Extend Leadership Programme applications have opened for the Jan-March 2021 course. Applications are invited from colleagues working in learning and education roles in the arts and cultural sectors (UK) and the arts sector (Scotland and Wales) interested in participating in the Extend Leadership Programme 2020–21.

Now in its tenth year, Extend is informed by a commitment to empowering education and learning professionals so that they are able to influence the sector’s development and help to ensure that learning is embedded in arts and cultural organisations. Extend is cross art form and welcomes applicants who work in the arts, museums, libraries, archives and heritage settings.

What is Extend?
Extend was developed in response to the under-representation of learning and education professionals in the arts and cultural sectors. The pilot programme was funded by the Cultural Leadership Programme and Creative Scotland; subsequent programmes have been funded by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Wales.

As a leadership development programme for mid-career colleagues working in education and learning roles in the arts and cultural sectors, Extend aims to:

– To support mid-career education and learning colleagues within the arts and cultural sectors to progress on their own terms, in order to assume leadership roles and responsibilities
– To enhance the audience and participant experience by increasing the influence of education and learning colleagues in strategic development and programming in the arts and cultural sectors
– To encourage a diverse range of applicants to Extend and to contribute to increasing the diversity of leadership in the arts and cultural sectors
– To interrogate and evaluate whether education and learning colleagues in the arts and cultural sector bring specific attributes, qualities or skills which contribute to leadership in the sector
– Engage actively promotes equality and diversity. Extend supports our aim to develop future leaders in the arts and cultural sectors who reflect the diversity of the UK

Why apply to Extend?
Extend was originally developed by a group of senior professionals working in education and learning roles in the arts, and remains the only leadership programme designed to meet the specific needs of education and learning professionals who aspire to leadership positions in the arts and cultural sectors.

Extend is informed by a commitment to empowering education and learning professionals so that they are able to influence the sector’s development and help to ensure that learning is embedded in arts and cultural organisations.

The course will take place over 4 days –
Tuesday 19 January 2021
Friday 22 January 2021
Tuesday 16 March 2021
Friday 19 March 2021

The total fee for the programme is £200 for participants resident and working in England, Scotland or Wales.

If you would like further information about Extend before submitting an application we encourage you to contact the Extend Coordinator, Dawn Cameron, on 07753 748 038 / 0113 226 4064 or by email at [email protected].

We’d like you first to complete our short expression of interest form on our website. It should take no more than a couple of minutes to complete.