Our programmes and courses

As part of our Creative and Cultural Sector Professional Development strategy we run programmes, courses and networks to develop the leadership potential of West Midlands based participation and engagement professionals in the creative and cultural sector, raising the ambition, quality and impact of their work and ensuring its future sustainability.

Costs and eligibility

Our *programmes, courses and networks are free to all arts and cultural professionals living and working in the West Midlands, whether you work for a cultural organisation or are an individual running a small business.

*Please note we do not run all of our programmes and courses each year.

Applying

Some of our programmes and courses may include additional criteria or involve an application process; this is designed to make sure the course offered meets your needs.

Bursary support

To reduce the barriers to participating we offer a limited number of bursaries to support individual artists and cultural professionals either in attending our programmes or in developing programmes of activity. Please see individual programmes for further information.

Outside of the West Midlands?

If you work outside of the West Midlands area and are interested in attending or being part of one of our programmes, courses or networks please get in contact. Do be aware that we will charge you a course fee.

Find out more about our courses, programmes and networks

  • Arts Award and Artsmark support to help you deliver and develop your offer for children and young people.
  • Creative and Cultural Leadership Programme: Excellence through Participation and Inclusion: for creative and culture professional  from a Black, Asian, African or Caribbean heritage, or other ethnically diverse background, whose work involves creative and cultural participation and engagement.
  • Creative Digital Leadership Programme supporting arts and cultural organisations and individual artists to develop a leadership role in their digital practice as creators, instigators and deliverers of new digital practices, models, products and ideas.
  • Cultural Leadership a space for us to share current discussions and debates around themes and topics concerning arts and cultural leaders today.
  • Dance Development Leaders Group West Midlands (DDLG) DDLG comprises dance professionals from core funded and project funded organisations as well as independents, working in all parts of the West Midlands.
  • Film and Digital Programme including events, training, bursaries, Networks and CPD to support the arts and culture sector in finding and developing opportunities for young people in film and digital as well as a direct offer to young people.
  • Leading Through Your Creative Practice, leadership development programme for Independent Artistic and Creative Directors.
  • Local Cultural Education Partnerships in October 2015, Arts Council England launched the Cultural Education Challenge, which asked the art and cultural sector, Local Authorities and other organisations from the voluntary and private sectors to come together to develop a more joined-up local arts and cultural offer. One of the means for achieving this was to create new place based, collaborative partnerships called Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEPs). Arts Connect are supporting the development of a network of LCEPs in the West Midlands
  • Senior Leaders Apprenticeship (Arts and Culture) a course designed to meet the professional development needs and the aspirations of leaders in the creative and cultural industries.
  • Strategic Evaluation Skills for Cultural Leaders a course on cultural leadership and the power of knowing – your audience, your impact and your value.

Get in touch

Please contact Susan Goodwin Associate Director, Cultural Sector Partnerships, if you are interested in applying or need further information or details about the courses.