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Transform your working relationships in an alternative professional development forum

16 September 2024

The School for the Creative and Cultural Industries is offering organisations a unique opportunity to take part in an alternative academic-informed and arts-based professional development forum, run by Fuel and UCL.

A group of people laughing and taking part in a group exercise in pairs

Photo: Tristram Kenton

In a society where confusion, misinformation and a lack of transparency lead to fear, anger and mistrust; where systems seize up or collapse; where complex problems disrupt in unexpected ways and cannot be solved by predetermined policies; we need new kinds of solutions and responses that make us less vulnerable and support resilience.

The new UCL Fuel Alternative Professional Development Forum offers organisations the opportunity to work in cross-disciplinary and cross-generational groups to facilitate understanding of the complex issues at play in the local and global economy.

This is more than just training: it's an opportunity for leaders and decision makers to sharpen their strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and ability to lead through ambiguity.

Who is involved?

A global university, tackling global problems, UCL does groundbreaking research across the academic spectrum, working with partners in education, business, healthcare, development, philanthropy and government to find solutions to humankind’s most pressing issues. The UCL School for the Creative and Cultural Industries connects teaching and research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences with communities and industry, to support the creative human perspective in all its forms.

Fuel leads the field in independent producing in the UK’s live performance sector, working with brilliant artists to explore the urgent questions of our time, and produces high quality new theatre that reaches diverse audiences across the UK and internationally.

What are we offering?

The UCL Fuel Alternative Professional Development Forum offers senior executives and managers a valuable opportunity to address difficult issues and explore innovative problem-solving and knowledge exchange with colleagues, academics, artists, and young people.

Professional development is crucial in supporting stronger, more resilient and emboldened teams across organisations and sectors. The UCL Fuel Alternative Professional Development Forum is intended as an alternative approach to professional development. Rather than sharing specific skills or techniques, we seek to understand the external elements at play, which are forming and changing the future. 

The Forum will bring together academics, creative professionals, artists and young people across UCL and Fuel, to explore different ways of thinking and practice, and the skills of agreement needed to thrive in uncertain and changing times.

The Forum will consist of a performance and a one-day event at the vibrant UCL East Campus. 

How will we work together?

Participants will meet together and see a performance of NOWHERE produced by Fuel at Battersea Arts Centre in October. The themes raised by this performance together with provocations by UCL academics will act as a springboard to the guided conversations and activities of the one-day forum in November.

During this event, you will be invited to contribute to and steer discussions, talking through ideas and provocations with fellow experts from different fields. Through small, cross-disciplinary groups and facilitated discussions, we will raise difficult-to-solve issues about how we create a healthy and functioning economy and society. The forum aims to create the space to support open dialogue, diverse perspectives, and creative solutions.

Timeline

  • October 2024. 7.30pm: A complimentary ticket to Omar Elerian's NOWHERE starring Khalid Abdalla at Battersea Arts Centre, 1st–19th October 2024. Exact date to be confirmed with participants.
  • Thursday 7th November, 10am-6pm: Alternative Professional Development Forum Day at the UCL East campus

Who is this for?

The UCL Fuel Alternative Professional Development Forum is open to leaders and decision makers from organisations that share our commitment to a more inclusive, creative, and solution-focused workplace where progress comes through disagreeing well. 

Why join the forum?

The Forum is a unique opportunity to participate in cross-disciplinary and cross-generational conversations with people in the private and public sectors, academics, artists and young people to address the difficult to solve problems that affect us all.

By taking part you’ll receive:

  • An opportunity to network with participants across different sectors, award winning artists, and UCL students and researchers.
  • Prompts and provocations from artists and academics to stimulate new thinking and approaches
  • Time and space to address powerful forces that underly the seemingly unsolvable issues clashing in society.
  • A complimentary ticket to the world premiere of Khalid Abdalla’s solo debut Nowhere.

How do I get involved?

To register your interest, please complete this short form by 25th September 2024. All confirmed participants will be contacted by 27th September 2024.

Register your interest in the UCL Fuel Forum

Cost to Attend: £1,500 + VAT

If you would like to find out more or have an informal conversation about your potential participation, please contact Irene Butera at irene@fueltheatre.com.

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