The European cultural sector is in the midst of dramatic changes. Factors as globalization, migration and digitization are affecting the conditions and ways of functioning of art and culture. Established welfare models and funding systems are changing. Respected cultural institutions are struggling with underfinanced budgets as well as new consumer patterns. Traditional borders between creator and audience are being questioned and trespassed. The demands that face leaders to be in the European cultural sector are significant. There is an acute need to develop a leadership characterized by the ability to create a inspiring work atmosphere, make relevant analysis and initiate sustainable processes of development and change in cooperation with different actors from the public, private and third sector of the European society. The rationale of the project European Cultural Leader is to develop an Educational Program, which will improve the competence, knowledge and skills of future leaders in the cultural sector of Europe. This Program will thereafter be distributed through the networks of our partners in order to offer high quality further education for leaders to be in the cultural field all over Europe. The strategic partnership that has been established for the project European Cultural Leader involves experiences from business, pedagogy and research. Nätverkstan has an experience of nearly 20 years in working close to labour market, academia and civil society organizations, especially in the cultural field - both in Europe and elsewhere. Over the years we have built networks that will now be vital to the project European Cultural Leader. Trans Europe Halles is such a network. With 50 member organizations from all over Europe they will contribute with experience from different aspects of European labour market as well as a unique intercultural and transnational competence when it comes to European cooperation and training. European Network on Cultural Management and Cultural Policy Education (ENCATC) is another partner. ENCATC is a university-based network of education providers and researchers in the field of cultural administration. In addition to these partners we will cooperate with leading experts in the field of management and organizational development in the cultural sector, among them Olivarte and Sue Kay. Olivarte (Paul Bogen and Sandy Fitzgerald) is a company specialized in consulting and organizational development within the cultural sector. They have experience both as leaders of big European cooperation projects and as teachers at several European universities. Sue Kay is a consultant in Cultural Management and has among others things worked with the Cultural Leadership Programme commissioned by British Arts Council. The project aims to revise and develop new forms of cultural leadership education through: 1. Examine the changes in the cultural sector and the new challenges within the labour market; 2. Modify and revise methods for cultural leadership and organizational development and make these suitable for the specific conditions within the cultural sector; 3. Develop and update specific course modules and facilitating skills; 4. Design an educational process combining the different course modules; 5. Pilot parts of the education program and evaluate them; 6. Disseminate and implement the results. The project European Cultural Leader will result in following: 1. a detailed and empirical based analysis of the need of the sector; 2. strengthened and deepened cooperation between all involved partners, especially between TEH and ENCATC; 3. a publication that presents the thematic fields and methods used; 4. a publication of narratives, based on interviews with cultural leaders in and outside of Europe; 5. an educational programme. In its entirety this programme will be a process that stretches over 12-18 months, and will contain theoretical as well as practical moments. The target group is leaders to be in the European cultural sector with at least 5 years work experience from the field. Other expected results to be mentioned: The intention is to present the education in the form of vocational education or in any other form we find appropriate. The modules in the programme can also be used separately by the different partners in the project, and will be implemented in their respective organizations. TEH will offer training opportunities to their member organizations. The project will lead to raise in competence and professional development for the involved personnel from the different partners; The project will lead to a larger degree of internationalization and improve the intercultural capacity of the organizations involved. The project will be disseminated through the respective partners networks and member organizations in order to habilitate them to organize similar high quality educations for future leaders in the European cultural sector.