What is the Clore Fellowship

The Clore Fellowship is a programme of tailored leadership development for a cohort of exceptional leaders in the cultural sector.  

Each year we award circa 20 Fellowships to exceptional leaders from a range of areas of the cultural sector including the visual and performing arts, museums, libraries, archives and heritage, film and digital media, cultural policy and practice. The Fellowship Programme is for leaders who have ambition and vision, and can show clearly how they might take their leadership to the next level.

The Fellowship has a loose framework but it is individually tailored, adaptive and self-guided. The programme is learned, not taught and is experiential, grounded in practice, and underpinned by contemporary leadership theories and approaches. The programme is deeply reflective and involves spending time learning about yourself, considering the role of leadership in the wider sector and where and how your leadership will make an impact.  

The Clore Fellowship includes:

• Two residential courses & 3 days of skills-based workshops in London (including travel and all accommodation, meals and refreshments) - you will work alongside facilitators, Clore Leadership staff, Associates and speakers, as well as your Fellowship cohort to explore learning about yourself and your leadership, as well as more about the skills and strategy of leadership. You will hear from a range of guest leaders and their leadership journeys, reflect and learn more about yourself, your leadership and how to explore your leadership potential. 
• Climate Assembly - the opportunity to connect with leaders in the UK and internationally around climate emergency, action and collaboration. 
• A 360° leadership profile - you will undertake a detailed leadership profile, with support to explore what that means for you and your leadership. 
• A secondment - usually around 6 weeks in a UK-based cultural organisation, in a field different to your own. Here you have the opportunity to connect with a host organisation around a key project, stretching your leadership learning and muscles outside of your home area of practice. 
• A development budget - up to £3,500 to spend on your own learning and associated costs (E.g. conferences, courses, study visits or books)
• A bursary of £10,000 -  financial support for your time away from work necessary to undertake your Fellowship, paid to you or your employer (as appropriate). For UK/ Ireland Fellows only.
• Support from a mentor or coach.
• A provocation piece - Fellow-led research into a chosen leadership subject 
• A collaborative enquiry project - working alongside other members of your cohort to explore a contemporary leadership learning question, with your enquiry findings presented at the second residential. 
• Provision of an access budget for D/deaf or disabled and neurodivergent Fellows, or for those with caring responsibilities.
• Opportunity to apply for a supervised research project funded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council, following completion of the Fellowship.  

We are looking for leaders who are dynamic, strategic and collaborative; who possess a high degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity, integrity and emotional intelligence.

You will be entrepreneurial and driven to making a difference in your organisation, community of practice, sector and/or society through culture.

This adaptive programme is for leaders from across the cultural sector who are poised to take on a significant leadership challenge, to make a step change in their leadership careers and the cultural sector: perhaps you are about to take on a major project or executive leadership role, or are ready to develop your organisation. Whether working independently or as part of an institution, you will be able to demonstrate your aptitude and appetite for effecting significant change.

We aim to increase the diversity of leaders in arts and culture and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse leaders and D/deaf and disabled leaders, who are currently under-represented in the sector.

To be eligible for a Fellowship, you should:

• Have a minimum of seven years’ experience of professional or voluntary practice, and be able to demonstrate aptitude for leading and effecting significant change through your work. The period of seven years does not need to be consecutive.
• Have an innovative approach, be open to learning and have the desire to develop as a cultural leader.
• Be in a position to influence practice and/or policy and effect change in your organisation, sector and beyond, through your work as an artist or cultural professional.
• Have significant experience of leading people, projects, organisations or practice either in a professionally paid or voluntary capacity in the cultural sector.
• Be comfortable with managing budgets.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to, passion for and understanding of the cultural sector.
• Meet the additional eligibility criteria for any specialist Fellowships applied for.
• Have an understanding of the broader sector and wider context of culture.
• Highly qualified candidates from other sectors may be considered providing they demonstrate a deep commitment to culture and to playing a leading role within it.

Are you interested in applying for Arts Council Ireland or Creative Scotland Fellowships? In both these sessions for applicants, we will be talking about applying for these Individual Fellowships.

Thursday 2 February 2023 9.30 – 10.30am for Arts Council Ireland Fellowship

Thursday 2 February 2023 11.30 – 12.30pm for Creative Scotland Fellowship

 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED