UKYA Cultural Leadership Programme
In collaboration with Life Coach Sarah McNicol, in 2018 UKYA supported 5 artists through our pilot Cultural Leadership Programme. Selected artists were George Grace Gibson, Charlie Birtles, Sufea Mohamed Noor, Connor O’Mara, Katie Amanda Smith and Tom Stockley.
Commonly artists operate outside of prevailing professional structures, so the importance of the contribution they make is often hidden. In turn this can mean that artists don’t see themselves as leaders and can lack confidence when it comes to leading in their own careers, in the work they do and in the wider cultural context.
With the right support young artists can be helped to:
appreciate all that it takes to be an artist and the importance of their know-how and perspective
recognise their value as leaders, both for themselves and within the work they do
understand the opportunities leadership affords personally and professionally
develop personal and professional skills, strengths and approaches to enable them to thrive and make their creative and cultural contribution powerfully.
The UKYA Cultural Leadership Programme aims to be a catalyst for personal and professional development and to equip, inspire, inform, encourage and empower emerging young artists as they establish themselves and their careers.
The programme was delivered in a group coaching format. The dynamic schedule included sharing, discussion, exercises and teaching. An important aspect of developing authentic leadership is discovering one’s own style and purpose. Practical and self-reflective activities provided plenty of opportunity in this experiential programme.
The three sessions were delivered in Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester.
About Sarah McNicol
Sarah is a coach, facilitator and creative businesswoman. Her highly sensitive and versatile approach is under-pinned by 25 years of personal and professional development training, working with thousands of individuals and teams in a wide variety of contexts.
Inspired by her 15 year career as an architectural glass artist, Sarah is passionate about helping people define their own version of success and create results in line with their values and purpose.
Sarah takes a collaborative approach to coaching and facilitation. By gently challenging individuals and teams to think differently, Sarah helps people build confidence, nurture ambition, take effective action, look after themselves and importantly, enjoy the journey.