Founder, Counterculture), to co-author Governance in the arts and museums: A practical guide which forms the centrepiece of a range of key resources for cultural governance practice from the Cultural Governance Alliance.

Most recently, Prue was Chair of Cardboard Citizens and a trustee of the Nureyev Foundation. She was awarded a CBE in the 2000 Birthday Honours List for services to the arts, especially dance. In addition to her experience of governance in the cultural sector, she also served as a non-executive Director of Royal United Hospital NHS Trust in Bath.

Prue’s passing has touched me deeply. She was a dear friend and mentor and I cherish the privilege of working with, and learning from, her vast experience since I joined Arts Council England in 1994. I treasure the laughter we often shared, her wit and wisdom, guidance and generosity. I will miss the twinkle in her eyes – a certain precursor to an astute (if naughty) observation

Prue has been a beacon of advice and inspiration, always ready to see beyond current challenges, and deftly navigate new pathways. She leaves an immense legacy and imprint on the cultural life of the UK.

Hilary Carty, Executive Director, Clore Leadership

Prue will be hugely missed by all the staff and trustees of Clore Leadership. We send our condolences to all Prue’s family and friends.

Clore Leadership, the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority has today announced the full line-up for Clore Leadership’s gathering of cultural and creative professionals in the Tees Valley region.

The event, Thursday 6 March 2025, 10am – 5pm, at Middlesbrough Town Hall, marks the culmination of three years of place-based professional development in the Tees Valley, which has brought together creative and cultural individuals and organisations to cultivate leadership within the Tees Valley.  

The 2025 Annual Gathering promises to be an action-packed day of dynamic sessions to engage, connect and collaborate.  It is a unique opportunity for cultural professionals in Tees Valley to find inspiration and share ideas with creative individuals, cultural organisations and stakeholders in the area.

From networking opportunities, quick fire sessions, tips and advice to talks and practical hands-on group learning, there will be a huge range of learning opportunities for leaders at every level. Across the day there will also be space to explore what leadership means; build confidence and collaborate with peers.

Produced by Clore Leadership – a dynamic and inclusive resource for leaders and aspiring leaders in the arts, culture and creative sectors – the Annual Gathering is not just designed for established leaders, but also for aspiring leaders, artists and freelancers working with cultural organisations.  

We’re delighted to host our most vibrant and dynamic gathering of cultural leaders in Tees Valley to date.  We’ve listened carefully to what people want from an event like this, and have a clear focus on practical takeaways that can be implemented right away. Not only will participants gain valuable tools and opportunities to advance professionally, but they will be collectively shaping the future of the Tees Valley cultural sector. We look forward to welcoming everyone in March

Hilary Carty, Executive Director, Clore Leadership

From our booming film and TV industry to fantastic freelancers working across a range of sectors, our region is increasingly known for its outstanding work by creative professionals. It’s vital we continue to grow this part of our economy by delivering essential leadership training and skills to support talented individuals, businesses and organisations, which this programme provides with our support.

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

2025 Annual Gathering Highlights include:

Meet the stakeholders:

Quick fire ‘PechaKucha’ style presentations from local funders, councils, cultural organisations and networks to discover current vision and strategies for the region, as well as opportunities for funding, collaboration and connection.

Confirmed speakers include Charlie Kemp, Head of Creative Place TVCA; Lisa Storey, Cultural Development and Programmes Manager, Redcar & Cleveland Council and Alison Gwynn, Chief Executive, North East Screen.

Breakout Sessions: 

• In-conversations with innovative cultural leaders Gavin Barlow, CEO the Albany and Co-Director at Future Arts Centre and Phil Douglas, CEO Curious Arts
• Practical communication skills workshops
• Peer led provocations and conversations
• Personal reflection opportunities

An all-attendee workshop – One Small Thing:

Delegates will join coach, Amanda Smethurst, for an inspiring session that explores how to ignite change through the power of small actions. Through hands-on exercises and collaborative exploration, the workshop will reveal how small actions and contributions can help shape a vibrant cultural landscape across Tees Valley.

Attendees will leave equipped with practical tools to amplify influence and forge meaningful connections with peers and stakeholders.

Informal & friendly networking opportunities: A live ‘Marketplace’ will be running for those who want to bring printed materials, share information, find and swap expertise. Networking buddies will be operating to allow delegates to meaningfully connect.

Annual Gathering Cost: The cost for the Annual Gathering is on a pay what you decide basis, we recommend a minimum rate of £8 +VAT.

As the 2023/24 cohort of Clore Fellows (#Clore19) celebrate their graduation at Tate Modern, we caught up with them to uncover how the Fellowship has transformed their leadership journeys.

Each year, around 24 Clore Fellowships are awarded to dynamic change-makers from across the arts, heritage and culture sector with ambition and vision, who demonstrate how they might take their leadership to the next level to make a positive impact on society.

Headline news from the #Clore19 cohort includes:

• Laura Crossley has launched a Clore Leadership/Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project researching how cultural sector leaders can create positive work cultures that prevent staff and freelancer burnout. She is also launching a report, podcast, and anti-burnout toolkit in the new year.
• Sovay Berriman, our Visual Arts Fellow, is now an accredited coach with RD1st and is launching a new proposition for leaders – ReWilding Arts Leadership.
• Kate Mackonochie celebrates a new role partway through her Fellowship journey moving from Factory International to Executive Director of the Marlowe Theatre
• Fiona Bridges has moved continents as she joins the team at PAHSMA (Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority) as Director of Interpretation and Experiences for a portfolio of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tasmania, Australia. 
• Leonardo Menezes has curated an exhibition about the Amazonian bioeconomy at SESI Lab – a new science museum in Brasilia, Brazil.
• Charlotte Edmonds, choreographer and dancer, announces a return to the stage at Sadlers Wells, London.
• This year’s range of provocation papers from the cohort includes topics from loneliness and burnout to why disabled artists are essential in climate leadership.

It’s been a  whirlwind year for our Clore 19 Fellows, who have demonstrated their willingness to make brave decisions and embrace change, perhaps most symbolically marked by a new Labour government.  This cohort of Fellows has brought energy, passion, dynamism and debate to the programme – attributes which are absolutely critical in today’s increasingly complex environment. We look forward to the powerful impact they are sure to make to the sector over the coming months and years.

Hilary Carty, Executive Director, Clore Leadership

Laura Crossley and the ‘Cult of Busyness’

Laura is an independent consultant.  She was awarded the 2023/24 Heritage Fellowship supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Laura Crossley is a Manchester-based freelance consultant with over a decade of experience working with museums and arts organisations across the UK. She specialises in strategic planning, visioning, audience development, interpretation, and evaluation. 

Laura has recently announced that she is undertaking research with support from Clore Leadership and AHRC into how cultural sector organisations can prevent burnout and inject joy and creativity where possible, after she began contemplating toxic workplaces, the ‘cult of busyness’ and how damaging it is to individuals in a workplace setting. 

“I think it’s super important for cultural sector organisations to inject joy and creativity where possible; we do our best work when people are being and thinking creatively – to my mind, this helps us solve tricky problems, overcome challenges, produce more innovative and audience-focused work, and build resilient organisations that are fit for the future.

“Clore Leadership has been hugely transformational for me and is setting my career on an exciting new trajectory, which is enabling me to make the impact I so wanted to make when I applied for the Fellowship. I’m starting a new company which will develop better workplace cultures and support organisations to thrive through culture change, workforce culture development, and leadership development…

“This has only been made possible by having the time and space to reflect on my practice afforded to me by Clore Leadership, along with the mindset shift which has occurred because of the Fellowship…I really can’t thank Clore Leadership enough for everything it’s given me.”

You can hear Laura speak on creating joyful workplace cultures at the Museums Association conference in Leeds this November. She’ll be sharing a simple ‘happy workplace’ toolkit highlighting how to create positive work cultures. Visit the Museums Association Website to find out more.

You can get in touch with Laura up until the end of November to get involved with her research into burnout by contacting her at [email protected]

Sovay Berriman on ‘ReWilding the Arts’

Sovay is a Cornish artist, leader, champion of the arts as well as Director of plumbing and heating company, Plumb Maid.  They were awarded the 2023/24 Visual Arts Fellowship, supported by a-n The Artists Information Company.

As an artist, Sovay Berriman uses their practice as a structure and prompt for action and discussion and is committed to questioning balances of power.

Sovay developed the concept of ReWilding Arts Leadership during their journey as a Fellow and Sovay has now built an offer to organisations to help them ‘rewild’ their governance and executive processes. 

The research asks how the policy, governance and strategic layer of the arts and cultural sector can better intersect with the behaviours and practices of creative production. 

An extract from Sovay’s provocation paper for the Fellowship explains this further:

  ‘At a time of well recognised climate crisis and limited resources, a time of acknowledgment of societal inequality, when practices of care are being called for, we need a rebalancing of power, and access to power, that is supple, responsive, reflective and in-tune with the natural cycles of our lives. Using a methodology that comes from the land we walk and live on, even eat from, feels congruent with the change we need to make.’

Organisations are also able to contribute learning and thinking to the concept of ReWilding the Arts in a peer learning space.

During the Clore Fellowship, Sovay gained accreditation as a coach with RD1st and now offers coaching alongside mentoring and consultation.  Sovay is also joining the board of trustees for Creative Kernow – one of Cornwall’s key creative industries organisations, part funded by Arts Council England and Cornwall Council.  The purpose of Creative Kernow is to champion creativity as a positive force for change.

As Sovay reflects on their Fellowship journey they add;

 “I found it confirmed a lot for me about how arts and culture works and about the potential for change. I feel more secure in my approach to work, and in what I can contribute to the systemic change that is, slowly, underway.”

You can find out more about Sovay’s journey and plans for ReWilding the Arts on their website.

Kate Maconochie makes the leap to Exec Director of the Marlow Theatre

Kate Mackonochie, Executive Director, The Marlowe Theatre and recipient of the 2023/24 Duffield Fellowship. 

Kate Mackonochie joined Marlowe Theatre this April as Executive Director, midway through her Clore Fellowship.  Previously she was Director of Producing at Factory International, the organisation behind both Manchester International Festival, and Aviva Studios, the landmark new cultural space in the heart of Manchester.

She talks about how the Fellowship gave her a clearer understanding of the landscape, priorities and installed her with the confidence to make the leap into a new leadership role at Marlowe Theatre.

Kate says: “The Fellowship has been an amazing experience. Having the time and space to focus on my own development was such a luxury, but was equally beneficial in terms of widening my horizons and gaining the confidence to take a career leap.

“I know that I will keep coming back to the fellowship, the fellows in my cohort and the wider fellowship network.  My learning has only just really begun. It’s been transformational and I am grateful to Clore Leadership for selecting and supporting me.”

You can read more about Kate’s appointment to the Marlowe Theatre on its website.

Rebecca Atkinson-Lord finds calm and stoicism after her Clore Leadership journey

Rebecca Aktinson-Lord was awarded the 2023/24 Creative Scotland Fellowship.

Rebecca is Artistic Director and Chief Executive at An Tobar and Mull Theatre, a multi-artform creative hub on the Hebridean island of Mull, as well as an award-winning director and writer for theatre and film.

She discusses the personal and professional impact Clore Leadership has had on her journey as a leader in the arts.

“I feel that I have a better understanding of my personal capacities and abilities, which has helped my confidence and drive.”

“I’ve found myself happier and more able to face the challenges of working in the arts and culture sector. Before Clore Leadership I was thinking about leaving it entirely because I was so burned out and disenchanted, but now I am more able to see my professional life as just one part of my identity and I’m better able to identify what I can change and what I can’t – which means I exhaust myself less with impossible battles.

“I’ve met one or two incredibly close friends on the Fellowship and I’ll carry them with me for life. I’ve also gained lots of skills and tactics that have helped me share my new-found calm and stoicism with the team I lead.”

You can find out more about Rebecca’s work at An Tobar and Mull Theatre here.

Charlotte Edmonds talks about her return to the stage and plans for the next year

Charlotte Edmonds is a British choreographer, dancer and filmmaker.  She was the 2023/24 Dance Fellow supported by Dancers’ Career Development and The Linbury Trust.

Having trained at The Royal Ballet Lower School, Rambert School, and with a Master’s in Choreography from the Central School of Ballet, Charlotte’s career is built on a solid foundation of expertise.

We caught up with her to hear about her plans for the next year: “In 2025, I will be launching the second series of Cameo, a curated interview platform that showcases the work of female and non-binary choreographers. This new series will also explore strategic approaches for the dance sector, including a letter of intent for the industry.”

Reflecting on her career path, Charlotte shared, “When I first started as a choreographer, I set performing aside. Now, after over a decade in the industry, I’m thrilled to return to the stage alongside my choreographic work, starting this October at Sadler’s Wells as part of the Young Associates Programme Four.”

“Since completing the Clore Fellowship, my focus has been on creating new choreography for live performances across the UK. I’m committed to continuing this journey and hope to bring these projects to fruition in the near future”.

Joyce Nga Yu Lee on imposter syndrome and her PhD on the aesthetics of inclusion

Joyce Nga Yu Lee, was awarded the 2023/24 Theatre Fellowship, supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

Joyce Nga Yu Lee is a Hong Konger in the UK who has been making and touring work internationally for 20 years. Joyce originally trained as a theatre maker at  the University of Leeds and the National Theatre Directors’ Programme. 

She talks about the impact the Fellowship has had on her:  

“The most significant and lasting impact has been a transformation in my identity. From arriving in this country as a young, working-class immigrant to becoming the Artistic Director of a renowned theatre company, I have continually battled imposter syndrome.

“The Fellowship has helped me affirm my unique leadership qualities and sharpened my skills. Now, grounded with renewed conviction and informed by my lived experiences, I have refocused my energy on leading with both humility and boldness.”

She also shared news about her recent decision to step down as Artistic Director of Mind the Gap, England’s premier learning disability performance and arts company, after deciding it was time for fresh leadership for the company and new adventures.  You can read more about this here.

We asked Joyce what was next on her agenda:  “I will pursue creative projects entrepreneurially staying ambitious, political and mischievous! I’m also lucky enough to have obtained a scholarship for a practice-based part-time PhD at the University of Leeds, where I’m hoping to consolidate my knowledge on the aesthetics of inclusion.” 

Leonardo Menezes on his journey from Rio de Janeiro to the Clore Fellowship and back to portray the Amazon Rainforest

Leonardo Menezes is a Brazilian based exhibition curator, audiovisual director, screenwriter and partner at Outra Onda Content and Guaraná Content. He was awarded a Chevening Fellowship, supported by the Chevening Secretariat at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 

Leonardo Menezes has recently curated a new temporary and original exhibition, Amazonian BiOCAnomy at SESI Lab – a new science museum in Brasília. The exhibition highlights the power of the bioeconomy in the development of the different Amazon regions, based on the conservation of biodiversity and the reduction of the impacts of climate change.

The exhibition also reflects how the importance of the knowledge of Amazonian populations, such as indigenous people, extractivists and riverside dwellers, combined with scientific knowledge, helps keep the Amazon Rainforest standing.

Leo began developing the exhibition early last year. He talks about the anxious moments balancing the demands of the exhibition throughout his Clore Fellowship up and until its opening earlier this year:

“The development of the exhibition started at the beginning of 2023 and I’ve had to manage many of the curatorial demands regarding exhibits, videos and interactive displays throughout the Clore Fellowship, which at first gave me a bit of anxiety.

“However, with the knowledge shared by the speakers and the courses I have enrolled with during the Fellowship, I have gained knowledge and improved my skills to remain flexible to the demands, especially during my secondment to Whitechapel Gallery.

“Since the end of the Fellowship, I’ve felt more confident with my management skills and able to deliver the contents and reviews needed for the exhibition more effectively.” 

From the network Leonardo  built during the Fellowship, he has also been invited to curate a touring exhibition, Dance your Freedom, in London, Birmingham and Cardiff this year.

You can discover more about the BIOCAnomy exhibition Leo has curated here.

Andrew Westle shares how the Fellowship helped him become a better advocate for the sector

Andrew Westle is National Programme Manager for The Agency at Battersea Arts Centre and recipient of the 2023/24 Cultural Learning Fellowship. His work defies neat boundaries to include research, socially engaged arts practice, performance, evaluation, writing, and public health.

Andrew looks back on the past year on how the Fellowship has influenced him:

“Through the Clore Fellowship, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect deeply on my leadership journey and refine my approach to fostering collaboration and inclusivity. The Fellowship connected me with a diverse network of individuals across various sectors, from grassroots cultural activists to leaders in mainstream organisations, broadening my perspective and building relationships that will allow me to continue advocating for culture as a central pillar of a healthy society.”

Andrew’s standout experience during the Fellowship was his secondment at Tate Liverpool – which he believes sharpened his skills in audience engagement and sustainable revenue generation while reinforcing the value of adaptability—transferring skills across contexts to drive change.

He also sees the Fellowship as helping him step out of his comfort zone to embrace new opportunities, which has opened doors and evolving opportunities.

“These experiences have not only sharpened my strategic thinking but also helped me develop networks that bridge diverse sectors. Looking ahead, I’m committed to continuing to amplify underrepresented voices and building partnerships that cross sectors like education, healthcare, and beyond.”

“The Fellowship has been transformative, and I’m excited to use this experience to advocate for the cultural sector’s essential role in shaping a more inclusive and equitable society.”

Vicky Fung on music, loneliness and working beyond borders

Vicky Fung is a songwriter, lyricist, singer-songwriter, co-founder of a social enterprise, and an active producer and curator.  She was awarded  the 2023/24 The Hong Kong Fellowship, supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Vicky’s Fellowship journey prompted her to reflect on her core values as a leader – which she has identified as ‘Transformation, Care and Circularity’,  as well as helping her understand how coaching can focus her mind on work and family.

After undertaking coaching as part of her Fellowship, Vicky has since become an accredited Relational Dynamics coach. Vicky says of this new accreditation; “I intend to take coaching further by incorporating it into my multiple practices and, in the long term, to support the development of coaching culture in Hong Kong.”

Vicky has always been intrigued by the subject of “loneliness” and during Clore Leadership’s September residential, she was inspired by speaker, Stephen Page, who spoke of his loneliness as a leader.  This prompted her to further explore this area and  more specifically in the subject of “Loneliness in Leaders” through her provocation paper.

“In August 2024, I launched an arts-based research project titled “Sounds Like Loneliness” which is an “open space” for understanding and exploring loneliness, and will form the basis of an important branch of my work in the years to come.

“Clore Leadership has supported me in my determination to take the subject matter of loneliness further to create artworks or projects which embrace the subject in even deeper and more meaningful ways through my multi-facted practices.”

In August 2024 she was also invited to be part of the teaching crew for a pop culture themed summer school “Hacking Global Pop Icon”.  This resulted in 27 international students putting together an exhibition about “Slow Life” in Hong Kong, in just over three weeks.

In June 2024, a music project for the dementia community “Remember The Time We Sing”, created under Vicky’s social enterprise Every Life Is A Song was acknowledged by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s with an Arts Promotion and Education Award. 

“The Fellowship has prompted me to think about what values are driving me to go forward as an art and cultural leader. With uplifted confidence and clarity brought about by Clore Leadership and encouragement of the award, I believe the radiation of these energies would bring me closer to other like-minded leaders, organizations, partners who could collectively and strategically contribute to the cultural sector and society. Connected by values, it means that I could potentially operate at a much wider scale not limited by art forms, types of practice or borders.”

Matthew Rabagliati on the importance of culture and heritage in addressing 21st century challenges.

Matthew Rabagliati is Head of Policy, Research and Communications at the UK National Commission for UNESCO. He supports the coordination of UK Government and independent experts policy positions at UNESCO. He also leads the Local to Global Programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, looking to build a resilient network of UNESCO sites across the UK. He also co-leads with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport the £1.8 million Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage Project funded by the HM Treasury Shared Outcomes Fund. Matthew was a recipient of the Heritage Fellowship, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Reflecting on his journey before undertaking the Clore Fellowship, Matthew recognised his achievements stemmed largely from working long hours and self-teaching rather than formal training. Matthew found himself looking for a more structured approach to underpin his decisions.

He also recognised the need to move from an internally focused manager to better valuing himself, his contribution, and his ability to drive change across the sector and society.  Perhaps most importantly, he was also looking to make a positive shift in his internal monologue to see himself as a leader.

“The Fellowship has completely changed my view of myself and my potential. No longer do I feel completely stuck in an internal dialogue of self-doubt, but really feel that I can make a difference.

“I’ve gone from feeling stuck to being on a path and realising that I have important skills to contribute to the sector going forward. Clore Leadership has given me a solid base for future leadership positions. The most important thing that Clore Leadership has helped me unlock is my passion and willingness to lead.”

Matthew, who originally trained as an archaeologist, has also spent the last seven years researching how places in the UK and internationally are facing a new period of uncertainty as the impact of environmental, economic and social challenges are more acutely felt.  He believes culture and heritage are fundamental in bringing people and communities together to help meaningfully address those challenges. This has formed the basis for his provocation for the Fellowship:

“I still firmly believe in the power of culture and heritage to help address interconnected 21st century challenges, and while I may not have all the answers, that shouldn’t prevent me from speaking up and trying to bring about change.”

Our other 2023/24 Fellows were:

• Alan James Burns, is an artist, curator and producer, Arts Council Ireland Fellowship
• Carolyn ML Forsyth, Executive Director and Joint CEO of Talawa Theatre Company, The Transform Fellowship, supported by Arts Council England
• Jay Bhadricha is Head of Programmes at Forward Arts Foundation. The Transform Fellowship, supported by Arts Council England
• Jessica Vaughan,  curator and producer, Cultural Learning Fellowship supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation
• John Wilkinson is a multi-award-winning director and dramaturg. The Transform Fellowship, supported by Arts Council England
• Katie Villa is a Devon based freelance Theatre Director, performer, theatre maker and audiobook narrator. The Theatre Fellowship, supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation
• Liliane Rebelo is Executive Director of Culture and Society at Cultura Inglesa. Chevening Fellowship, supported by the Chevening Secretariat at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Louise White is an independent theatre and performance. The Jerome Hynes Fellowship, supported by Arts Council Ireland
• Lo Wan-Ki, independent transdisciplinary artist and curator based in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Fellowship, supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
• Deanna Rodger is a former UK Poetry Slam Champion who has performed and facilitated extensively around the world. Excellerate Fellowship
• Makeda McMillan,  founded her own youth led arts organization – MakedaMakes, in 2019.  Excellerate Fellowship, supported by Arts Council England, the Clore Duffield Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
• Molly Nicholson is both an independent producer & executive producer for &Friends LTD. Excellerate Fellowship

Notes to Editors

Clore Leadership is hugely grateful to the many strategic partners who have joined us in driving excellence and innovation in the leadership of culture. Our major funding partners are the Clore Duffield Foundation which initiated the programme in 2003 and Arts Council England, which funds the Fellowship and a range of other Clore Leadership programmes. In 2023/24 we are delighted that the Fellowship Programme also received support from: a-n The Artists Information Company; Arts Council Ireland; the Arts and Humanities Research Council; Chevening Secretariat through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Creative Scotland; Dancers’ Career Development; Esmée Fairbairn Foundation; the Gatsby Charitable Foundation; the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through Hong Kong Arts Development Council; The Linbury Trust; National Lottery Heritage Fund; and National Trust.

Interviews conducted by Lauren Gildersleve on behalf of Clore Leadership.