It started with a good idea, at a bad time…

How it started

In September 2020, a group of Clore Leadership Fellows in Scotland came together to consider how they could help during the COVID19 pandemic as it crippled the creative industries.  This pilot project is a first step.   

With support from Creative Scotland and Clore Leadership the Coaching for Creatives pilot ran from January – September 2021.  

It had three aims: 

1. To get immediate coaching support to cultural leaders and creatives working in Scotland right now. 

2. To build more capacity for, and access to coaching for creatives in Scotland. 

3. Use the learning and outcomes from our pilot to inform development of a sustainable coaching model and network that will benefits arts, culture and creative leaders and organisations across Scotland in the long term. 

How it’s going

Since the pilot, Coaching for Creatives have been approached to work with various Festivals and organisations to deliver packages of support, using coaching as the tool for positive change.

We have worked with staff teams, individuals, organisations, funders and collective programmes to create bespoke coaching support. At the same time, our cohort of coaches continue to work with us to deliver this support.

Coaching for Creatives now offers:

1. Support to access individual one to one coaching

2. Bespoke coaching programmes

3. A community of on-going peer support

If you would like to talk with us about any of the above, please let us know

The key outcomes were:

• 110 hours of subsidised coaching provided for 32 creative leaders across Scotland

• The training and accreditation of 11 new RD1st coaches in Scotland

• An additional 550 hours of free or low-cost coaching to the sector provided by these new trainees seeking to build coaching hours and practice before moving into a professional coaching offer

• A one-stop platform and network of 15 professionally accredited leadership coaches for the creative sector

• As a result of the lockdown and engagement through online platforms a digital network of 26 coaches established.

• In total, 658 hours of coaching support for the sector in Scotland, worth (in commercial terms) at up to £65,800 based on the average professional coaching fee of £100 an hour. 

Our ambitions for the future are:

• To create programmes of support for individuals in the creative industries

• To offer subsidised coaching to those who can’t afford it but would benefit the most

• To offer training bursaries to create a more representative community of coaches in Scotland

• To see coaching embedded in how we support each other in the creative sector through partnerships with organisations, collectives and companies

• To support others to set up their own Coaching for Creatives Community through this platform.