Delivering Change: Leadership Programme
Applications for this programme are now closed.
A reciprocal mentorship and training programme for people working in Scotland’s heritage sector. The programme is part of Delivering Change, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the Scottish Government.
Programme overview
The Delivering Change: Leadership programme is a new strand of the Delivering Change programme.
Delivering Change has been developed by MGS and an Expert Advisory Group, who have lived and professional experience of barriers to participation in culture. It’s funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the Scottish Government.
The Delivering Change: Leadership programme is a reciprocal mentorship and training programme, pairing someone with lived experience of systemic exclusion working in heritage who is interested in entering leadership (the mentors), and a leader from the Museum Transformers programme (the mentees), in order to enable an opportunity for discussion, understanding and experience sharing. Both mentors and mentees will undertake training to support their learning and growth.
The leadership programme aims to:
- support the Museum Transformer leaders (the mentees) to embed anti-oppression practice in their organisations through learning from their mentor’s lived experience of marginalisation and their professional experience of working in heritage.
- support mentors to better understand the role and responsibilities of leadership positions.
- develop mentors’ careers through networking and broadening their horizons.
Programme details
The Delivering Change: Leadership programme will take place over a 9-month period from January to September 2026, with 24 participants. The programme will include:
- Regular (fortnightly/monthly) experience/knowledge/value exchange meetings between mentees and mentors
- Peer support for mentors
- Peer support for mentees
- A specific training course around Anti-Oppressive Leadership
- An opportunity for mentors to participate in a Leadership training course and receive a qualification
- A series of talks by experienced anti-oppression leaders in the heritage sector
- Access to mental health support
- Check-ins with the Delivering Change team where required
This programme will facilitate opportunities for discussion, understanding and experience sharing. The programme will pair someone with lived experience of systemic exclusion who is interested in entering heritage leadership with a leader from the Delivering Change: Museum Transformers programme. The Museum Transformers programme is currently underway and the 19 participant organisations are undergoing an organisation-wide programme of anti-oppression learning, action planning, and restructuring based on anti-oppressive principles.
As part of a wider suite of opportunities that the MGS Skills Team have on offer, mentors will also have the opportunity to participate in an accredited 6-day leadership training course with Social Enterprise Academy: SEA Award in Leadership (a 10-credit SCQF level 9 Social Enterprise Academy qualification that is credit rated by Glasgow Caledonian University).
Mentors will be offered remuneration for their participation in the programme.
Programme dates
- Applications open for Mentors and Mentees: Monday 4th August 2025
- Applications close for Mentees: Monday 15th September 2025
- Interviews for Mentors and Mentees: Monday 13th October – Thursday 23rd October 2025
- Beginning event in Edinburgh: January 27th 2026 (travel bursaries will be available)
- Programme runs: January 2026 – October 2026
Contact us
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at deliveringchange@museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk
