D&D Satellite: What is the future of Arts Leadership?

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An invitation from Emily Carewe, Executive Director and Co-CEO of Theatre 503 and Ellie Claughton, Executive Director of Improbable

Artistic Director and Executive Director.It’s the model many of us know — balancing vision and operations, creative leadership and organisational responsibility. But more and more, we’re seeing both roles shift, disappear, or be replaced. 

Sometimes carefully. Often, hastily.

Other approaches — like Co-CEOs, shared leadership, and Creative Directors — have always been with us. They’re not new. But they’re being taken up more frequently now, often as a response to burnout, funding pressures, or institutional change.

There’s no one clear pattern. No sector-wide strategy. Just a sense that things are moving — and not always with the art at the centre.

Let’s come together and look at the full picture: What models are people using — and why? What’s working? What’s not? What gets lost when leadership moves further from the art?

What are the priorities in leadership now, and what might they be in the future?

This is your invitation — if you lead, want to lead, have stepped away from leading, or care about what leadership is doing to (or for) the work.

Let’s talk about the future of arts leadership.

Event Details
Doors Open at 10:30AM
From 11:00AM to 4:00PM
All information about the venue can be found on the Theatre 503 Website.

Tickets
We use a Pay What You Choose (PWYC) model to make this event accessible to everyone. We never want the cost of Devoted and Disgruntled to prevent somebody participating in Open Space Conversations. The minimum suggested ticket price is £10. If this is a barrier, please do get in touch. Improbable subsidises the cost of D&D Satellites as part of our Arts Council Funding National Portfolio Organisation status. However, our funding does not cover the full cost of the event. To cover overheads, we would need all attendees (60 people) to spend an average of £15 per ticket. That is a total of £900 towards the event.    Carers/Support Workers can access a free ticket if you are supporting the person you care for. Please contact if you required this ticket.