Engage Extend Leadership programme A short while ago, a good friend suggested that we both apply for the Extend leadership course. For a while i had been thinking about investing in my leadership, i had stewed over the options and had begun to consider how i could try to make it happen given child care responsibilities as a single parent.

Looking back at my formal arts training (of recent) it had become something of a short story. Not too surprising really. Maintaining a small youth arts led organisation within a local authority is no easy feat. Maintaining a small youth arts led organisation outside of a local authority is no easy feat. However, both feature a number of constraints and challenges which can limit and hinder personal growth.

Of course, you should never take for granted the role of informal learning. For me i have experienced a rich plethora of learning from young people, artists, local authority art leads and community partners which has sustained me and kept me going for all of this time. But i am ever mindful that my own learning desires have fallen short and i have not had time/made time to invest in my own artistic development.

I have allowed it to take a very comfortable back seat while i draw attention to the work of others. It would appear that i am more comfortable to draw attention to others and yet i have over the years yearned for more personal creativity and spotlight. Gulp.

So, in June 2018 i stepped into the arms of the Extend Leadership course. I attended our first residential in Leeds in June. I will take part in a group enquiry with four other people as well as my own personal one to one mentoring.

It is going to be a bit of a rollercoaster. An exciting one.

Yikes!