Governance and distributed leadership It’ll probably come as no surprise that I’m having a lot of conversations about the past, present and future of governance. I’m so pleased that Aspex appointed Co-Chairs as part of my succession planning as Chair. Northern Broadsides have shared their approach to distributed leadership. Why this? Many cultural organisations face leadership…
Updated Green Book 2026 The Government has published its updated Green Book. While it may not apply to individual organisations it is useful to be aware of in terms of policy expectations. The Green Book is intended for anyone involved in developing, reviewing or approving proposals that use public money. It is mandatory for UK…
Just the four this week, it’s been a bit of a busy one! Fragile to Flourishing: Museum Operating Models In case you didn’t spot it earlier in the week, our research has been published. There’s quite a lot to absorb so we’ll be sharing snippets in the coming months. Thanks to everyone who contributed and…
Leading in Uncertainty: online peer support sessions for charities Provided through IVAR these sessions ‘combine open peer support with expert-led conversations, tackling the most pressing and recurring charity challenges leaders face.’ Why this? Leadership in 2026 is less about certainty and more about containment, sense-making and shared load. Structured peer spaces recognise that many challenges…
The Invisible Legacy There is something beautiful in the notion of quiet daily acts… But a genuine legacy can be forged in the shadows. In quiet daily acts that happen when we care more about making a contribution than getting the credit. When we let go of our preoccupation with today’s standing ovation and our…
In Praise of Idleness As we head into the ‘holiday’ season I am mindful that this period often feels like anything but a holiday. Here’s a reminder that idleness has a real value. Reading for pleasure, watching a movie, resting and enjoying undistracted time with friends and family are worth doing simply because we enjoy…
Impact Economy essay collection from NPC Momentum is building across the impact economy like never before. With the launch of the Office for the Impact Economy and the Collective’s Policy Labs, government, business, and civil society are aligning in new and consequential ways. New guidance from the Charity Commission on how charities respond to the current hostile…
What did the 2025 Autumn Budget mean for the arts? You may be sick of hearing about the budget by now but this is a useful review by Campaign for the Arts. Who stays and who leaves? Mapping arts, culture and heritage careers A really good insight into the current patterns in ACH careers, a…
Autumn Budget 2025: initial response IFS researchers provide a response to the new economic forecast and major policy announcements contained in the 2025 Budget. Become an octopus organisation Shifting the metaphor for organisations. ..we call for a fundamentally different paradigm: the Octopus Organization, inspired by the remarkably adaptive, curious, and intelligent sea dweller. That animal,…
The three factors of feeling welcome Arts organizations thrive, in large part, on their ability to welcome – to notice, name, support, and honor their guests…But there’s a difference between altruistic and commercial welcoming. Blain and Lashley (2014), for example, suggest a continuum of hospitality arranged by motivation of the host – from ulterior motives to containing (monitoring the stranger)…
Overhead is undervalued Great provocation about the value of using ‘overhead’ as a metric. … funders and nonprofits can only swim against the current toward open and honest negotiations around what overhead means, what it indicates (or doesn’t), and how it entangles with the outcomes they both want in the world. New SORP is here…
New Code of Fundraising Practice From 1 November 2025, fundraising regulation in the UK is evolving to reflect modern fundraising practices. Fundraising organisations should review the new code and support guides and begin preparing to ensure compliance. Data Use and Access Act 2025 Useful guidance from Russell Cooke for the implications of the new Act which will…
Why we need systems thinking now How to address complex changes in an interconnected world. Meeting the wicked challenges that society is experiencing is almost certainly beyond the capabilities of even the most inspired breakthrough or design thinkers. In these situations, systems thinking provides a more robust framework for change. Centre for Cultural value The Centre for…