Women Leaders South West has its first team of participants.
Selected from more than 350 applicants, the inaugural cohort of sixteen women will take part in a programme aimed to address the widely recognised gender imbalance in the arts.
A 2018 report revealed that less than a third of NPOs have women artistic directors with another study showing that men are paid 10.6% more than women in the arts.
The Women Leaders South West participants will receive training at a host organisation together with social entrepreneurship and business training from Southampton Business School and mentoring from Jude Kelly and The Women of the World Foundation.
The South West organisations associated with the scheme are The Point, Activate Performing Arts, Art Asia, Diverse City, Kaleider, Pavilion Dance South West, Strike a Light and The Arts Development Company.
Jude Kelly said, “this is an impressive, ambitious and ethically driven project that understands the need for home grown talent to develop commitment and loyalty to place. The South West region dreams big and The WOW Foundation is excited to be bringing the international dimension to the table.”
The participants are Adrienne Dove Armstrong, Shenice Ellis, Fee Hudson Francis, Vrushali Harihar, Daisy Higman, Zahra Hoccom, Halima Malek, Anjali Mavi, Vandna Mehta, Natasha Nixon , Ruth Pitter , Rosanne Robertson, Lorna Rose, Romana Syed, Amber Weyman and Abby Young.