Professional Development Training Programme

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture Service is delighted to invite all Edinburgh-based ethnically diverse artists and creatives to consider participation in bespoke professional development training sessions facilitated by local arts and culture industry representatives. The training sessions offer ethnically diverse artists and creatives an opportunity to further their knowledge and skills in:

- governance with Dr David Stevenson (Queen Margaret University) and Catriona Reynolds (Arts and Business Scotland);
- business management with Briana Pegado (Creative Edinburgh);
- leadership with Asif Khan (The Scottish Poetry Library);
- working internationally with Isabel Moura Mendes (British Council Scotland);
- and utilising film as a means to share diverse narratives and storytelling with Samir Mehanovic (Paradiso Films).

This bespoke professional development training programme has been developed in response to the needs identified by local artists and creatives at industry meeting sessions hosted by the Council’s Culture Service Diversity Officer between September 2019 and February 2020. This programme is a unique offer that is guided by experiences and observations of artists and creatives and aims to ensure that support is provided to increase visibility of diverse talent and narratives while furthering professional development opportunities of creatives across the arts and culture industry.

With this programme we also aim to create an opportunity to exchange skills and ideas and strengthen participants' networks and partnerships.

Edinburgh-based ethnically diverse artists and creatives are invited to send their submissions to participate in this training programme. Please submit your response to the questions listed in the Expression of Interest Form in writing or a video clip by Friday 4 September 2020 [23:59 GMT] to express your interest in one or more of the training modules. More information about each module including dates and times, mode of delivery, the number of participants per module as well as guidance notes for applicants can be found in the module descriptors in the Professional Development Training Module Info Pack below. Large print version of the info pack is also available below.

CRITERIA

Who is the Professional Development Training for?
With this programme we offer a variety of training modules that can be of benefit to Edinburgh’s ethnically diverse artists and creatives at different stages of their career development. The training modules include governance, leadership, working internationally, business management and diverse narratives in film. Applicants are invited to name a first-choice and second-choice training module they would like to participate in to further their knowledge and skills and in turn increase their skillset and/or improve their practice. All training modules are specially designed and reflect upon the experiences and observations of ethnically diverse arts and culture practitioners surrounding freelance / independent practice as well as delivering work for and/or on behalf of private, charitable and public organisations. We would like to ensure that the training sessions best meet needs, expectations and aspirations of participants.

To be considered, please submit your response to the questions listed in the Expression of Interest Form in writing or a video clip by Friday 4 September 2020 [23:59 GMT]. The form contains a personal statement section that allows applicants interested in participating in one or more training modules to outline their creative background and explain interest in a particular training session. Please specify how your preferred training module(s) could help you further your professional development and support your career goals.

Please note that specific guidance notes for applicants are included in each module descriptor.

What is the selection process?
Given the limited number of training places available at the governance, leadership, working internationally and filmmaking sessions, a selection process is required. This will be managed by the respective training facilitators, independent advisers including Tomek Borkowy of Universal Arts Productions, Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh (interdisciplinary auteur, academic and advisor) and Noe Mendelle of The Scottish Documentary Institute, and the Council’s Diversity Officer.

Places for the business management module will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Please give particular consideration to explaining how the training session identified responds to your needs and furthers your professional development when completing your submission to participate. All applicants will be informed about the outcomes by Friday 11 September 2020 at the latest.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Beata Skobodzinska, Diversity Officer: beata.skobodzinska@edinburgh.gov.uk

Access the application form now.

Please note that it is still possible to apply for the Leadership and Business Training Modules. The applications remain open until 2 October 2020 [23:59 GMT]. Please use the same form to apply.