About SCL
The School of Creative Leadership is a non-profit learning institution for artists and creative practitioners of African descent.
An artist’s working life rarely stays inside the studio.
Most creative education rightly focuses on developing a practice, learning a discipline, experimenting, and finding a way to express ideas. But a working life in the arts also asks other questions. Artists have to speak about their work, understand its value, negotiate agreements, work with institutions, build relationships, manage resources and, increasingly, lead projects, teams and organisations of their own.
The School of Creative Leadership was founded to make space for that part of an artist’s education. It does not replace artistic training. It extends it, helping artists think more deliberately about the professional, institutional and public life that grows around their practice.
Our mission
To support artists and creative practitioners in becoming more confident, responsible and effective leaders by strengthening their creative voice, professional judgment and ability to work with institutions and communities.
The aim is not to move artists away from their practice, but to give them more of the tools required to sustain it, advocate for it and extend its contribution to cultural and social life.
Our vision
SCL is being built as a long-term home for creative leadership education in Africa.
The School will work with artists across the continent and the African diaspora, develop programmes in multiple countries and contribute to a stronger network of artists, educators, cultural organisations and institutions.
From the Founder
Over the course of a creative life, you begin to encounter decisions that are not purely artistic. You work with people. You enter institutions. You learn about money, contracts, influence, and responsibility. You begin to understand how much a creative practice can ask of the person behind it.
SCL grew from a desire to make more room for those conversations, and to create a place where artists could learn them together rather than having to figure everything out alone.
Jacqueline Suowari
Meet JacquelineSCL brings together artists, educators, cultural practitioners and people working across institutions and professional fields.
Meet our peopleLearn about the programme and enquire about joining the next SCL cohort.
Apply to SCL