Oxford Cultural Leaders

Oxford Cultural Leaders

Challenge and redefine your identity as a leader in the arts and culture sector in this acclaimed cultural leadership programme for directors, heads of department and senior managers designed and delivered by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and its Gardens, Libraries and Museums.

Introduction to Oxford Cultural Leaders Programme

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'Oxford Cultural Leaders completely changed my whole life - not just my professional life - for the better. It re-stoked my energy at a time when I needed a boost to get to the next level. I met brilliant people, got to ask questions I’d always wanted to ask and found answers inside myself that I didn’t know were there. For anyone considering taking a big step in a new direction, needing expert encouragement and a life-long network then this is definitely the course for you. Do it!'

Sally Shaw MBE, Director, Firstsite, UK

The Oxford Cultural Leaders (OCL) programme will help you challenge and redefine your identity as a leader and shape your vision for your organisation at a time of great challenge and complexity for the cultural sector.

Applicants have a choice of the Residential programme or Online programme. The Residential programme includes a mix of immersive workshops, lectures, panel discussions, provocations, reflection sessions and keynote speeches, delivered by cultural sector leaders, business school experts and industry authorities. The Online programme has been carefully programmed to include; a lively mix of interactive workshops, provocations combined with break out groups, peer coaching, reflection and learning tasks with the same OCL faculty who support the residential programme.

Social events form an integral part of the programme. Those on the Residential programme will enjoy visits to cultural attractions, college dinners and networking events while the Online programme includes virtual social and networking events.

OCL Online Programme

Next course: 12 - 16 May 2025

Duration: 5 days

Applications will open 1 December 2024.

The online programme will include expertly facilitated, immersive and highly participatory online sessions with the same OCL faculty who support the residential programme. These sessions will be tailored to optimize online learning and will be designed to inspire innovation as well as building a supportive peer-network. Online delivery offers greater flexibility during this time, allowing participation from attendees across the UK and around the world. The sessions will feature regular breaks, interactive activities and opportunities to network with faculty and other OCL delegates.

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OCL Residential Programme

Next course: 21 - 26 September 2025

Duration: 6 days

Applications will open spring 2025.

This established residential programme offers participants the opportunity to re-examine their approach to leadership through workshops, lectures, panel discussions and keynote speeches, delivered by cultural sector leaders, business school experts and industry authorities. A group of 26 participants will be based in Oxford, within Corpus Christi College, where they can enjoy the benefits of the central Oxford location, and access to the expertise of Oxford University staff and OCL teachers and the acclaimed resources of the University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums.

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Why choose Oxford Cultural Leaders?

Benefits for you

The programme empowers you to:

Have greater insight into your role as a leader
Reflect on your vision, values, impact, behaviours and attitudes
Be better equipped to deliver a more robust and resilient solution to challenges ahead
Become more entrepreneurially minded
Gain confidence to take charge of yourself, your team and the tasks in hand
Understand how to re-evaluate, reflect and ask the right questions
Join a global network of cultural leaders who are broadening their impact and influence
Have access to leading industry experts, OCL Faculty and the OCL Alumni group

Benefits for your organisation

Organisations will benefit from leaders who will be empowered to:

Return to their organisations with confidence and the skillset to experiment and take risks using new business models and ways of working
Support staff and teams to create a climate for new ideas
Have the insight and ability to uncover the hidden talents and qualities of their people
Help their organisations adapt by developing and encouraging new ways of thinking, challenging behaviours and acquiring new skills
Have the skills to enable their organisations to be more sustainable and resilient
Work with an extended network of cultural organisations to exchange and share ideas

Adults clapping while sitting at long dinner tables

Oxford

Known as 'the city of dreaming spires', Oxford is famous the world over for its University and place in history. Located on the River Thames, Oxford is close to the beautiful Cotswolds but also conveniently located for London. On the Residential programme, delegates will also enjoy dinners and unique Oxford experiences such as a city walking tour, gin tasting at Oxford Botanic Garden and behind the scenes museum tours.

Corpus Christi College

Residential programme delegates will experience a taste of college life during their stay in Corpus Christi's beautiful accomodation. Founded in 1517, Corpus Christi is one of Oxford’s oldest and smallest colleges, steeped in history but with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Located just off Oxford’s High Street, its central location means it is within the heart of the University but also close to amenities and the cultural attractions of Oxford.

Gardens, Libraries and Museums

Oxford University's gardens, libraries and museums form one of the greatest concentrations of university collections in the world. Comprising over 21 million objects, specimens and printed items, the six institutions include: the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, History of Science Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, Bodleian Libraries and Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum.

Adults clapping during Oxford Cultural Leaders session

Saïd Business School

Saïd Business School is a young, vibrant, and entrepreneurial business school deeply embedded in Oxford University. The school delivers cutting-edge education and ground-breaking research that transform individuals, organisations, business practice, and society. It is ranked number one in the UK for Open Programmes and number two Worldwide in the Financial Times Executive Education Rankings 2018.

By participating in Oxford Cultural Leaders, you join a growing group of alumni from across the world and will have the opportunity to continue to share best practice, support one another’s continued leadership, and develop innovative and transformative
partnerships and programmes. The programme has welcomed directors, senior staff and freelancers from across the art and cultural sector. Below are a list of institutions and countries that our alumni work for:

United Kingdom

Arnolfini Galleries, UK

Artichoke Trust, UK

Art of Philanthrophy, UK

Arts Council, UK

Arts Council Northern Ireland, UK

Auckland War Memorial Museum, UK

Awards for Young Musicians, UK

Axiell, UK

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, UK

BBC, UK

Beamish Museum, UK

Bletchley Park Trust, UK

Bristol Old Vic, UK

British Museum, UK

Cambridge Film Trust, UK

Chatsworth House Trust, UK

The Chipping Norton Theatre, UK

Compton Verney House Trust, UK

Crafts Council, UK

Creative Black Country, UK

Cyfarthfa Foundation, UK

D&AD, UK

Design Museum, UK

Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft, UK

Dorset County Museum, UK

Durham University Libraries and Archives, UK

Elmbridge Museum, UK

Embassy of Denmark, London, UK

English National Ballet, UK

Event Communications, UK

Falmouth Art Gallery, UK

Fusion Arts, UK

Gabrieli, UK

Glasgow Life/Glasgow Museums, UK

Heritage Trust Network, UK

Historic England, UK

Historic Houses, UK

Houses of Parliament, UK

International Slavery Museum, UK

IOU Theatre, UK

Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust, UK

Jersey Heritage, UK

Kelmscott Manor, Society of Antiquaries of London, UK

Lancashire County Council, UK

Leeds Museums and Galleries, UK

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, UK

Minack Theatre Trust, UK

Modern Art Oxford, UK

Museum of Liverpool, UK

National Army Museum, UK

National Centre for Circus Arts, UK

National Galleries of Scotland, UK

National Gallery, UK

National Horse Racing Museum, UK

National Library of Scotland, UK

National Museums Liverpool, UK

National Museums Northern Ireland, UK

National Museums Scotland, UK

National Portrait Gallery, UK

Natural History Museum, UK

National Trust, UK

Neon Dance, UK

New Adventures, UK

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, UK

The Octagon, Bolton, UK

Painshill Park Trust, UK

Peckham Platform, UK

Photoworks, UK

Poole Museum, UK

Powell-Cotton Museum, UK

Practical Action, UK

RAF Museum, UK

Reading Agency, UK

Redbridge Arts, UK

Research Data Scotland, UK

Rimbaud and Verlaine Foundation, UK

Royal Armouries, UK

Royal Opera House, UK

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, UK

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, UK

Sadler's Wells, UK

Salford Culture and Place Partnership, UK

Science and Industry Museum, UK

Science Museum Group, UK

Sir John Soane's Museum, UK

Slough Borough Council, UK

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, UK

Sound and Music, UK

Squirrel Nation, UK

STEAM, UK

Tate, UK

The Art Assembly, UK

The Art House, UK

The Atkinson, UK

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, UK

The British Library, UK

The British Museum, UK

The Charleston Trust, UK

The Hepworth, UK

The London Library, UK

The Met, UK

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, UK

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM), UK

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, UK

The Story Museum, UK

Theatre Royal Wakefield, UK

TRG Arts, UK

Turtle Key Arts, UK

University of Cambridge Museums, UK

University Church, University of Oxford, UK

University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums, UK

V&A, UK

Watts Gallery Trust, UK

Wellcome Collection, UK

Wessex Museums, UK

Wolverhampton Arts and Culture, UK

Women in Jazz Media, UK

Wright & Wright Architects, UK

York Minster, UK

Zaha Hadid Foundation, UK

Worldwide

Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

Accion Cultural Española (AC/E), Spain

Agency for Art and Culture, Denmark

An Chomhairle Oidhreachta, Ireland

Arias Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Art Gallery of Ballarat, Australia

Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia

Association of Heritage Industries Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Australian Museums and Galleries Association, Australia

Bohuslansmuseum, Sweden

Canada Council for the Arts, Canada

Canadian Museum of History, Canada

Cantonal Museums Lucerne, Switzerland

Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

Chapter 54, Ghana

Chillida Leku Museum, Spain

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, US

Cultural Facilities Corporation, Australia

Curators Without Borders, US

Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Denmark

Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark

Deutsches Museum, Germany

Dikan Center, Ghana

Dublin City Council Culture Company, Ireland

Ellen Noel Art Museum, US

Embassy of Estonia in London, Estonia

Folkteatern, Sweden

Gallagher Design, USA

Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA

Invercargill City Council Museum and Heritage Services, NZ

ILT Festival, Denmark

Jamaican Military Museum and Library, Jamaica

Lexicon House, New Zealand

Library and Archives Northern Territory, Australia

L'OFFICIEL, France

Malmo City - the Cultural Administration, Sweden

Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, Dresden State Art Collections, Germany

MiA - Museums in Akershus, Norway

Ministry of Culture, Denmark

Moonshadow Stories, Singapore

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Australia

Museum of Australian Democracy, Australia

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand

Museum of Transport and Technology, New Zealand

Musica Viva Australia, Australia

National Museum of Australia, Australia

National Museum of Ireland, Ireland

National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand

Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, Netherlands

Newcastle Art Gallery, Australia

New Zealand Police Museum, New Zealand

Norwegian Royal Navy Museum, Norway

Obama Presidential Center Museum, US

Oman Through the Ages, Oman

Paleis Het Loo, the Netherlands

Parks Canada, Canada

Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, Malaysia

Play Africa, South Africa

Play Depot, Hong Kong

Port Arthur Historic Sites Management Authority, Australia

Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center, US

Queensland Museum, Australia

Queensland State Archives, Australia

Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Ronda, Spain

Roman Museum, Municipality of Heerlen, Netherlands

Scienceworks, Australia

SciSound Lab, Germany

Smithsonian Institution, US

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium, New Zealand

Stiftelsen Norsk Folkemuseum, Norway

Syddansk Musikkonservatorium, Denmark

Te Awamutu Museum, Waipa District Council, Te Ara Wai, New Zealand

The British School at Rome, Humanities and Social Sciences, Italy

The Danish Agency for Culture and Royal Palaces, Denmark

The Henry Ford, US

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), Saudi Arabia

University of Pretoria Museums, South Africa

White House Historical Association, US

Yad Vashem, Germany

Oxford Cultural Leaders