Throughout the world, the creative and cultural sector is growing in complexity and importance.  The sector has a unique and vital socio-economic role to play in rapidly-changing and unstable times, and it is crucial that its future leaders develop ideas, skills and networks to drive the sector forward and ensure its relevance to the changing societies around it. In our interdependent world, international dialogue and knowledge exchange will give them vital access to international opportunities and networks where they can share solutions, learn from successful models, and develop partnerships and common platforms to tackle similar challenges.

What is Cultural Leadership International?

CLI is a programme of activities which facilitate leadership networking and exchange in the broader cultural and creative industries.  The programme focuses on supporting a new generation of cultural leaders to:

			Understand the political, social, and economic power of culture
			Act internationally in their work
			Better understand the challenges affecting the cultural sector globally
			Encourage flexibility of thought and action to adapt to these new challenges
			Strengthen the influence and position of the cultural sector
			Develop an active, international network of future cultural leaders

What does the programme involve?

The programme for 2011 will involve the following components:

			Leadership Development Workshop Once selected, all participants will be invited to take part in a 4-day Leadership Development Workshop in Istanbul from 24-27 October 2011 (during the Istanbul Biennale). This is the starting point of the programme, and involves training sessions on leadership skills and networking opportunities with the other participants.
			Professional Development Plan Participants will be asked to work on a Professional Development Plan, identifying their professional needs and goals and coming up with a plan to achieve these based on opportunities in the UK and around the world. These opportunities will take the form of courses, placements, mentorship schemes, etc. The Plan needs to be approved before 31 December 2011 and implemented between then and the end of December 2012.

Participants will receive a grant of £3,000 to implement their plan as well as support from the British Council in identifying suitable opportunities in the UK.

The participants

We are happy to announce the participants from Armenia who will take part in the Cultural Leadership International programme 2011.

			Mane Mkrtchyan Educational Coordinator at the Cafesjian Centre for the Arts in Yerevan
			Narek Bakhtamyan Freelance cultural manager Documentary film producer, Artmedia Productions
			Mariam Ohanyan Director of the “KIN” International Women’s Film Festival

Cultural Leadership International is generously supported in Armenia by the Open Society Foundations.