About Us

The Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA) is a light-touch collective of agencies, organisations and advocates working strategically to champion, share and promote best practice in the governance of culture.

Our vision is for a resilient and relevant cultural sector, with highly performing cultural organisations whose boards and trustees are supported to perform at their best: to be stronger, better informed and better equipped to demonstrate excellence in governance.

Who we are

We are a strategic collective of partners from across the cultural sector, joining with Clore Leadership to develop the Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA).

The Founding Members of the Cultural Governance Alliance

Founding Organisation: Clore Leadership

Clore Leadership is a platform for leaders and aspiring leaders in the arts, culture and creative sectors. It aims to inspire and equip leaders to have a positive impact on society through great leadership of culture, and is committed to enabling the cultural sector to achieve good governance. Clore Leadership provides leadership development programmes, organises governance training and away days, promotes thought leadership and fresh ideas through debate and challenge, and offers access to an incredible network of leaders.

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Supporters

Arts Council England

Arts Council England (ACE) seeks to champion, develop and invest in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives. ACE supports activit...ies across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections
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"Research points to good governance as one of the foundations of innovative resilient organisations and a thriving sector. Arts Council England (ACE) is pleased to be involved in bringing together and sharing best practice in governance through the Cultural Governance Alliance."

Jane Tarr Director, Organisational Resilience, Arts Council England
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Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) is an independent charitable foundation with cultural, educational, social and scientific interests. Th...ey are supporting the Cultural Governance Alliance because of the findings of its Inquiry into the Civic Role of Arts Organisations. In the Inquiry’s research report, Rethinking Relationships, several barriers were identified as preventing arts organisations from playing a civic role. These include: leaders feeling overstretched and under-supported; co-production requiring particular skills which producers, curators and artists may require additional training in; participants and staff groups needing to reflect the communities in which they work. All these of these barriers can be addressed by better governance
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"We are supporting the Cultural Governance Alliance because of the findings of the Inquiry into the Civic Role of Arts Organisations. In the Inquiry’s research report, Rethinking Relationships, several barriers were identified as preventing arts organisations from playing a civic role. All these of these barriers can be addressed by better governance"

Andrew Barnett CEO, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK)
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The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (The Fund) inspires, leads and resources the full breadth of the UK’s heritage to make a positive and lasting chang...e for people and communities, using money raised by National Lottery players. The projects they invest in range from restoring natural landscapes to rescuing neglected buildings, from recording diverse community histories to providing life-changing skills training. Since 2012 The Fund has offered a number of funding opportunities through the Catalyst and Resilient Heritage programmes. These were designed to strengthen the resilience of organisations in the heritage sector through building fundraising capacity, strengthening governance, business and enterprise skills, and enabling organisations to diversify their income. They are committed to continuing this vital support for the sector through launching the next Strategic Funding Framework for 2019-2024
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"Since 2012 HLF has offered a number of funding opportunities through the Catalyst and Resilient Heritage programmes. These were designed to strengthen the resilience of organisations including through strengthening governance and we are very happy to be supporting the Cultural Governance Alliance to do this.”"

Anne Young Catalyst Programme Director and Head of Strategic Planning, National Lottery Heritage Fund
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What we do

Our mission

To develop and run a strategic peer network, supporting our members to be effective advocates and demonstrators of good governance through networking, collaboration, and the pooling and sharing of resources.

Our key activities include:

Signposting: Providing a primary reference point for good governance advice, information and practice.
Collaboration: Coordinating and promoting cross-sector opportunities including workshops, seminars, training and professional development. Creating and optimising opportunities for the co-production of resources and events.
Advocacy: Sparking and encouraging dynamic and constructive engagement with the topic of good governance through dialogue, forums, events and activities.

Why we exist

The Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA) was formed in response to the recommendations of the Achieving Good Governance report, (the original report was commissioned by Clore Leadership in 2016, together with a consortium of trusts and foundations including Clore Duffield Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation).

Whilst acknowledging a number of key strengths in sector governance, the report recognised that:

“The current environment requires that the governance of arts organisations and museums becomes more adaptive and far-sighted…”

The review’s key recommendations called for a step change in governance practice, addressing the need for improved infrastructure and coordination of efforts as well as creating culture change through improved sector practice.

Our members

Thanks to the commitment of our partners and supporters, the CGA is able to operate as a free membership network for both individuals and organisations.

Organisations prioritising good governance through membership of the Cultural Governance Alliance include:

About Us

Who we are

The Founding Members of the Cultural Governance Alliance

Founding Organisation: Clore Leadership

Supporters

Arts Council England

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

What we do

Our mission

Our key activities include:

Why we exist

Our members

Organisational Members

Become a Member