Later this month, we will be kicking off the inaugural Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship, designed and delivered by The Audience Agency in partnership with Fitzcarraldo Foundation and Culture Action Europe. The Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship is a transformative programme designed to connect and support visionary leaders of arts organisations focused on community engagement and social change across Europe. It’s the flagship initiative of a new Europe-wide philanthropic collaboration launched earlier this year.
Over the next 18 months, we will be taking the Fellows on a collaborative learning journey rooted in action learning and peer exchange. The programme brings together 15 leaders working across diverse artistic disciplines, geographies and societal issues, who will work together to overcome challenges, share experiences and create innovative solutions that create greater impact within their local communities and the wider arts sector in Europe. Their organisations address urgent challenges like the climate crisis, homelessness and peacebuilding through participatory and co-creative arts approaches deeply anchored in their local communities.
Over the last few months, we've been working with partners Fitzcarraldo Foundation and Culture Action Europe to design a people-centred and purpose-led programme. Our approach incorporates co-design techniques that enable the programme to flex around the interests and ideas Fellows bring to the table, supporting the development of their own leadership and voice. Our learning by doing approach includes opportunities to review and adapt, together, ensuring that the collective achieves a joint impact and a compelling new narrative, while Fellows will also be able to direct their own learning.
Collaborating with the foundations in the Alliance, we have designed a curriculum that weaves four core topic pillars throughout the programme:
- Narratives and Storytelling
- Impact and Evaluation
- Holistic Leadership
- Advocacy.
The Fellowship is commissioned by the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts, a group of 11 leading European philanthropic foundations aimed at championing the power of socially engaged arts in driving meaningful social change across Europe. By connecting
and elevating organisations and practitioners, and providing them with essential skills and resources, the Alliance works towards a Europe where community engagement and creative collaboration sit at the heart of the arts sector, fostering social progress for all. The Alliance is hosted by the Network of European Foundations.
