Arts Council England NPO/IPSO or Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund recipients based in England:
Are you a leader in the arts and cultural sector in England? Would you like to carve out space to think beyond the daily pressures of your role and to build strong relationships with your peers?
In 2024, Clore Leadership’s World of Work research explored the current landscape for cultural sector leaders, highlighting the vast and growing demands placed upon them. We recognise how difficult it can be to pause, reflect, and invest in your own learning, self-care, and solidarity while navigating these pressures. Yet all leaders deserve this space—to think, to grow, and to connect with their peers. The future health of our cultural sector depends on it.
Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, as active partners in addressing these challenges, have listened to the sector and recognise the urgent need for action. In response, with their funding and support, Clore Leadership is pleased to launch a small-scale pilot offering a round of subsidised support for leaders within NPOs/ IPSOs and Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund recipients based in England.
The programme comprises two strands: Peer Learning Groups and 1:1 coaching.
PEER GROUP LEARNING
A supported space to share leadership challenges, to connect with and to learn with peers.
Who is it for?
Individuals working in a leadership role, either for a National Portfolio Organisation or Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund recipients based in England. Places are available for more than one person at each organisation.
What will happen?
A series of facilitated conversations to provide spaces for mutual support and reflection to explore the issues, challenges and opportunities you face in your leadership role in a confidential space.
You and your group (up to 10 in each group) will have 3 sessions working with a facilitator from our experienced Clore Leadership team who have experience supporting cultural sector leaders working in a range of contexts.
What will I take away?
- The opportunity to reflect with peers on shared challenges in a safe and open space.
- Inspiration, new ideas and new approaches
- New connections and potential collaborations.
- The chance to develop core leadership skills in coaching questions, listening and reflection,
How will it work?
Participants will be allocated to groups (maximum 10 participants) based on your availability for proposed dates and creating a mixture of leaders from a range of sectors, levels and regions.
Up to five groups will be ring fenced as ‘self-curated’ groups, with participants expressing interest in a thematic or contextual focus via the EOI form.
You will be encouraged to continue to self organise and meet beyond the life cycle of the project.
Participants are asked to contribute towards the costs of this heavily subsidized scheme, to support the widest possible attendance.
Fees will be as follows: £15 + VAT (total for all 3 sessions).
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
COACHING
Individual support to think through your current leadership, role and context. Coaching is a type of professional development activity, where through self reflection supported by your coach you learn more about yourself, your strengths and how you can work through challenges in your professional life.
Who is it for?
Individuals working in a leadership role, either for a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO OR IPSO) or Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund recipient based in England.
What will happen?
Participants will receive three 1-2-1 coaching sessions (online, 1 hour)
What will I take away?
● The opportunity to re-connect to your values and ambitions as a leader.
● A safe space to reflect on how you think, feel and act within your leadership role and consider future actions or development needs.
How will it work?
Participants will select a coach from a list of Clore Leadership’s leadership coaches with guidance from the team.
You will be encouraged to undertake an initial ‘chemistry’ call where you can meet a potential coach and see whether the fit feels right for you, to support your choice of coach.
Scheduling of sessions will be agreed directly with your coach.
You will need to commit to attend all sessions. Your coach will advise on their standard booking and cancellation processes. Regrettably we aren’t able to ‘replace’ any sessions lost through non attendance.
Participants will be asked to contribute towards the cost of the coaching of £75 + VAT as applicable (total for all 3 sessions)
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
CRITERIA
The programme is open to leaders in NPO/ IPSO and Paul Hamlyn Foundation arts grant recipient organisations.
Leaders can be artistic, executive or both but must have substantial responsibilities for strategic planning, decision-making and resourcing in their organisation.
Recognising the role that freelancers and volunteers play in leading organisations, the scheme is open to those where they have a central leadership role.
Prioritisation for this scheme will be given to:
- those who have not previously accessed coaching or peer learning support
- leaders from the Global Majority and / or who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent;
- leaders from organisations where resources make accessing such schemes a particular challenge
- leaders who are working in places identified as Arts Council Priority Places
The scheme will operate on a first come first served basis, based on the eligibility criteria and checking expectations against scope of the scheme.
Participants are asked to contribute towards the costs of the scheme. Fees are as follows:
• Peer learning groups – £15 + VAT (total for all 3 sessions)
• Coaching – £75 + VAT (total for all 3 sessions)
We are keen to understand the impact of the scheme and those taking part will be asked to complete pre and post programme feedback forms and a small selection of longitudinal interviews and a facilitated reflection session. Participants will be encouraged to support learning from the pilot by participating in this evaluation.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are via a short expression of interest form.
You can only apply for one of the programme strands Peer Learning Group or Coaching.
APPLY
Applications have now closed.
