The arts, culture, and heritage sectors continue to evolve in response to societal expectations around inclusion, accountability, community engagement, and ethical stewardship. In 2026, values‑led leadership is no longer aspirational, it is a defining feature of organisations that are thriving. Today’s leaders are expected not only to deliver artistic and cultural excellence, but also to demonstrate integrity, cultural responsibility, and a commitment to social impact.
Below are current, evidence‑based examples reflecting how values-led leadership is shaping the sector across the UK.
Welsh National Theatre: Embedding National Identity & Social Responsibility
The newly formed Welsh National Theatre, established in early 2025 under Artistic Director Michael Sheen, represents a clear, values-led leadership approach rooted in national storytelling, community relevance, and cultural visibility. The organisation’s first season demonstrates a commitment to telling stories of Welsh identity and lived experience at scale.
- Owain & Henry, premiering November 2026, is a major new work by Gary Owen, exploring the 15th‑century Glyndŵr rebellion, an act of cultural leadership placing Welsh history and identity at the centre of its programming.
- Earlier in 2026, the company tours a Welsh‑set production of Our Town, co-produced with the Rose Theatre, bringing internationally recognised theatre to Welsh communities across Swansea, Llandudno, Mold, and Kingston upon Thames.
This values-led model demonstrates a national organisation anchoring itself in authenticity, regional relevance, and community representation, an example of leadership deeply shaped by purpose and equity.
National Galleries Scotland: Leading in Accessibility & Inclusive Practice
The National Galleries of Scotland provides another standout example of values-led leadership, recognised UK-wide for its accessibility and inclusion initiatives.
- In 2025, the organisation was shortlisted for the inaugural Visitor Accessibility Award at the Museum + Heritage Awards for its significant strides in integrating accessibility across all three Edinburgh galleries, from visually impaired and dementia-friendly resources to sensory-friendly activity programmes.
- These efforts followed the opening of the new Scottish Galleries in 2023, which transformed disabled visitor experiences and broadened access to world-class collections spanning Botticelli to Scottish contemporary art.
This focus on equality of access, supported by organisational policies, a revised people strategy, and sector-leading programming, demonstrates values-led leadership embedded at structural and strategic levels.
Manchester Museum: Ethical Leadership Through Repatriation & Community Partnership
Values-led leadership also means acknowledging the past and building new, ethical relationships with communities of origin. Manchester Museum provides one of the clearest UK examples through its long-term commitment to repatriation and collaborative practice.
- In 2023, the museum returned 174 Aboriginal cultural heritage items to the Anindilyakwa community of Australia’s Northern Territory, the largest project of its kind led by a UK public museum.
- This repatriation evolved into deeper partnership: by 2025, the museum opened Anindilyakwa Arts: Stories from Our Country, a permanent exhibition co‑curated with the Warnindilyakwa community. The exhibition includes interactive sessions where families can handle Dadikwakwa‑kwa (shell dolls), honouring cultural protocols requiring the dolls to come off display annually to be played with.
- The museum frames repatriation as a “gain, not a loss,” emphasising empathy, relationship-building, and shared stewardship as core institutional values.
Manchester Museum’s approach exemplifies values-led leadership rooted in transparency, reconciliation, and community empowerment.
Why Values-Led Leadership Matters Now
Across the sector, leaders increasingly recognise that arts and heritage organisations hold cultural, ethical, and societal responsibilities. The best leaders:
- centre inclusivity and accessibility in their decision-making,
- build authentic relationships with diverse communities,
- champion ethical stewardship, from sustainable practice to repatriation,
- prioritise long-term public value over short-term gain,
- and create the conditions for innovation and creative risk-taking.
Values-led leadership is therefore not an optional layer; it is the foundation for trust, relevance, and long-term organisational resilience.
Our Commitment at GatenbySanderson
At GatenbySanderson, values-led leadership sits at the heart of our work. We understand the unique mission of cultural and heritage organisations: to enrich communities, preserve history, and reflect society’s stories responsibly and compassionately.
With over 20 years of experience across the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, we:
- partner with organisations nationwide, from national institutions to regional cultural assets, ensuring leadership appointments align deeply with organisational purpose,
- prioritise values, integrity, and vision in our searches, ensuring clients meet both today’s expectations and tomorrow’s opportunities,
- achieve a 99% first-time appointment rate and 73% repeat business, evidence of our trusted, long-term approach.
Values-led leadership isn’t simply important, it is transformative. And we are proud to support the leaders shaping the sector’s future.
Rebekah Herz-Bauman is a Partner in our Not for Profit practice, leading Arts, Culture and Heritage Appointments.