Powerbrokers International Leadership Placements were launched in January 2008. They are an eclectic range of three month long international placements across the cultural and creative industries, established in partnership with dynamic, culturally diverse international organisations. The placements encourage ‘learning through working’ with some of the industries’ most respected leaders and organisations internationally to develop international leadership competencies. To date, fourteen leaders have completed placements in USA, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jamaica, Barbados and Brazil. In 2010, four placements were established in partnership with organisations in India and Senegal.
2010 Associates are:
Archie Kalyana, Associate Creative Producer
SEHER, New Delhi, India
Archie is currently an independent producer, director, digital video trainer. She began her career as a researcher and reporter with ‘Namaste Asian TV’ after completing a Media Studies degree at University of East London. She joined Children BBC in 1999 and worked on programmes including ‘Storymakers’ and ‘Blue Peter’ before her programme idea ‘Friends International’ which was commissioned by Channel Controller Nigel Pickard.
In 2002 Archie launched her freelance and worked as an assistant producer on BBC live events including ‘Proms In The Park’, ‘Music Live’ and the ‘Olympic Torch Concert’. Her clients including BBC Academy, BBC Sport, the Football Foundation, Department of Health, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Summer Rain Films.
Archie’s Statement
“This placement has come at a significant time in my career to enrich my leadership learning, explore my heritage whilst allowing me to contribute my knowledge of 'best practice' in producing the events being held to celebrate the Commonwealth Games. I hope that I can be a part of bringing this message of peace and unity to the festival and its legacy through filmed packages for worldwide coverage. Learning from an experienced team who stage world class events will enrich my leadership objectives and empower me to create a legacy of new learning that will inspire me to strive for excellence whilst revitalising the way I operate as a leader. As a digital video trainer for the BBC Academy, this placement will provide an invaluable contribution to my role as a course leader.”
Padma Rao Strategic Development Associate
Sanskriti Foundation, New Delhi, India
Padma is currently an independent arts and cultural specialist with 15 years experience in strategic and professional development at regional and national level. Padma has worked for a range of organisations including Arts Council England, North East. Padma’s contribution led to the development of an infrastructure for the black ethnic minority-led organisations and artists. This resulted in increased employment of black professionals in the sector, increased investment by ACE that levered partnership funding of over £2million for BME-led organisations and professional develop opportunities including North East Cultural Leadership Programme Pathways. Padma has considerable experience as a non executive board member in the third sector and actively contributes to issues of community cohesion and inclusion. A published poet, Padma has edited several anthologies and has a background of working in the radio in India and the BBC Newcastle.
Padma’s Statement
“ This placement provides the unique opportunity for me to establish the next phase of my career in an international context. In light of this, the placement would not only help me gain a deeper self-awareness, but also provide an excellent arena to experience the arts in a global context. It would be deeply insightful to learn about leadership and advocacy at times of uncertainty which in turn would be of great value in building my own personal leadership story. This placement would be a vanguard for creating a richer, diverse and economically strong arts infrastructure in the North East for future”
Beverley Sterling, Creative Development Associate
Biennial of Contemporary African Art Senegal, Dakar and Saint Louis 350
Beverley is a ceramicist, producing porcelain pottery and interactive graphical work. She has over twenty years experience of working in the Arts in the UK and Zimbabwe, Africa as an Arts Development Specialist. In the early 1990s, she worked in the UK as a Curator at East Midlands African Caribbean Arts (EMACA Visual Arts) and Marketing and Promotions Officer, Angel Row Contemporary Gallery, Nottingham . In 1996 she became an Arts Adviser to the British Council and National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Africa. This role included delivering training in management, marketing and promotions and identifying artistic talent in visual arts, theatre, music, dance, performing arts, crafts and other cross-art forms.Beverley has written articles, contributed and assisted with arts publications both in the UK and Zimbabwe. Prior to starting her placement, Beverley was a Strategic Arts Development Officer at the Leicester YMCA.
Beverley’s Statement
“I am excited and foresee my leadership journey of sharing experiences, networks and building relationships in the UK and the Caribbean to develop a strategic plan for the creation of an international and transnational network and collaborations. In addition, absorbing new experiences, learning French fluently and being involved in new areas of artistic creativity. This is an opportunity to learn about Senegalese contemporary visual arts, social, cultural and economic scene. This experience will also be a cultural learning curve working with dynamic leaders and exploring new landscapes and different ways of working and leading”.
Lynda Rosenior, Business Development Associate
ADAFEST (Association of Arts Presenters and Festivals of Senegal), Dakar
Lynda is currently Community Projects Manager at Westway Development Trust, she leads on arts development and contributes to the Trust’s strategy for community, education and arts. With twenty eight years experience of working in arts and media in the private and voluntary sectors, Lynda has contributed significantly to the rich fabric of arts provision in London. She started her career at Virgin Music where she was the buyer for the African, World Music and Reggae departments. She contributed to the exposure of many African and Caribbean artists to new audiences and access to a major new music outlet for African and Caribbean musical distributors. In 1985 Lynda joined the Organisation of Black Arts Advancement & Learning Activities which established the Black Art Gallery, one of the first organisations to professionally exhibit and promote the work of artists of African descent in the UK.
In 1992 Lynda worked for Nubian Tales Ltd a dynamic company working with emerging young filmmakers in the UK as well as established international filmmakers. During this time Lynda worked on the UK premier of Spike Lee’s ‘X’, the critically acclaimed biopic on Malcolm X and Gurinder Chadha’s ‘Bhaji on the Beach’.
Lynda’s media experience includes contributing to the establishment an innovative community radio training project and TLS Radio Station in South London delivering accredited, industry standard training. Lynda was also Director at the Brixton Art Gallery, a community art space and venue in South London.
Lynda's statement
“I feel extremely privileged to have been awarded this leadership development opportunity which will enable me to apply my knowledge and expertise to an exciting and innovative initiative. Working in partnership with colleagues at ADAFEST, I believe that we can achieve significant and meaningful benefits for the cultural and creative industries in Senegal, which I hope in time will have a wider impact across the continent and the Diaspora.
This opportunity will help me gain the skills, expertise and confidence to operate effectively on an international platform. In turn I will be able to transfer and apply this learning to others. I am confident that the benefits of this opportunity will be manifest in new, dynamic and effective ways of doing business which will facilitate a more sustainable and strategic approach to arts development and financing in the UK. I look forward with excitement to this new phase in my journey, moving forward with confidence.”
The Host Organisations
SEHER
SEHER is one of India’s most prominent cultural organizations producing some of the most high profile large-scale festivals and events relating to classical dances, ballets and music. This placement provides the opportunity to gain experience of working with some of South Asia’s best classical dancers, musicians and rock musicians from Asian countries. The festivals planned are a part of the Commonwealth Cultural Festival to coincide with the Commonwealth Games.
Sanskriti Foundation, New Delhi, India Development Associate
Founded in 1979, Sanskriti Foundation has emerged as a pioneering institution in the private non-profit sector promoting and nurturing the finest in arts, culture and the environment. Sanskriti is looking to undertake a vision exercise to explore and build options for a roadmap that the foundation should embark on for the next decade. This placement provides the opportunity to help shape the future of Sanskriti.
Biennial of Contemporary African Art Senegal, Dakar and Saint Louis 350
Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Senegal (Dakar Biennial) in collaboration with Saint Louis 350 is seeking to create links with artists, curators, critics and scholars of African descent in the UK and Caribbean, and partnerships with African and Caribbean institutions. This placement presents the opportunity to develop relationship and future partnership opportunities between Senegal and the UK and Caribbean diaspora.
ADAFEST (Association of Arts Presenters and Festivals of Senegal), Dakar
The ADAFEST is a national network of artistic presenters and festivals who provide creative and innovative solutions to current challenges facing the arts and cultural sector. The network aims to provide a platform for exchange of resources, reinforcement of human capacity, and most of all, to put cultural civil society actors in a good position to install a real dialogue with the Government. This placement provides the opportunity to explore a micro-finance project as a solution to the funding challenges faced by artist’s and creative practitioners in Senegal.
Contact: Maureen Salmon, Director Freshwaters Consultancy
Programme Partner | Powerbrokers International Leadership Placements |www.culturalleadership.org.uk
T/F + 44 (0) 208 291 0491 | M + 44 (0) 794 902 9278
E maureen@freshwatersconsultancy.co.uk | www.freshwatersconsultancy.co.uk
