Women in Leadership: Leadership Observatory for Wales (WILLOW) A project funded by The Cultural Leadership Programme to examine gender equality issues in leadership and promote best practice within the cultural landscape of Wales and England.
What is WILLOW?
The political and cultural landscape in Wales is one of great contrast for women seeking senior level leadership roles in their careers. For example, both the BBC and the iconic Wales Millennium Centre are led by women. In the political arena, almost half Welsh Assembly Members are women. However, these examples are far from typical across the rest of the cultural sector. As a new devolved nation Wales is seeking to punch above its weight, WILLOW will seek to ensure that women in Wales are able to contribute towards this ambition. By developing a network across the cultural sector WILLOW will develop a strategic approach to gender equality in leadership that Wales and England can benefit from in a tangible and meaningful way.
Led by a team of women with experience of cultural leadership at a senior level, WILLOW is an action research project which aims to:
- Work at both an organisational and an individual level reviewing existing practice; highlighting good practice and identifying barriers to progression; providing support to develop the leadership capacity of the cultural sector.
- Offer bespoke informal and formal learning; networking events; research and the development of online resources
- Use the learning gathered from the cultural sector to develop a gender equality in leadership strategy and use the information gathered to build a cultural sector knowledge bank resource
- Encourage cross-sectoral leadership initiatives by facilitating the sharing of skills, knowledge and approaches across and beyond the cultural sector
- Critique leadership and contribute to ongoing UK and international debate
WILLOW will seek to inspire and support 50 individual women. By supporting cross sectoral exchange across organisations, WILLOW will seek to strengthen the leadership capacity of the cultural sector in Wales and England.
The Core Partners
The core partnership who form the steering group who manage and oversee WILLOW is Swansea University; Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum; Equal Measures Consultancy (project managers) based in England.
Working alongside the core partnership will be a group of secondary partners across Wales and England who will be significant players in the cultural sector. They will contribute towards the development of the strategy and provide practical support including offering observation placements and co-mentors. Over the autumn of 2009 secondary partners will be recruited across the full spectrum of the cultural sector in Wales and England.
How It Will Work
WILLOW will achieve the project aims in four ways:
1 Bespoke Professional Support to individuals: We will recruit 50 women who have reached mid-level leadership within cultural organisations and develop a tailored package of support aimed at helping them progress into senior leadership positions.
2 Research: We will gather intelligence from organisations working in the cultural sector to review existing practice; identify best practice; examine barriers to progressions; and interview women who have reached senior leadership positions. This intelligence and case study data will be used to develop best practice guidance for gender equality in leadership across the cultural sector.
3 Organisational Support: We will review existing policy and practice in organisations, offer support to overcome barriers and work to strengthen leadership opportunities within those organisations.
4 Resources: We will then create a virtual knowledge bank as a resource for organisations; a support and shared learning network for leaders; a focal point which has the capacity to draw together other initiatives around leadership development for women. These resources will form the basis of strengthening the infrastructure supporting women working in the cultural sector by providing access to information, to other leaders and good practice.
Although an initiative primarily based in Wales, WILLOW will connect women as leaders on a UK-wide basis. We also are exploring international links.
What is the Time Frame?
Recruitment of participants Oct – Dec 2009
Launch Event 1 February 2010
Programme of events Feb 2009 – Jan 2011
Conference April 2011
For further information contact [email protected]
