African Women Cultural Leadership (AWCL)
Selection Process 2016 – Nairobi, Kenya
CALL OUT
Creative Garage and Arterial Network are calling for applications in Nairobi, Kenya, as they launch the first pilot of AWCL mentorship programme in 2016.
African Women Cultural Leadership (AWCL) is a continental programme of Arterial Network, implemented and piloted in Kenya by Creative Garage. Its vision is an African Creative Sector in which more women are empowered into leadership roles, capacitated with the tools and knowledge to unlock opportunities and to benefit from full recognition of the rights and capabilities of women.
The AWCL mentoring programme will select 12 women identified as potential cultural leaders. The selected candidates will be mentored by top leading women of the cultural sector in Kenya, they will be offered a series of workshops as well as showcasing and networking opportunities. For more details about the programme’s requirements and structure, please find attached the programme presentation and the mentoring guidelines.
If your application is selected, you will be called for an interview. If you do not hear from us by 10th April 2016, please consider your application unsuccessful. Follow @CreativeGarage and @ArterialNetwork on Facebook for future opportunities and public events. Fully completed applications must be sent to by the 20th of March before midnight.
SELECTION CRITERIA
For your information, please note we will be using the criteria below to select the final 12 candidates. An AWCL mentee must:
- Be an African woman with the right matching mentor available
- Understand what leadership means and implies
- Demonstrate proven achievements and leadership initiatives
- Be a powerful advocates of the creative industry and of women in the arts
- Show purpose, motivation, and determination
- Set high standards for herself and for others
- Have the will and the ethical values to motivate and develop others
- Be able to translate vision into action but also to reflect and learn
- Have the extra "spark" that marks an outstanding potential leader
Will be an added value:
- Demonstrate Management experience and skills
- Be able to give a comprehensive definition of cultural leadership
- Think creatively, with the flexibility to solve problems and encourage change
- Communicate effectively in writing (application) and speaking (interview).
- Be able to identify clear personal and professional goals
APPLICATION FORM
You are welcome to present your application in the presentation format you choose fit as long as it includes:
a. Your CV and two recommendation letters
b. Your personal information: name; surname, date of birth, email, online portfolio (linked’n profile, youtube chanel, blog etc.), email address, cellphone number, physical address, current occupation.
c. Your answers to the 18 questions below.
d. Your complete skills assessment.
About leadership:
1. List your 3 biggest strengths and your 3 biggest weaknesses when it comes to leadership (6 Bullet Points)
2. What are the gaps in your experience and on the contrary, your best accomplishments? (150 words)
3. What is cultural leadership? (150 words)
4. How do leaders fail? (50 words)
5. Why do you want to lead and what kind of leader will you be? (150 words)
6. Describe a situation in which you found a creative way to overcome an obstacle. (50 words)
7. How would you go about getting cohesion in a team that disagrees? (50)
8. List 3 reasons why there are not enough women leaders in the arts & creative industry. Propose 3 solutions to this challenge. (6 Bullet Points)
About mentorship:
9. What do you hope to gain from the AWCL mentorship programme? What are your desired outcomes for the mentoring relationship? (150 words)
10. What type of mentor would be the best fit to meet your goals? What key experience could a mentor provide that would benefit you most? What do you expect from your mentor? (200 words)
11. List your short term and long term goals? Where do you see yourself in a few years? What are your development needs to get there? (200 words)
12. What should your mentor know about you in order to work most successfully with you? (50 words)
13. How will you know if the mentoring relationship is working? (50 words)
14. Explain how you will practically manage or cope with the programme’s requirements (150 words).
About yourself:
15. If you were a famous piece of arts (from any arts discipline) which one will you be and why. (50 words)
16. If you had one super power, which one would it be and why. (50 words)
17. Convince your mentor of your leadership potential in 10 words or less.
18. Motivate in a short creative essay why we should decide to mentor you (200 words).
SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Please be honest, this will not determine your acceptance into the programme, what we assess is your potential (questions above) but this assessment will help us to understand and address your needs better. If you don’t know the answer, just say so but please spend time to understand yourself and to be as specific and detailed as possible in your answers. Add in “other” if you believe the lists are uncomplete.
For each category, please score between 0, 1, 4 or 5
5 = I am totally in accordance with this statement
4= Close to 5, but not quite there
1= Close to 0, but not that poor
0= This is not true at all
Like a true leader, / Score / WHY YES - List your skills / WHY NOT - List your needsI inspire and motivate others
I display integrity and honesty
I drive for results
I master the art of communication
I build relationships and network
I display technical or professional expertise in my field
I have a strategic perspective of the future
I develop others
I innovate
I know how to source funding
I believe in myself
Other:
Other:
As a woman, / Score (Only)
I am confined within stereotypically female roles and safe spaces
My authority is undermined by others
Societal norms limit me (religion, traditions etc.)
I struggle with treading the line between social and professional spheres (i.e: building relationships versus being perceived as flirting)
I face misconceptions about the abilities of women
I challenge or worry about how to manage the industry’s working hours versus my other responsibilities
I struggle to penetrate masculine networks of influence
Other:
Other: