Emerging Leaders Bursaries

Clore Leadership is grateful to the funders who support a range of bursaries across our courses targeting underrepresented groups, as well as those working in areas of specialism or geographic focus. All bursary places are highly competitive and you should ensure you check your eligibility for any bursary you wish to apply for before making your application.  As part of the application form you will be asked to tell us how you meet the criteria and how you can evidence a strong case for support. All bursaries cover fees only and do not cover the costs of travel to and from the course venue.

In addition, for our Winter 2023 Emerging Leaders courses we also offer a number of specialist bursaries targeted at leaders working in specific areas of the cultural sector, or based or working in specific locations: 

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. Up to two full course fee bursaries are offered. 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.

For AHRC academic applicants relevant professional experience could be 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

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. 

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.

Applicants must be employed by an eligible research organisation/HEI or IRO. If not employed by an organisation, the applicant must have an existing written formal arrangement with the organisation to indicate formal affiliation. Further information on institutional eligibility requirements may be found in the AHRC Research Funding Guide. 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.)
 

Arts Council England Bursary

A small number of bursaries for arts and culture professionals whose career development has been negatively impacted by Covid-19, prioritising independent artists, freelancers and those made redundant / at risk of redundancy since March 2020. Applicants must live and work in England within a cultural discipline supported by Arts Council England. A small number of full course fee and 50%- course fee bursaries are available. 

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.

Exclusions:

• Applicants working in the museums and heritage sector and other disciplines not eligible for Creative Scotland funding. For details visit https://www.creativescotland.com/funding/help-with-your-application/who-can-apply
• Students in full-time education or undertaking a long-term, formal or accredited course of learning

Dancers' Career Development Bursary

Bursaries funded by Dancers Careers Development are available for successful applicants who have a dance performance career. This is available for all dance genres. Bursaries will support the full course costs. Applicants must be committed to developing their career as a cultural leader and be working in the UK. Please indicate in your application if you have ever worked for one of DCD’s Partner Company’s or not. This does not impact your eligibility for the bursary. 

DCD Companies: Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Rambert, Richard Alston Dance Company, Scottish Ballet, The Royal Ballet.

Emerging Leaders: Require minimum 2 years dance performance career in the UK 

Gatsby Foundation

A full course fee bursary funded by Gatsby is available for applicants working in UK theatre.

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. One bursary covering the entire course fee is available. 

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

• Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough Local Authority bursary

A small number of full course fee bursaries are available for cultural leaders working in Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough 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/people of colour/LBTQIA+/women