Applying for the Clore Fellowship
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APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Check your Eligibility
Before making an application ensure you have carefully read all the Fellowship programme information to see if the programme is the right fit for you and whether you are eligible to apply.
The Fellowship is for cultural sector leaders who have ambition and vision, and can show how they might take their leadership to the next level. It is for leaders who are poised to make a step change in their leadership careers and the cultural sector. Fellows can be an individual freelance artist/creatives or someone working within an organisation and you don’t need to be a line manager.
In Fellows, we are looking for leaders who are dynamic, strategic and collaborative; who are curious, creative, have integrity and emotional intelligence. You will be entrepreneurial and driven to make a difference in your area of work and as a self-guided programme to undertake the Fellowship you need to be highly motivated and deeply curious.
We particularly welcome applications from ethnically diverse and D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent leaders.
If you have questions around your eligibility you can contact fellowships@cloreleadership.org for help.
Check your Availability
Before applying check your availability for the residential courses, attendance at which is mandatory. If you work for an organisation, you will need to talk to your employer about taking between five to seven months out of work to be able undertake the Fellowship between September 2023 and April 2024. Interviews for the 2023 Fellowship will take place in April and May 2023, with decisions made in early June 2023.
Making Your Application Online
Before making your application online please make sure you have read our Essential Information: Guide to Completing Your Fellowship Application Online.
Click here for our British Sign Language version of the Essential Information: Guide to Completing Your Fellowship Application Online.
Applications to the Fellowship are made online via our applications portal. If you have never used our applications system before you will need to register for an account. Please make sure that you read the instructions on the application website carefully and that you save a draft of each section as you complete it. Clicking the 'submit' button submits the relevant section to our system after which you can no longer make further edits. If you think you may need to complete your application in a different way, please refer to our section on Alternative Formats for Applications. We are happy to discuss with you any adjustments you may need us to make to meet your access requirements.
Want to find out more?
We recently hosted two Q&A sessions on Zoom, sharing some helpful tips and insights into the application process, including questions put to the team and some of our alumni. You can watch recordings of these sessions below, including the transcript.
Clore Leadership Fellowship Q&A Recording (with BSL interpretation)
FAQs
We've answered some of your frequently asked questions about the Fellowship application process.
Find your Nominator
As part of making your application you will need to find a nominator. Your nomination is an assessed part of the application process, so it is important to select your nominator carefully and well in advance of the application deadline. Your Nominator should be someone who knows you and your work well and who is able to comment on your leadership potential and the impact of taking part in the programme for you. If you are currently working for an organisation, your nominator should be your current line manager, director or chair. If self-employed your nominator should be a client or partner agency you have worked for/with recently and who can comment on your leadership acumen and development needs.
Please note: You will not be able to submit your application until your nominator has completed their section.
Application Questions
You will find the application questions within our Essential Guide to Completing Your Fellowship Application Online. As part of your application you will be asked to:
- Tell us about your professional experience.
- Tell us about your educational background and professional development to date. This section is not assessed.
- Tell us which Fellowships you want to apply for and why you are a suitable candidate for each. You can apply for up to two Fellowships.
- Write or relay short essay responses to questions on your leadership experience, acumen and ambitions.
- Submit a short 2-minute video*.
- Include a nomination form that will need to be completed by your nominator.
- Provide the names and contact details of two referees.
* The video submission is an application requirement. We are not assessing your film production skills so keep it simple by talking clearly to the camera. There is no need for any special effects or editing, as long as it is within the 2-minute time limit.
Monitoring Section
Once you submit all sections and your Nominator completes the nomination form, it will unlock a Monitoring Section that you need to complete before your submission is finalised.
The Monitoring Section helps us to know who we are reaching with our programmes but is not assessed or visible to assessors.
Selection Process
Alternative Formats for Applications
If, for any reason, you need to make your application in a different format e.g. offline or explained in British Sign Language (BSL) through an interpreter, then please contact us. If you require assistance in this or completing the application form, don’t hesitate to let us know.
The Fellowship is a considerable investment in each individual on behalf of our funders, and we want to select the very best leaders at the right moment in their career. It is a competitive and rigorous process and we have taken every care to make the application and selection process as thorough, transparent and fair as possible.
Application and Assessment
- Each application is assessed anonymously by two independent assessors using both scores and comments. Assessors include a diverse range of experienced professionals from the culture sector as well as alumni of the programme.
- Assessors make a recommendation as to whether the applicant should be shortlisted for interview. An internal moderation panel makes the final decision regarding those invited to interview.
- We much regret that, due to the large volume of applications, it is not possible to offer feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at this stage. We do provide feedback for those who are unsuccessful following interview.
Interview and Decision
Fellowship interviews will take place online, between April and May 2023. The interview panel will comprise the Clore Leadership Executive Director and Head of Programmes, funders and sector leaders. The interview process is informal and candidates will receive details of the interview questions and panel members in advance.
It is the policy of the Clore Leadership that any interests in, or connections with particular cultural institutions held by members of the Board and staff are declared, and where a conflict of interest is or may be perceived, those individuals take no part in any decisions relating to those organisations or their employees.
We work to ensure a diverse group of experienced leaders are involved across our assessment and selection process. This includes Black, Asian and ethnically diverse leaders, D/deaf and disabled leaders and/or those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent applicants who meet the eligibility criteria, have not previously interviewed and wish to do so, are able to apply to our Guaranteed Interview scheme by selecting this option in the application form. We ask all candidates for details of any access requirements at interview so we can make reasonable adjustments.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED