Navigating the Future of Inclusive Cultural Leadership
Breakthrough is a leadership programme designed specifically for cultural sector senior teams to navigate the complexities of implementing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) amid today’s evolving social and organisational landscape.
Since the last delivery in 2023, attitudes and external pressures around EDIB have shifted significantly, with
- Increased scrutiny and public expectations
- Resistance to change within and outside organisations
- Budget constraints and competing organisational priorities
- Greater demand for systemic, sustainable rather than superficial change
Breakthrough acknowledges the breadth and complexity of contemporary EDIB challenges, including emerging and deeply important priority areas such as LGBTQIA+ inclusion, neurodiversity, accessibility, faith and belief diversity, immigration-related equity, and the recognition of diverse intersectional identities. The programme recognises the rich complexity of experiences across cultural communities and workplaces, fostering an inclusive approach that honours this breadth.
Why attend?
Breakthrough enables senior leadership to lean into challenges together and find a clear path forward with shared understanding and confidence through:
- Building a collective, aligned vision and clear goals tailored to your organisation’s context
- Developing resilience and practical strategies for managing resistance and risk
- Embeding EDIB as a core, sustainable driver of organisational culture and impact
- Accessing robust tools and coaching to implement inclusive recruitment, leadership, and audience engagement changes
This programme supports leadership teams to engage fully with the difficult conversations and decision-making required, providing the frameworks, tools, and peer support needed to move from aspiration to effective, accountable action. It empowers leaders to foster a culture where EDIB is not just a compliance checkbox but a core value driving innovation, resilience, and audience/community trust.
I truly feel we’ve made a good start on our ‘breakthrough’ and I have learned a lot from this process… it will take everyone in the organisation to live and breathe the values and for thinking about EDI in all decisions to become second nature. There’s a lot of work still to do but thanks to this programme with AMA, I’m actually looking forward to giving it a go.
Chris Blythe, CEO, Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House
Cost
Our Breakthrough rates are per organisation, for up to 5 people.
Member rate: £3,500 + VAT
Non-member rate: £4,500 + VAT
Book nowWe can offer a 2-part payment installment plan, to help you spread the cost of the course.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss payment options, please contact one of the team at info@a-m-a.co.uk
Structure
Breakthrough combines online content sessions with face-to-face content and peer support sessions, supported by 1:1 coaching.
It takes you and your team through a comprehensive review of how to develop your specific organisation’s processes and structures. It’s designed to be a supportive 12-month blended learning journey combining 4 modules that are essential to the future of your organisation:
- Context, vision, and inclusivity goal-setting
- Inclusive leadership culture and conscious inclusion
- Recruitment, retention, and workforce equity practices
- Audience and community engagement with an inclusivity lens
This format has proven impact for organisations: you can hear about change AMA has helped unlock for previous participants below.
Modules
Module 1: Context & Your Breakthrough Goals
This module helps you identify the areas you and your organisation can focus on to have the most impact, and how you can plan to realise your Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) ambitions.
13 January 2026: Online introductory workshop.
September 2025 — January 2026: First CEO and/or SMT Coaching session
January 2026 – Next round of participants will join programme. Introduction content to be advised.
Module 2: Your Leadership Journey
This module helps you and your team think about what your organisation needs to do differently — structures, process, strategy – to make sure that you are being truly inclusive, both internally and externally in relation to your organisation.
10 February 2026: 2pm — 4pm online. Conscious Inclusion.
23 April 2026: 1pm — 5pm, face-to- face workshop, venue TBC. Allyship, Shame and Guilt
February — March 2026: Second CEO and/or SMT Coaching session
Module 3: Your Recruitment Journey
In this module you’ll take a look at how you are getting on with applying the plans from Module 1. It will also look at how you can deal with any uncomfortable issues or challenges arising from the work. This provides a foundation to look at your organisation’s approach to recruitment with an inclusive lens.
19 May 2026: 2pm — 4pm online. Inclusive Culture and Leadership.
4 June 2026: 1pm — 5pm, face-to- face workshop, venue TBC. Allyship, Shame and Guilt.
May — June 2026: Third CEO and/or SMT Coaching session
Module 4: Your Customer / Audience Journey
This module introduces new content to help you think holistically about your customer journey, your audience communities, and meeting them where they are. It includes a look at the work completed as part of your Leadership Journey. The final session of the programme looks back at progress made, as well as how you can take the learning and work forward independently.
17 September 2026: 2pm — 4pm online. Customer Journey.
20 October 2026: 2pm — 4pm online. Final session: Next Steps, Review and Acknowledgement of Successes.
June — October 2026: Final CEO and/or SMT Coaching session.
Trainers
Ishreen Bradley
Ishreen is Chief Inspiration Officer, Belonging Pioneers. She guides professional leaders to navigate complex situations and achieve success with clarity, confidence and courage. Her focus is to cultivate mindsets and cultures that acknowledge valuable difference, inclusive behaviours and authentic leadership.
Ishreen has many years experience working with arts and culture organisations, including Serpentine, South East Dance, Artsadmin, Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival.
“I’m inspired by the depth of honest enquiry each person in the programme engages with, and the results they’re able to produce as a result of their courage and action”
Ishreen Bradley
Mel Larsen
Mel is an independent Marketing Consultant, who has worked in the arts across the UK and abroad for over 30 years. As an independent audience development Consultant & Coach her clients have included Arts Council England, Australian Arts Council, CARIFORUM, The British Council, Still Art Sweden and MLA London.
Mel’s worked with arts and culture organisations including Discover Childrens Story Centre, Contemporary Visual Arts Network, ArtsAdmin, School for Social Entrepreneurs, Cornwall Museums Partnership, Dublin City Council Culture Company.
“It’s great to have the opportunity to bring cultural leaders and their teams together to discuss and share this critical and timely opportunity”
Mel Larsen
Impact
Breakthrough has led to significant and lasting change for participating organisations, the programme:
- Breaks organisational inertia and hesitation
- Builds leadership confidence to lead in a politicised, resource-constrained environment
- Embeds systemic and cultural change that lasts beyond the programme
The Breakthrough pilot has resulted in significant ‘breakthroughs’ – major and minor systemic changes in organisations that have been accomplished in a short time span. The results herald the start of new internal cultures and show that system change can be achieved through committed and aware leadership and a willingness to involve the organisations as a whole.
Extract from independent evaluation report published by SAM-Culture
We have used all of the exercises that we covered on the programme with our own staff at our staff share days and so we found this incredibly useful… we have new tools (such as our breakthrough plan) which we can develop on an annual basis to continue the work that we are doing.
Laura Keogh, HR Director, Brighton Dome & Festival Ltd.
