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Two young women to take over running of Rising Arts Agency
A social enterprise in Bristol has announced a new leadership model that will see two young women take over as co-directors.
Jess Bunyan and Euella Jackson, both under 30, are replacing Kamina Walton, who is stepping down as the director of Rising Arts Agency, which supports young people with creative ambitions.
Kamina, who will remain a non-executive director of Rising, says it was always her intention for young people to lead the agency she founded in 2016.
She said: “By creating a new enterprise with and for young people, I felt it would give me the opportunity to model the change I wanted to see across the arts and culture sector.
“The vision was always that, assuming the agency was successful, I would hand over the leadership to one or more young people in our community after five years.”
Jess Brunyan is one of the two, new, under-30 co-directors of Rising Art Agency. Photo by Colin Moody
Jess and Euella, who are stepping up from their respective positions of development manager and engagement producer at Rising, hope they inspire other employers to take on young leaders.
“The idea that we can co-lead, co-direct and collaborate on everything reflects exactly how we already work day-to-day,” said Jess.
“Everyone in the team at Rising takes more or less of a lead depending on the project and their own interests and skills.
“We are a collective and this allows us to bring our full selves to work when we can and rest when we need to.”
Euella Jackson is taking the reins of Rising, alongside Jess, as part of a new leadership model. Photo by Alexie Segal
Jess and Euella also hope their directorship of Rising will “demonstrate the value of collective thinking, conversation and collaboration.”
Euella added: “Co-direction is a direct challenge to traditional, and often masculine, ideas of leadership – this idea that leadership comes from one person.
“Leadership, to us, is a community effort – it’s bigger than an individual. It’s the sharing of power, resources, responsibility and accountability.”
Rising is also looking for donations to support its new chapter under Jess and Euella’s leadership: www.rising.org.uk/support-us/.
Main photo by Colin Moody
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