Prestigious UK university, King’s College London, has launched a new programme specifically for senior cultural sector leaders working in diverse international locations.
‘Leading Culture in the 21st Century’ is a dynamic new course created with the intention of ‘Providing stimulation, provocation and access to the leadership of a range of London’s world-class cultural institutions’, aiming to ‘bring a timely, bespoke opportunity for cultural leaders to think afresh with an international peer group,’ said director of KCL Cultural Institute, Katherine Bond.
Speaking about the launch of the programme, Deborah Bull, assistant principal at King’s College London said, ‘King’s has a commitment to providing education both about the Cultural Sector – through Masters Degrees in Creative & Cultural Industries, Digital Culture & Society, and Arts & Cultural Management for example – as well as delivering teaching and learning through the cultural sector, across a range of disciplines from education, to health, to the humanities. Leading Culture in the 21st century builds on King’s position at the interface between the needs of the cultural sector and the academic evidence, insight and analysis that can support cultural organisations in achieving their strategic aims and ambitions.’
The launch event took place on 27 September at the Anatomy Museum, King’s Building, Strand, London, speakers included Deborah Bull; professor Alison Wolf, Sir Roy Griffiths professor of public sector management at King’s College London; Hilary S Carty MBA CCMI, course director and member of the Circle of Cultural Fellows at King’s; and Michael Day CVO, chief executive of key partner organisation, Historic Royal Palaces.
Leading Culture in the 21st Century is just one in a number of initiatives King’s College London has developed to position itself as a bridge between the needs of the cultural sector and academia.
Via evidence, insight and academic analysis, Leading Culture will aid cultural institutions to achieve their strategic aims and ambitions.
Participants will ‘Sharpen the tools for an enhanced and purposeful leadership of culture within a 21st century context’ via independent and peer-to-peer learning formats, backed up with sector-relevant, experiential business studies.
Added Professor Baroness Wolf: ‘There is currently very little provision for senior cultural leadership development in a multinational context from Higher Education institutions. Here at King’s we believe this new intensive week-long programme offers a huge opportunity to share and learn from the experiences of other cultural leaders from different areas of the world, as well as from our own great faculty.
‘We will be bringing together a facilitated network of peers to think afresh about the challenges and opportunities facing global concepts of art, culture and identity in today’s world, and to develop thinking around leadership, resilience, creative risk and business innovation. We will be delivering a new learning experience in an environment that encourages and challenges in equal measures while supporting experimentation and innovative thinking.’
Topics include global perspectives on local challenges; international perspectives on cultural policy and practice; industry-centred learning addressing the challenges of a leading cultural institution; policy review and analysis; peer-to-peer networking with senior cultural leaders.
Sessions will be given by King’s lecturer in Culture Media & the Creative Industries Dr Hye-Kyung Lee and Dr Alexandra Budjanovcanin, a King’s lecturer in organisational psychology and public sector management. The sessions will also feature noted figures from organisations such as Shakespeare’s Globe, British Library, National Gallery, Tate and Southbank Centre; education partners for the programme.
Promising to be an immersive learning experience, the course has partnered with Historic Royal Palaces (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle) as a sector partner for the programme, for which participants will carry out a live case study on-site at the Tower of London.
Applications are welcome in particular from CEOs, directors and cultural industry leaders within major performing and visual arts organisations; museums, galleries and festivals; public sector professionals and policymakers in leading agencies, national and regional authorities and municipal bodies; educators and community-based practice professionals with a longevity of engagement with the cultural and social development agenda; creative producers, directors, curators and artists who directly shape creative practice and seek to refine the business tools to enhance their approach.
Applicants should have over 10 years sector and three years senior management experience in the arts, heritage, culture, cultural education and creative industries sectors.
The course costs £4,750, with an early bird fee at £3,750 available for applications received by 30 November 2016. Some bursaries are available.
Applications opened on 27 September 2016 and the course will take place from 6-13 April 2017.
