New programme launched to support Buckinghamshire's culture industry

Buckinghamshire has never seen a cultural programme like it.

Bucks Cultural Leaders is a new programme has been commissioned by Buckinghamshire Culture to be lead by Cultural Associates Oxford.

It is an online leadership programme with a network of leaders and innovators across the creative and cultural sector in the county.

This is the first scheme of its kind in Buckinghamshire and is multifaceted with sessions, peer mentoring, action research and professional development.

Lucy Shaw is Director of the CAO:

"We are looking at bringing people together from very different art forms and sharing ideas around how cultural organisations can really make themselves resilient and sustainable.

"As many sectors have experienced in the last year it's been a really grim time for the cultural groups because we haven't had people visiting us in the numbers we are used to.

"But it has meant that they have pivoted to new and really exciting things, so this is also an opportunity to see how we can work together in the cultural sector to create something really engaging."

Karen Gillingham is creative director of Garsington Opera Learning and Participation programme and will be taking part in the culture scheme.

She says that there have been people join in online video calls that would not have usually engaged with their group, and she looks forward to bringing some of these new processes through when doors do reopen.

Karen says this programme is a huge opportunity for individuals and organisations:

"I have never really looked at my own leadership but I find myself in that role in lots of different places, and especially within teams.

"I am looking forward to being around peers, other organisations that have been through this period.

"We did a lot of reorganisation really quickly, and some other groups took longer but have come out now with some really well structured plans and I would like to learn about that.

"I am so interested in this chance to learn and see if we can link with other organisations because we are all working in our own areas which isn't a bad thing but working together can help us all."

Participants are set to start the programme in the coming week, but some of their reactions to the acceptance onto the course have been shared:

"That's brilliant news! Something really positive to look forward to, just at a time when we need to be working collaboratively."

"Thanks for sending me this good news. After yesterday's announcement and losing another project to the continued lockdown it was most welcome! "

"Many thanks and I am delighted to have been accepted on the course! Now for the homework…… Well done in getting this off the ground - it's brilliant and much needed."

"I've had to re-read this a couple of times to check it's real! I am delighted to have been offered a place and I know I will get so much out of this opportunity. This news has put a spring in my step on a day that was significantly lacking in positivity for obvious reasons."

Participants on this leadership course represent the breadth of the Bucks creative and cultural sector, including: Amersham Museum, Buckinghamshire Archives, Buckinghamshire Culture, Bucks County Museum, Bucks New University, Buska Video, Chiltern Arts, Chiltern Open Air Museum, Fish Eye Film Fest, Garsington Opera, Milton's Cottage, National Paralympic Heritage Centre, Obsidian Art, Queens Park Arts Centre, Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Sign Dance Collective, The Buckinghamshire Craft Guild, The Elgiva, The Theatreshed, Waddesdon, Wycombe Museum, Wycombe Swan.