“The Master’s Tools will never dismantle the Masters House” Audre Lorde
One of the functions of leadership is to create more leaders. Whilst Claire was on tour performing in Mid Life, Eilís stepped into her strategic, operations and decision-making work. This is the first time we have released one of the company’s Joint Artistic Directors entirely into a creative project and handed someone else their reins. Eilís is currently studying for a qualification in senior leadership in the arts and culture supported by Diverse City. She was ideally placed and immersed in the latest thinking in the arts sector.
Senior Leadership is shared in Diverse City. The Chief Executive function distributed amongst a four strong Executive team. In the wider team everyone is encouraged to lead in their different areas. It’s always work in progress and is sometimes challenging. But we know more people involved in taking decisions, make better decisions. Poor decisions often result from a lack of cognitive diversity, a lack of involving those impacted, and a lack of time. Going slowly is how inclusion happens. It is a tightrope between creating clarity for a team and being responsive to a rapidly changing environment.
“This was a game changer for me. Working on a show is often being in rehearsals 9-6pm and then picking up messages on company matters in the evening. I was able to fully focus on the show and rest properly. I also welcomed Eilis’ new perspective on the challenges. I knew that when I got back it would be to some great new ideas and developments. This has proved true.” Claire Hodgson, Joint Artistic Director
Eilís’ Reflections
“Recent events – the Supreme Court ruling and proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments – have attempted to divide and silo the population. They have been deeply felt in Diverse City, and we have been thinking a lot about allyship. Being an ally is at the root of our leadership structure and the fount of all our creative work; we form alliances between unexpected companions. Our troubling times make it more important to do this while striving to remain adaptable and dynamic as a small team. That is what ‘stepping up’ has been about for me. Stepping into someone else’s role, learning their day to day, looking for new ways of doing things, making small changes and leading with the heart. It has been a pivotal opportunity for me to work with the senior management team, to learn and grow, to practise and think about leadership. And at the end of it all, be able to wrap up the role neatly and pass it all back to Claire and step fully back into my own creative projects.
I have been thinking about allied leadership like a relay. Exploring what it might be like to take it back again in the future, but the parcel will be
a different shape, with new things added and moulded with a bit of me, a bit of Claire and whoever else might receive it on the way. I will lovingly study and examine it, looking for new ways to improve it, looking at it from my own eyes, with my experience, nudging it along to where I think it can go, before passing it over. By sharing leadership and taking it in turns we can share the load and lean into each other’s strengths, we can feel the whole weight of something and support each other. By stepping back we can take our time, catch our breath and look at it from a distance, we can begin to understand the bigger picture.”
Claire Hodgson, Dave Young, Eilis Davis – Diverse City workshop
