About CLI

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?

Cultural Leadership International 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, and develop the leadership tools which will enable them to influence their societies in key areas such as social inclusion and cultural rights’ development, cultural policy formulation, economic regeneration, conflict resolution, employment creation, etc.   
• Act internationally in their work: i.e. exchange knowledge and ideas with a global network of individuals and organisations beyond their usual sphere of operation.
• Better understand the challenges affecting the cultural sector globally – i.e. the irruption of digital technology, the realisation and measurement of culture’s economic importance, the changes in state subsidy funding models, the impact of globalisation in local cultures, etc.
• Encourage flexibility of thought and action to adapt to these new challenges and encourage the understanding of other contexts and experiences through intercultural dialogue.
• Strengthen the influence and position of the cultural sector cross-sectorally and globally as a key social agent.
• Develop an active, international network of future cultural leaders who will utilise the skills, ideas and experiences gained in the programme to influence their societies in key areas, including cultural policy-making, economic development and social cohesion.

For 2011 Cultural Leadership International programme had participants from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine.