Emerging Leaders is our intensive course to equip early-career cultural leaders with the essential skills and tools needed to succeed.

Emerging Leaders is a week-long residential programme. We award 24 spaces each year to leaders in areas such as the visual and performing arts, museums, libraries, archives and heritage, film and digital media, and cultural policy and practice. Emerging Leaders is for early-career leaders with ambition and vision who can show how they might take their leadership to the next level. The programme is learned through experience, not taught, and is grounded in contemporary leadership theories and approaches.

There is a strong emphasis on learning about you and your leadership through self-reflection, learning from speakers and peers in your cohorts.

Residential content and discussion will explore authenticity in leadership; values; coaching skills; inclusive cultures; strategic planning; finance; impact and influence as well as the opportunity to learn from guest leaders.

The programme format blends opportunities for facilitated reflection, taught content, discussion and debate through a variety of whole and small group, small solo activities. There will be plenty of time to meet with your peers, get to know each other and learn from one another’s professional, lived and learned experiences.

Emerging Leaders is

Typically for course participants with between 2-5 years’ experience in the cultural sector.
A self-directed programme where you determine our own personal learning journey.
Heavily focused on self-reflection, rather than taught content.
An opportunity to learn new things about yourself, where you will gain most by stepping out of your comfort zone, to explore who you are and would like to become as a leader.
An opportunity to get your teeth into knotty questions facing the cultural sector.
An opportunity to learn with and from others in a cohort of peers from across a range of artform/ cultural sector areas.

Emerging Leaders isn’t

A business management course or creative enterprise focused programme.
Training.
A qualification or accredited programme.

Download Application Guide

Programme Details

Emerging Leaders takes place in November 2025 or March 2026 and includes:

One 5 day residential course, including accommodation, meals, and refreshments. You’ll learn about yourself, your leadership, and explore the skills and strategies of leadership. You’ll work with facilitators, Clore Leadership staff, associates, and speakers. You’ll hear from a range of guest leaders about their leadership journeys.

Access budget provision for D/deaf or disabled and neurodivergent leaders, or for those with caring responsibilities.

Why choose Emerging Leaders?

We’re looking for leaders who are:

Dynamic, strategic, and collaborative
Intellectually curious, creative, and possess emotional intelligence and integrity
Entrepreneurial and passionate about making a difference through culture
Ready to take on significant leadership challenges and effect change
Who are deeply reflective, able to ask themselves honest and searching questions

This adaptive programme is for leaders from across the cultural sector, who are ready to make a step change in their leadership careers and the cultural sector. Whether working independently or as part of an institution, you should demonstrate an aptitude and appetite for effecting change. We’re committed to increasing the diversity of leaders in arts and culture and particularly welcome applications from leaders from the global majority, and D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent leaders who are currently under-represented in the sector.

Emerging Leaders has been designed for individuals at an early stage in their career who aspire to lead. Typically Emerging Leaders course participants will have between 2-5 years’ experience in the cultural sector and will have had some experience of managing projects or people, are perhaps looking to take on an enhanced role and need to acquire new skills to be successful and have undertaken some sector relevant skills development training.

Testimonial

I was selected for Emerging Leaders a few years back and it was life-changing. Helped me take ownership, learn leadership techniques that work, enhanced my professional network and gave me some fab friends and allies
Dhruti Shah

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants to Emerging Leaders need to be able to demonstrate the following:

Have been working in a leadership or change making role in arts and culture between 2-5 years. You will be asked in the application to provide a CV outlining that you meet the level of experience required.
Demonstrate that you are / have an ambition to lead and are making a significant impact through your work/ practice.
Demonstrate a deep commitment, passion, and understanding of the cultural sector and its broader context.
Demonstrate an understanding of your leadership potential.
Demonstrate curiosity, self-reflection and self-awareness and openness to learning about yourself and others.
Be open to sharing your learning with others.

Applicants outside the UK

We do welcome applications to our courses from applicants based or working outside of the UK, but our unsubsidised course fee would apply and you should check your eligibility for any bursary you are applying for. Our course content is delivered in English and overseas course participants would be responsible for making their own travel arrangements and securing the visas neccessary to attend the course.

Costs & Funding

Thanks to funding from Arts Council England and Clore Duffield Foundation we can offer subsidised course fees to eligible applicants.

Band A – 1-15 employees: £600 +VAT
Band B – 16- 50 employees: £800 +VAT
Band C – 51-199 employees: £1,000 +VAT
Band D – 200+ employees: £1,200 +VAT

The unsubsidised cost of an Emerging Leaders course place is £2,500 + VAT. Limited unsubsidised places are available, with priority given to those eligible for subsidised fees. We also offer bursaries detailed in the Bursaries section.

Our courses are supported by Arts Council England and to be eligible for a subsidised place applicants must be:

Working in England (normally in the arts, museums and/or libraries sector)
Committed to developing their career as a cultural leader in England

Included in your Course fees:

The cost of one residential programmes including tuition and all course materials.
Accommodation, meals and refreshments for the duration of the residential courses.
An access support for the needs of D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent attendees or those with caring responsibilities.
Central support from the Clore Leadership team.

Applicants outside the UK

Funding and Bursaries

Through support from our funders and partners we are able to provide a range of bursaries supporting the costs of course places for applicants. You are able to apply for any bursaries to which you are eligible. You can also apply for a place without a bursary.

Art Fund Bursaries

A limited number of bursaries for those working in museums and galleries, prioritising those currently underrepresented in this sector including D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent leaders and those from the Global Majority.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

Arts & Humanities Research Council Bursaries

Bursaries are available for Arts and Humanities academics based within a UK Higher Education Institution Research Organisation who are committed to developing as a cultural leader. The Arts and Humanities Research Council is keen to encourage applications from Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse and/or disabled academics who are currently underrepresented in leadership positions in the sector.

To be eligible applicants must be working in one of the AHRC’s subject domains. For a list of these domains, please review the AHRC remit page.

Applicants must be based at a UK higher education institution/research organisation (HEI/RO) or Independent Research Organisation. Applicants to the AHRC bursary should name their employer HEI in the bursary choice question.

If not employed by an organisation, the applicant must have an existing written formal arrangement with the organisation to indicate formal affiliation.

Applications from academics on a Teaching and Education contracts are welcome but applicants should be research active. Applications are also welcome from research team members who are actively engaged in research (e.g. technicians; archivists, etc).

For AHRC academic applicants relevant professional experience is understood as:

Holding a PhD (or equivalent professional experience)
A track record (appropriate to career stage) of research on the cultural sector
Be actively engaged in participating and/or supporting the development of the cultural sector in the UK
Demonstrable professional experience (appropriate to career stage) in project management and managing people/teams in a research-intensive environment

Further information on institutional eligibility requirements may be found in the AHRC Research Funding Guide.

Please note: to be classified as an eligible HEI/RO, the institution must be eligible to receive grant funding from one of the UK’s higher education funding bodies for research, postgraduate training and associated activities. These bodies consist of Research England, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, Scottish Funding Council and Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy.

Please see the list of IROs which are eligible for funding.

Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.
Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.

Creative Scotland Bursaries

The Creative Scotland Bursaries will support a culture leader, who is working independently or within an organisation, to develop their career as cultural leader in Scotland. Creative Scotland particularly welcomes applications from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority and D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent candidates in recognition of the current under-representation in leadership positions. Applicants must live and work in Scotland within a cultural discipline supported by Creative Scotland.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

Exclusions:

Applicants working in the museums and heritage sector and other disciplines not eligible for Creative Scotland funding. For details visit Creative Scotland Funding page.
Students in full-time education or undertaking a long-term, formal or accredited course of learning.

D/deaf and Disabled and Neurodivergent Leaders’ Bursary

Bursaries for applicants who identify as D/deaf, disabled* and neurodivergent leaders.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

*The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Sharing that you are disabled will not be used in any way in judging the quality of your application.

Freelancers Bursary

A small number of reduced fee places are available to freelance applicants on each course. Freelance bursary applicants may also apply for other bursaries, providing they meet the eligibility criteria.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse
Bursary support available: Up to two bursaries available on each course.
Emerging Leaders fee after bursary: £250 + VAT
Leadership Pulse fee after bursary: £500 + VAT

Global Majority Leaders’ Bursary

Supporting applications from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse arts and cultural leaders. Three awards are available per course for Black, Asian and ethnically diverse applicants living and working in England.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering 50% of course fee.

John Ellerman Bursary

Bursaries available for curatorial practitioners who are committed to developing as a cultural leader. The John Ellerman Foundation is keen to encourage applicants from the Global Majority and/or D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent curators who are currently underrepresented in leadership positions in the sector. Applicants must be living / working in the UK.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee

The Linbury Trust Bursary for Dance

A bursary funded by The Linbury Trust is available for a former dancer to attend our courses. Applicants must be committed to developing their career as a cultural leader and be working in the UK.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

Tees Valley Cultural Leaders’ Bursaries

– Darlington Cultural Leaders’ Bursary

Darlington Cultural Leaders’ bursaries are open to creative practitioners, artists, creative freelancers who are resident in Darlington Borough Council or are employed by creative enterprises or cultural organisations which have their registered base in Darlington borough.

This bursary programme can support course fee bursaries for people who are either or both:

Resident in Darlington borough.
Employed by a creative enterprise or cultural organisation which has its registered base in Darlington borough.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

– Redcar & Cleveland Local Authority Bursary

A small number of full course fee bursaries are available for cultural leaders working in Redcar & Cleveland Local Authority areas. Applicants to the Tees Valley bursary should name the Local Authority area in which they are working within their bursary choice question response.

Prioritisation will be given to those applicants who are:

Working as a creative practitioner/ artist/ freelancer/ within a small organisation (defined as up to 10 core team members).
Those currently underrepresented in leadership roles in the cultural sector and in the South Tees with protected characteristics: disabled people/Global Majority/LBTQIA+ /women.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

Wellcome Trust Bursaries

Bursaries for cultural leaders working across different disciplines of arts and science, health, wellbeing and other aspects of the agenda for widening public engagement with science.

Available for: Emerging Leaders and Leadership Pulse.
Bursary support available: A small number, covering the full course fee.

Access support for your application

You can make your course application in alternative format (E.g. audio or video) in our applications portal. If you need support email [email protected] leave us a message and we will get back to you.

Application Guide in BSL/Audio or captions available here

Supporting your access on the residential course

We will discuss any support you might need with you before you start the residential to make sure we can make adjustments or put the additional support you need in place. We have worked with many D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent leaders previously. The support you need is individual to you, but the kinds of things we have put in place before includes;

Providing a note taker throughout the residential
Support for a Personal Assistant to attend with you
Captioning of online residential sessions
Supporting the costs of BSL interpreters
Providing written materials in different formats

Support for those with caring responsibilities

To help support those with caring responsibilities we provide Carers Access Support which can support costs of up to £75 per day towards additional childcare or other caring related costs during residentials/workshops and during your residential.

Our venues

Our residential locations have undergone an access audit which we are able to provide should you wish. The training spaces are ground level, with accessible toilets located nearby. Accessible accommodation is available and we will ask you about your specific accommodation needs prior to the course.