Making time to think
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I just don’t have time to think!
It’s a common refrain from many of the inspiring cultural leaders that I speak to. The internationally acclaimed coach and author Nancy Kline says thinking time is essential to ‘ignite the mind.’ At its simplest, our new Transforming Leadership Fund is investing in time to think.
People in our sector do incredible work to make exciting things happen in uncertain times. But evidence we gathered for our new ten-year strategy shows many don’t feel able to take the time to stop, self-reflect and identify the support and skills they and their organisation need. This threatens peoples’ capacity to take risks, to have new experiences, try, fail, try again, and ultimately fulfil their potential.
We were a little taken aback to receive over 200 Expressions of Interest for Transforming Leadership, many from consortia involving cultural organisations, making the sector’s appetite for leadership development clear.
As we look at the uncertainty facing our sector over the coming years – from political and economic volatility, to the negative impact of climate change; evolving technologies and shifts in the health and age of our population – we know that investment in our cultural leaders will help ensure they are equipped to make change, and manage the change that happens to them.
Our investment
Yesterday we announced a £7.1 million investment in 18 ambitious projects, which offer a mix of leadership development opportunities for a wide range of leaders, both established and emerging; those with leadership in their job descriptions or who simply want to make positive change happen; those employed by organisations or working as freelancers. These projects will work across the country, collaborating with a range of partners across the private, public and education sectors.
A dynamic cultural sector needs diversity of thought and people – and we want to create pathways that allow talented people of all backgrounds to flourish. All the projects we are supporting through Transforming Leadership have addressed this need.
Some – like LeaD, the first bespoke leadership development programme for learning disabled cultural practitioners – specifically tackle the underrepresentation of leaders from certain groups. Others, like the programmes led by Clore Leadership and the School for Social Entrepreneurs, will support a range of candidates – but always with a commitment to diversity in that mix. This recognises what we’ve heard from the sector – that people want a choice of environments in which to develop.
Our cohort of Transforming Leadership Fund recipients will work in partnership to help us understand what works and what doesn’t when supporting leaders – and we are commissioning an independent evaluation of the fund to understand the impact of the different approaches. Everything we learn will be fed back to the wider sector.
In our draft strategy (which is still under consultation) we set out a vision of England as a country where everyone’s creativity is valued, and each and every one of us has the opportunity to access high-quality cultural experiences. The exciting outcomes laid out in this strategy can only be achieved by a cultural workforce led by people who have the time to think and develop, empowering them to deliver transformational change. This fund is an investment in them.
