At a time when leading an arts organisation has become even more challenging, it can be hugely valuable to look outside of our own models of governance and leadership to see what others across the sector are doing differently.
In this piece, we’ve decided to explore several case studies that offer alternative models of leadership, from Citizens’ Juries and Community Boards to Youth Leadership Panels and Co-Chairing relationships.
Case study 1: Birmingham Museums – Citizens’ Jury
“The voice of the museum is to some extent, the voice of the people, and we want everyone to hear us a mile coming.”
In the summer of 2024, Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) made history by introducing the UK’s first Citizens’ Jury in a museum setting.
5,000 Birmingham residents received an invitation through the post, signed by museum Co-CEOs Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, calling on citizens to come together to deliberate on the question: What does Birmingham need and want from its museums, now and in the future; and what should Birmingham Museums Trust do to make these things happen?
This led to a rigorous selection process, with representatives from local government, the commercial sector, the voluntary sector, education, the cultural and historical sector, deliberative democracy, and other community groups to form an independent Oversight Panel to guarantee a ‘strong, equitable, and impartial process’.
The result was the formation of a 28-person strong citizens’ jury, with participants aged 18 to 79 and from a range of backgrounds. The Jury met for 30 hours across evenings online and for three full days in-person. They heard from 12 ‘experts’, visited three exhibitions, and shared their own views and lived experience.
As part of their role, the Jury produced 11 ‘Roles of the Museum’, and 20 recommendations, covering four key themes: funding and marketing; community engagement and collaboration; exploring diverse perspectives; new audiences, accessibility and inclusivity.
Crucially, the BMT will remain accountable to the Jury, providing regular updates on its progress against the recommendations, and will continue to share its learnings across the sector.
These Citizens’ Juries, and other forms of participatory engagement, are increasingly seen as important tools to enable cultural and heritage sector institutions to re-engage with the public and increase the impact of their work.
Whilst BMT’s core governance structure remains in place (with a full board of seven Trustees), the charity has demonstrated that community leadership can prove hugely beneficial in shaping our cultural future.
“With so many pressures driving polarisation and eroding the institutions which bring people together, BMT is embracing deliberative democracy, not only as a way of making better decisions, but as part of our contribution to the renewing of democracy itself. This Jury is not a one-off: it’s the first step in modelling the kind of democratic society that we would like to live in.” Sara Wajid, Co-CEO
Case study 2: Clean Break – Co-Chairing
“You get a stronger sense of co-production in the oversight and governance, because the reach is wider and deeper…for us, the deeper meaning of co-chairing was relational…It brought stronger empathy and sympathy into decision making, greater alchemy for advocacy and campaigning. Co-chairing meant a stronger governance for delivering the power of theatre to transform lives.” Tanya Tracey, former Co-Chair of Clean Break
Clean Break (a London-based charity using theatre to create personal and political change) began with a firm belief in the power of theatre to transform lives.
Founded by two women in prison, the charity continues to raise difficult questions, inspire debate, and to help to effect change in the lives of women who are criminalised through its unique work – on stage, in prisons and in the community.
Since 1979, Clean Break has been the only women’s theatre company of its kind, and its model of Co-Chairing highlights the organisation’s approach to inclusion, advocacy and empowerment.
According to Tanya Tracey and Alison Frater, Clean Break’s former co-chairs, experience, diversity and compassion are the cornerstones of the good governance approach. Co-chairing, for them, was about making connections, ensuring that the governance process stimulated lived experience, and kept the company’s members in charge of the story.
In 2024, Clean Break announced two new Co-Chairs – award-winning actor and director Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE and writer, actor, and artist Sarah-Jane Dent.
The plan to recruit two further Co-Chairs was wholly intentional, with a recruitment pack shared widely across the sector and a statement articulating that ‘as a company we are passionate about shared leadership, and collaboration and our Co-Chair model embeds these principles.’
This model of co-leadership is not entirely new to the sector, and in fact has become ever more popular given the increasing strain placed on charity chairs, with research conducted by experts such as Claire Antrobus suggesting that ‘two heads are better than one’.
Case study 3: Theatre Peckham – Youth Leadership
New ideas, new stories and new partnerships – all are made in Theatre Peckham, a multi-award-winning theatre and performing arts academy located in southeast London. Its mission is to cultivate an inclusive and representative society where everyone can participate, lead and enjoy arts and culture, providing access to the arts for young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Theatre Peckham’s board has undergone significant transformation to reflect the diversity and values of the community that it serves. 69% of trustees identify as Black, Asian, or ethnically diverse, 62% are women, and 15% identify as neurodiverse.
Trustees work closely with the staff, sharing their expertise and providing support both in and outside of board meetings. Its wider programmes ensure that young people from the local community see themselves represented in leadership roles, allowing them to envision their own potential in the creative industries.
One of the most notable examples of the charity’s commitment to representation is the Young Ambassadors Programme, which creates a supported pathway towards trusteeship and leadership for young people from underrepresented communities. Young ambassadors are given the opportunity to watch productions and give feedback, gain insight into development and marketing projects, share ideas with staff and trustees, curate their own events and panel discussions, and participate in and present at board meetings and AGMs.
The board places a strong emphasis on mentorship and professional development, with over 50% as first-time trustees, and one of the young ambassadors has transitioned into a trustee role, highlighting the clear pathway for emerging talent into governance.
The board’s dedication to removing barriers for young people was a key factor that inspired judges to shortlist the charity in the 2025 Board Equity, Diversity and Inclusion category of the Charity Governance Awards.
“Our board of trustees are a collective of visionaries, advocates, and change-makers. Together, we aim to create a vibrant and inclusive environment.” Suzann McLean, CEO