Clore fellow to put forward research into impact of coaching

Helga Henry is one of 15 fellows chosen by Clore Leadership to undertake research projects this autumn.

The chosen research proposals respond to the urgent and critical challenges facing the wider cultural sector focusing on projects that will have demonstrable public benefit to the UK.

Helga, an experienced consultant and coach, has worked in the cultural sector for many years and has supported the boards and senior teams of organisations such as the RSC, Royal Albert Hall, MAC in Belfast, Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and numerous small independent arts organisations and artists.

Helga will undertake a pilot research project that looks at the possible impact of coaching in enabling and supporting individuals from minoritized backgrounds to form leadership styles that are not defined by a binary decision: to assimilate or to segregate. Helga said: “Specifically, I want to see how coaching (the space for reflection, and the creation of helpful narratives and connections) helps to build “social capital ”- networks, connections and ties that make leaders more effective ”.

Since her time as a Clore fellow in 2008/10, Helga has worked on several initiatives with colleague Lara Ratnaraja to promote leadership skills and capacity, particularly in relation to people from diverse or minoritized backgrounds, as well as socio-economic background.

The academic supervisor for this research project is Helen Higson OBE from the Aston Business School. Helen 's work on the academic attainment gap of certain students, her connections with the cultural life of the city and the fact that she has recently qualified as an executive coach make her ideally placed to work with Helga on this pilot.

Helen commented: "I am delighted to support Helga as academic supervisor on this work. It is rewarding for an academic institution to be working with a practitioner and the subject matter of this work in particular is personally important as well as important to Aston University.

“We have a longstanding commitment to transformation and Helga's study specifically looks at ways in which we can transform the lives of individual leaders so that they can make a difference in the arts sector and society as a whole. ”