Creative Leadership Programme opens for Wales school leaders 2026

Key Points

• The Arts Council of Wales, together with the Welsh Government, have launched an application process for the Creative Leadership Programme for the school year 2026/2027.
• The programme is fully funded and provides specific coaching, networking opportunities, and two days of leadership training to support the adoption of creativity by the middle and senior leaders in their schools.
• Candidates will work with a Creative Agent throughout the period of 28 weeks to complete a specific leadership enquiry based on Curriculum for Wales.
• The key dates of the programme include a leadership training session scheduled for 25 November 2026 in Aberystwyth, online networking meetings in February and April 2027, and an evaluation and reflection meeting on 15 June 2027.
• The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 4 September 2026; further information should be obtained from Rhian Hâf (Creative Leadership) and Caleb Rhys Jones (Creative Communities) of the Arts Council of Wales.

Wales (Wales Times) September 08, 2026 – School leaders across Wales are being invited to apply for a funded Creative Leadership Programme designed to strengthen creative and innovative leadership in schools, as the Arts Council of Wales, in partnership with the Welsh Government, opens applications for the 2026–27 cohort.

The initiative forms part of the wider EXTEND: Creative Learning Cymru framework, which builds on the legacy of the Lead Creative Schools Scheme and earlier Creative Leadership Programme iterations to sustain and deepen creative approaches to teaching, learning and leadership across the country.

Who can apply for the Creative Leadership Programme?

The programme is aimed at middle and senior school leaders in Wales who wish to strengthen and embed creative leadership within their settings.

According to the call-out details published by the Arts Council of Wales, the scheme supports leaders to:

• Develop confidence in creative and innovative leadership approaches.
• Explore enquiry-led approaches to leadership development.
• Reflect critically on their own leadership practice.
• Lead meaningful change within their school context.
• Strengthen connections between creativity, leadership and Curriculum for Wales.

The structure is intended for leaders who want to move beyond one-off training and instead undertake a sustained, supported development journey that results in tangible changes in their schools.

How is the Creative Leadership Programme structured?

Following an initial two-day leadership course, participants enter a 28-week development programme supported by a Creative Agent, who acts as a coach and critical friend throughout the process.

As outlined in the Creative Agent call-out documentation, Creative Agents supporting the Creative Leadership Programme will:

• Work in partnership with school leaders as a coach and critical friend.
• Support leaders to design and undertake a personalised leadership enquiry.
• Help participants identify goals, intended outcomes and measures of success.
• Provide constructive challenge and reflective support.
• Encourage innovative thinking and creative problem-solving.
• Support participants throughout their leadership development journey.

Support may be delivered through a blend of face-to-face meetings, online sessions, coaching conversations, workshops and facilitation, and reflective discussions, allowing flexibility to suit different school contexts.

Creative Agents are contracted for seven days over the 28-week period, including compulsory attendance at training, networking sessions, a sharing day and four days of direct work with the school leader.

What are the key dates for the 2026–27 Creative Leadership Programme?

The Arts Council of Wales has published a clear timetable for the 2026–27 Creative Leadership Programme, with successful applicants required to attend the following dates:

• Wednesday 25 November 2026: Leadership Training at Park Lodge, Aberystwyth.
• Wednesday 17 February 2027: Online Networking Event #1.
• Wednesday 21 April 2027: Online Networking Event #2.
• Tuesday 15 June 2027: Evaluation and Sharing Event at Park Lodge, Aberystwyth.

Applicants are advised not to apply if they are unable to attend any of the listed dates, underlining the importance of sustained engagement throughout the programme.

How do school leaders apply and who can they contact for more information?

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 4 September 2026.

For further information, the Arts Council of Wales has provided dedicated contacts for different strands of the EXTEND programme. As reported in the official call-out, enquiries relating to the Creative Leadership Programme should be directed to:

• Rhian Hâf – Creative Leadership Enquiries (rhian.haf@arts.wales).

Enquiries relating to the Creative Communities strand of EXTEND should be sent to:

• Caleb Rhys Jones – Creative Communities Enquiries (Caleb.RhysJones@arts.wales).

A bilingual application form and an FAQs and person specification document dated 13 August 2026 are available for prospective applicants.

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How does the programme fit into wider creative education policy in Wales?

The Creative Leadership Programme sits within the EXTEND: Creative Learning Cymru framework, which explicitly aims to “sustain and deepen creative approaches to teaching, learning and leadership across Wales” by building on the Lead Creative Schools Scheme and previous Creative Leadership Programme activity.

This aligns with broader Welsh Government priorities around professional standards and leadership development. On 1 September 2026, revised professional standards for assisting teaching, teaching and leadership were proposed for introduction, with an impact assessment published by the Welsh Government outlining how these changes will affect practitioners, schools and settings.

At the same time, other UK-wide initiatives continue to emphasise arts-based learning and leadership development. For example, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Teacher Development Fund, which supports high-quality arts-based learning in primary schools, is due to open for applications at the end of August 2026, while the Clore Leadership programme has announced its 2026–27 fellows for the cultural sector.

Within Wales specifically, the Arts Council of Wales also runs complementary opportunities, such as the call for Creative Agents to support both the Creative Leadership Programme and the EXTEND: Creative Learning Communities strand, offering a daily rate of £300 for contracted creative practitioners, facilitators, coaches and educators.

Background to the Creative Leadership Programme development

The Creative Leadership Programme is not a new, standalone initiative but rather an evolution of long-running efforts to embed creativity in Welsh schools. It builds directly on the Lead Creative Schools Scheme, which for several years supported schools to work with creative practitioners to develop creative pedagogies and school-wide change.

By positioning the 2026–27 cohort under the EXTEND: Creative Learning Cymru banner, the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Government are signalling a shift from time-limited projects towards a more sustained infrastructure for creative learning and leadership. The inclusion of a dedicated Creative Agent role, structured networking events and a formal evaluation and sharing day indicates an intention to create a professional learning community that persists beyond individual cohorts.

The timing of the programme also coincides with the introduction of revised professional standards for school leadership in Wales from 1 September 2026, suggesting that the Creative Leadership Programme is intended to complement statutory expectations with a creativity-focused leadership development pathway.

Prediction: How might this development affect school leaders and learners in Wales?

If the Creative Leadership Programme attracts strong uptake and is implemented as designed, it is likely to affect school leaders and learners in Wales in several ways.

For school leaders, particularly those in middle and senior roles, the programme offers a structured route to develop creative leadership capabilities that are explicitly linked to Curriculum for Wales. Over time, this could lead to more leaders using enquiry-led, reflective and innovative approaches when making decisions about curriculum design, pedagogy and school improvement.

For learners, the intended impact is indirect but potentially significant. As leaders become more confident in embedding creative approaches, schools may see:

• Greater integration of creative pedagogies across subjects.
• More opportunities for pupils to engage in enquiry-based and project-based learning.
• Stronger connections between arts, culture and the wider curriculum, in line with the ambitions of Curriculum for Wales.

If the programme successfully creates a network of leaders who continue to collaborate through the EXTEND framework, it could also help to normalise creative leadership as a core expectation for school improvement in Wales, rather than treating it as an optional add-on.