The tenth anniversary course of the Oxford Cultural Leaders programme, a leadership coaching service operated by the University of Oxford’s Gardens, Libraries & Museums (GLAM) division, in partnership with Saïd Business School, concluded in late January. During its ten years, the internationally acclaimed leadership programme has coached more than 250 senior figures in the arts, museums and heritage sectors across the world.
This year’s anniversary course drew together 24 leaders from cultural organisations in Oxfordshire for the first time after a competitive application process. During its six days, it combined workshops, discussions, reflective exercises and case study based learning. Drawing on expertise from the Saïd Business School and the University’s cultural institutions, to support participants to develop confidence in their leadership and strengthen their strategic thinking.
This Oxfordshire programme focused on applying this framework to local pressures affecting cultural organisations in the county. Amongst the participants, half were selected from GLAM and the remaining came from organisations such as the Story Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Opera, Justice in Motion, the Bodleian Libraries, and Oxford Playhouse.
The aim of the programme, Alex Amey, OCL’s Administration & Marketing Officer told Cherwell, was to: “help to strengthen the leadership within the county’s cultural sector and create a network of professionals to identify shared issues within the county.”
The final day featured a ‘Mythodrama’ workshop, hosted at the Oxford Playhouse. It used Shakespeare’s Henry V as a cultural medium to explore leadership archetypes and approaches to emotional intelligence.
Abigail Brown, arts officer at Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils, said: “[It] has been an inspiring and affirming experience. The course content was thoughtful and led by inspirational experts, and the connections made across Oxford’s cultural community were genuinely heart-warming and uplifting.”
Professor Christopher Morton, acting director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, stated: “The insights gained and connections made will continue to inform my work well beyond the programme.”
