World of Work: Partner Pledges
Imagine it Different: Interventions for Change
We recently published our Imagine it Different: Interventions for Change report following a major study into the evolving workforce dynamics of the arts sector.
Here you can see the full list of arts and cultural organisations who have pledged their support to change. If you would like to get involved and pledge your support, please email [email protected] to find out more.
Our Core Partners
Arts Council England
Statement in response to the Clore Leadership World of Work report
INTRODUCTION
Our cultural leaders are a precious resource. We at the Arts Council value the enormous contribution they make to championing our sector’s creative ambition and to providing opportunity for all. We welcome the conclusions of this timely report. It is frank about the challenges our leadership faces, navigating a world characterised by complexity, scant resources, polarization and division. It is also positive about what our sector leadership can achieve, given the right support.
We are proud to have been a partner with Clore Leadership on Leadership Now, a series of assemblies for cultural leaders that explored the rapidly evolving world of work. The assemblies formed part of our ongoing commitment to listen to and invest in the sector’s leaders and emerging leaders, so we can support and respond to their needs.
Through the assemblies, we listened to a cross-section of the sector and heard about the complex environment in which leaders now operate. This ‘new normal’ requires them to understand and adapt to a multitude of challenges, including new technology, a polarized discourse, environmental responsibility and stressed funding models. All of these challenges sit alongside shifting workforce and working patterns and changing expectations about what work can and should be.
The assemblies particularly sought to hear from Black, Asian, ethnically diverse and disabled leaders, given evidence of the specific challenges they face. We heard from them that, as well as dealing with the challenges experienced by leaders across the sector, they also carry the burden of expectation that they will act as role models and speak for their communities, face daily experiences of racism and ableism, and lack the access to many networks and resources that other leaders take for granted. We’ve subsequently seen the weight of this burden became heavier for ethnically diverse leaders during the riots this summer.
Clore Leadership’s report highlights the “weariness” that has emerged as a result of the multi-faceted threats and shifts, and the need for a chance to “dream anew” so our sector can thrive and grow. Together with Clore Leadership and other partners, we want to help support the development of the right mix of skills, confidence, ambition and care among boards, executive leaders and emerging leaders to help them, and the people they take with them, to thrive.
OUR RESPONSE
The Arts Council is pledging support for the World of Work in a number of ways:
- The Arts Council and Paul Hamlyn Foundation will co-fund a trial scheme of subsidised coaching and action learning opportunities for leaders of National Portfolio Organisations. We recognise how hard it can be in a stressful environment to pause – to carve out space for reflection, learning, self-care and solidarity – but all leaders deserve time to think, and these sessions will support this. This approach will offer bespoke support as well as strengthening peer networks and knowledge exchange. The funding situation is challenging at present so our funds for this initial programme will be limited, but we will evaluate it with participants to see if it has value and to inform future plans.
- We will develop a new online resource that connects leaders to the range of support material available, whether via the Arts Council itself or through trusted, specialist providers, to ensure leaders are aware of opportunities for support, professional development and peer learning.
- Following on from the Leadership Now assemblies and the recommendation that funding bodies “reduce the reporting burden”, the Arts Council is actively working on ways to achieve this whilst still being able to use data to make the strongest possible case for public funding for creativity and culture, and to ensure that public funding and National Lottery funding is managed appropriately. We are in regular contact with the sector, and are undertaking user research and user testing to improve application processes, as well as reporting and monitoring requirements. Recent changes to National Lottery Project Grants appear to be improving the experience for applicants. We are also exploring how we can use technology to ensure our processes are as efficient as possible. We’ll keep the sector up to date with the progress we’re making over the coming months
- With all of these specific initiatives, we are committed to ensuring diverse leaders are supported and represented within them. The Arts Council is also supporting the conversation some leaders have initiated following the summer riots, and is committed to further work to address the needs of our current generation of diverse leaders across the sector.
- This is an initial response to the assemblies. In supporting our leadership, we want to respond to creative ideas from the sector. Our resources are limited, but we are committed to an ongoing conversation about how we can continue to help our leaders flourish and have positive impact.
OTHER SUPPORT FOR OUR SECTOR LEADERSHIP
In addition to these new steps, we have invested and will continue to invest in organisations (notably, Clore Leadership – one of our Investment Principles Support Organisations) and major programmes that support and strengthen cultural leadership.
Between 2019 and 2023, the £7.1million Transforming Leadership Fund supported 18 projects across England, enabling leadership to flourish and tackling the barriers that prevent diverse cultural leaders from emerging. Several of these programmes continue with support from the Arts Council, including Access All Areas’ work with learning disabled leaders, and the Creative Community Fellowship programme which has expanded to County Durham’s Place Partnership programme.
We also continue to support targeted initiatives that address many of the challenges raised in the assemblies. We help the sector to: respond to opportunities presented by new technology and digital innovation through the Digital Culture Network, Digital Accelerator and our exploratory work on AI; test new business models and funding streams through our work in philanthropy and business innovation; and understand and respond to the climate emergency, through our work with Julie’s Bicycle, for example through the Board Environmental Champions initiative.
Given the current, pressured environment, we are also offering flexibility in our funding agreements, managed through the support of our dedicated teams in each Arts Council area, so that organisations can tailor their activities and programmes when required. We know that sometimes, even with the most careful management, things don’t work out as planned, and we aim to be as supportive and flexible as we can.
Our Core Partners
“We are really pleased to have supported this work, we know that the sector has gone through a period of huge challenge and change and we think that we need long term and brave thinking to help build a future where creativity, art and culture can thrive for all. This will only happen with intention and space created for these kind of conversations across different people and organisations and we hope this is the start of this process.”
Holly Donagh, Director, Strategic Learning, Insight and Influence, Paul Hamlyn Foundation
“AHRC welcomes this report and is delighted that its funded research is offering evidence for the policy recommendations here. As we consider our own investments, we will seek to recognise and respect the changing World of Work in the creative and cultural sector, and to continue to strive to ensure that public research and innovation investment supports systemic change that will boost systemic change and create good working environments for all in these critical growth industries.”
Professor Christopher Smith, Executive Chair, UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council
Organisations who have pledged commitment
“64 Million Artists welcomes this comprehensive review of the world of work in the cultural sector. We know, simply put, that work isn’t working, and have already begun enacting some of the recommendations in this report, creating spaces for exchange, development opportunities for leaders and gathering cross-sectoral data on how creativity can support stronger work cultures and individual leadership. We mustn’t forget our superpower as a sector is creativity, which is at the heart of innovation. We can do things differently, but we will struggle to innovate until we take care of ourselves enough to let our creativity flourish. Whilst slowing down in a crisis may seem antithetical, we need to stop, rest and reflect to build the creativity to make a change. We’re committed to supporting individuals and teams across the country to do that.“
Jo Hunter, Co-Founder and CEO, 64 Million Artists, 64 Million Artists
“I welcome this review for its reflection of where we need to place emphasis, driven by the diversity of experiences and lived experiences on what leadership looks and feels like for leaders today.
“I believe a refreshed focus on systems leadership change and challenge is a vital thing and clearly recognised in this report. That and the emphasis on exploring distributed and co-leadership models in theory and practice will underpin and support more conducive leadership solutions for Disabled leaders in particular, to emerge and thrive. “Making space and prioritising group coaching and mentoring for leaders within organisations but also those independents working alongside presents a depth of collaborative solution focused and validatory opportunity for leaders to imagine and meet the different with refreshed resources and confidence.”
Sarah Pickthall, Independent Disabled-led Leadership Specialist
“The Arts Marketing Association supports the World of Work series and Imagine it Different. We have been thrilled to be part of this work to date and will be active in taking forward the many strands of Imagine it Different that align closely with our priorities. Through our existing and planned training programmes and networking activities we pledge to continue to make progress in areas related to audience engagement, digital literacy and tech maturity, CPD and knowledge exchange, wellbeing, fair working practice, capacity building, addressing climate change and social justice. In addition to our programmes, culturehive.co.uk currently addresses all of these areas reaching over 120,000 individuals per year. We will continue to work with leaders to diversify the sector through our programmes and will support the development of D/deaf, disabled/neurodivergent leaders and Global Majority leaders through our Affinity Groups. We pledge to enhance this activity through new partnerships across the cultural sector amplifying our collective work to see greater impact.”
Cath Hume, CEO, The Arts Marketing Association
“We welcomed the recognition without ‘Imagine It Different’ that D/deaf, D/disabled and neurodivergent leaders needed to explore the key themes of leadership and senior management, Board governance in ‘safe’ spaces to enable them to speak freely and without prejudice about the additional burdens that they have in the arts and cultural workspace. Attitude is Everything will pledge to continue to be a disabled-led organisation and to employ disabled people throughout its organisation, not just at the highest level. We’ll continue to support disabled people to become leaders in the music and live event sectors, with the aim of increasing the number of diverse disabled people within the arts workforce.“
Suzanne Bull, Founder, Attitude is Everything
“Creative UK congratulate Clore Leadership on the launch of Imagine it Different and offer our support in taking this important work forward. There are many ways in which Imagine It Different and the work of Creative UK intersect, particularly our hope to see a step change in the diversity of creative sector leaders and the future talent pipeline, our strong focus on advocacy and improving the operating environments for creative organisations, our wish to improve evidencing and communicating creative sector impacts, and our interest and actions in developing new models for the creative industries to thrive through, not least our call for a Bank of Creativity to act as a lever for significantly increasing investment in all parts of the sector, repositioning arts funding as investment that creates future intellectual property (IP), develops skills deployed across all parts of the economy and contributes to placemaking and improved wellbeing.”
Sarah Gregory, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Creative UK
“The Cultural Learning Alliance welcomes this new Clore Leadership report. The arts have been eroded in schools for the past 14 years and this is having a direct impact on the pipeline into the cultural sector workforce. While we await a rebalancing of the curriculum to reflect the value of the arts in young people’s lives and careers, we need to ensure that the sector is responsive to school needs – and that is fully embraces the valuable role it can play in the ecology of our education system. We need to reimagine our infrastructure for cultural opportunity in children’s and young people’s lives.”
Sally Bacon, Co-Chair, The Cultural Learning Alliance
“It’s a both a relief and a joy to see this comprehensive document address the concerns many of us have been grappling with – from culture wars to burnout – so thoroughly and clearly. The analysis and recommendations align powerfully with CHWA’s existing commitment to values-based leadership. It’s fantastic to see the emphasis on equity and justice, and on collaboration outside the sector as well as within it, to achieve common goals. The report provides a really clear framework for how manageable changes might come together to be transformative for the organisation and sector. It underpins the logic of decisions we’ve already made (paying Directors, for example), and gives me a lot more confidence around the larger work towards dispersed and systems leadership. I look forward to taking the actions recommended for infrastructure support organisations.”
Victoria Hume, Director of the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance
“The Leadership Now Insights Report was a fascinating journey uncovering the current challenges facing the cultural sector. As ever, Clore Leadership has responded thoughtfully and innovatively, with ideas that value the contributions of voices that are often marginalised and excluded. Alongside Clore Leadership, we remain committed to shaping a cultural sector that considers the needs and interests of those who are less visible in the corridors of power. We continue to support cultural leaders to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape with confidence and creativity, fostering a future where culture thrives on diversity and inclusion, understanding the impact that programmes can have through thoughtful evaluations and research.”
Samina Zahir, Director of Hybrid Consulting
Inc Arts UK has been set up in partnership with Global Majority arts organisations, diverse creative practitioner networks and with the support of One Dance UK, UK Theatre/SOLT and other UK-wide membership organisations, to address sector concerns around sector equity, justice and inclusion.
“We will support organisations on their ambitions to attract diverse talent – but more importantly, to retain and develop diverse talent and help arts and cultural organisations large and small to grow in confidence in building inclusive teams and creative work. We are addressing the World of Work’s findings on strategic collaboration, and peer group support provision. We lean into the findings on the need for building wellbeing, compassion and resilience: by creating a network of Global Majority cultural sector workers of all levels of seniority, across all creative practice and across the UK we will work collaboratively – with global majority creatives and with the wider sector – to build resilience, amplify talent, build community and share skills.”
Amanda Parker, Founder, The Inclusive Arts Alliance (Inc Arts UK)
Living Wage Foundation pledges to support cultural organisations who would like to explore Living Wage accreditation (in line with Boards / Governance Transformations)
To support funders who want to explore accreditation as a Living Wage Funder (in line with Boards / Governance Transformations)
And to connect and collaborate with the sector on the Good Work Initiative (in line with Models / Organisational Development New Systems and Practice)
“Valuing culture and the arts must mean paying workers in the sector properly. Progress has been made, but low pay remains a substantial problem. If we want a thriving cultural sector, where people from all backgrounds can afford to enter, stay and flourish, there’s more to do. We invite funders and Government to commit to the real Living Wage as a baseline in funding agreements, and enable arts leaders to offer pay that covers the real costs of living.”
Lianna Etkind, Partnerships and Campaigns Manager, Living Wage Foundation
“The Museums Association welcomes this timely and incisive report on the current state and future opportunities for the leadership of our workforce. The MA has responded to the post-Covid challenges by creating new interventions to support museum workers at all stages in their careers and we very much welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Clore Leadership and other sector organisations to support leaders to create the transformation that’s needed.”
Sharon Heal, Director, The Museums Association
The Audience Agency is committed to developing more relevant and robust ways of capturing value and telling our story. This is partly about developing skills and confidence in evaluation, partly about better data-sets and relationships connecting our work with other aspects of wellbeing and civic life. We also need to learn to tell compelling but honest and authentic stories rigorously informed by quantitative and qualitative evidence. This development is core to The Audience Agency’s mission and we pledge to support it ongoing.
AI / Digital:
The discussions highlighted a pressing need for the arts sector to enhance its digital literacy and establish a code of practice for the ethical use of AI. Recognising the potential leadership role of younger generations in AI adoption, there’s a call for the sector to lead tech innovation programmes that leverage its strengths in ethics and creativity. There are, however, also concerns regarding the sector’s capacity to keep pace with rapid AI and digital developments.
The Audience Agency is committed to developing the digital literacy of the cultural sector. Decades of experience, working with literally thousands of cultural organisations backs up these findings. Our experience also suggests that an evidence-led, people-centred approach and an experimental mindset are critical. These are the basis of our work with cultural organisations, and the people in them, to build their digital confidence and capacity. We know that digital is a journey and we pledge our expertise to helping the sector on that road, to be able to change and adapt along with technologies, audiences and business models. We value collaborations and cross-sector working and welcome new conversations.
The Audience Agency
“I welcome this considered and thoughtful report, which examines the significant challenges facing leaders in the arts and heritage today whilst also mapping clear avenues for positive systemic change. I am sure it will be of great help to all those at the helm of our precious cultural ecosystem.”
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund
“The Heritage Alliance welcomes this important report which echoes many of the findings on organisational and workforce challenges in our recent publication ‘On the Brink: Heritage in the Cost of Living Crisis’. The Heritage Alliance will continue to advocate for heritage as a solution to public policy problems whilst also identifying where the sector needs support to thrive. Collaboration to build resilience between sector organisations is essential. We are a key contributor to the Sector Resilience Plan which is currently being refreshed. We have broadened and deepened the support available to our sector, from special interest and peer groups for heritage leaders to delivering support programmes for the sustainability and wellbeing of the sector – including Heritage Digital and Rebuilding Heritage. We will continue to focus on championing and connecting, gathering insight and designing support for our members and for the wider sector. We look forward to continued working with Clore Leadership as part of their follow-up to this report. “
Lizzie Glithero-West FSA, Chief Executive, The Heritage Alliance
