Women associates with a unique perspective on arts leadership are being offered the opportunity to benefit from training placements and support from an exciting new project.
Applications are now open for 16 places on the new Women Leaders South West project led by The Point, Eastleigh in collaboration with seven South West based cultural organisations and the University of Southampton.
Do you or someone you know have creative ideas that you want to see happen for yourself or your community? Are you passionate about arts and culture? Aged over 21 and based in the South West region with strong roots in your community?
The support programme will be bespoke for each participant and can include: a training bursary of £12,000 to cover ten months of training; a work-based placement with one of the arts organisations; mentoring; additional support to meet your individual needs across the whole programme, for example childcare; BSL interpretation; and travel costs.
In addition, successful applicants will be offered online and face-to-face training and career development opportunities with Southampton Business School and connection with women from across the world through the WOW Foundation (Women of the World) and director / producer Jude Kelly, who started the organisation.
Led by The Point, Eastleigh, the project’s partners are particularly interested in working with women from groups who are most underrepresented at leadership level in the cultural sector including disabled women and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
Apply now or nominate someone with their permission at /work-with-us/
The application deadline is 9am on Monday 20th April 2020.
BSL, audio and large print versions of the application pack are also available via the website or calling 023 8065 2333.
Sacha Lee, Artistic Director at The Point, said: “Women Leaders South West is an important step towards not only ensuring that we are striving for equality in leadership roles in arts, but to ensure we as a sector recognise how multiple barriers can stop women from taking up these roles.
“In two years’ time our ambition is that we will have a thriving, action-driven network of women taking the lead on all different levels, realising ambitious creative projects and positively impacting their communities and the wider area.”
Councillor Tina Campbell, Eastleigh Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Policy, said: “It is important that the under-representation of women from all backgrounds is tackled, and these training placements offer an excellent opportunity to create a new generation of talented female leaders in the creative sector.
“Women occupy the senior roles in the Council’s arts and culture team, and we are pleased to support this scheme offering similar opportunities to women arts leaders of the future. The Point’s central role in this project reflects its status as an important arts centre in the region and we look forward to seeing the project progress.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Women Leaders South West project partners are: The Point, Eastleigh; Diverse City, Dorset; Pavilion Dance South West, Bournemouth; Strike a Light, Gloucestershire; Activate Performing Arts, Dorset; Kaleider, Devon; The Arts Development Company, Dorset; Art Asia Trust, Hampshire and Southampton Business School at The University of Southampton.
The WOW Foundation, which organises the WOW - Women of the World Festivals around the world, is a key collaborator on the project, providing ongoing mentoring, bringing an international dimension to the Associates, and to the partner organisations in shaping future ambitions.
Women Leaders South West is funded by Arts Council England as part of their Transforming Leadership programme as part of their mission to address the gender imbalance in senior roles in arts organisations.
The Point, Eastleigh is owned and managed by Eastleigh Borough Council and first became an Arts Council England National Portfolio organisation in 2015. The venue secured Arts Council National Portfolio Status for the second time in 2017 for a three year period.
The Eastleigh-based theatre, home to world-class residential rehearsal studio, the Creation Space, is one of the leading venues for contemporary performance, combined arts and talent development in the South West.
For more information please contact The Point’s marketing team on 023 8065 2333 / pointmarketing@eastleigh.gov.uk
