For the eighth time, the German Cultural Council is running a nationwide individual mentoring program for highly qualified female artists and creative professionals who aspire to a management position in the cultural and media sector.
The selected mentees are each assigned a mentor who is successful in an outstanding position, holds management positions in cultural institutions or the creative industries and has an extensive network.
In tandem, the mentees should benefit from the wealth of experience of these established professional colleagues so that more women are represented at the top positions in cultural institutions, the cultural and media industry, politics and administration in the long term. The mentors also give recommendations and provide emotional support in professional matters. They have the courage to address unpleasant truths and act as benevolently critical companions. They pass on their knowledge in personal discussions. The tandem determines the nature of the exchange independently.
The mentees also have the opportunity to take part in the following events: Kick-off event, further training events, Zoom regulars’ tables with moderated contributions and a closing event. The events take place between October and March.
TIME SCHEDULE
- Application deadline is July 14, 2025
- Applicants will be notified from mid-August 2025
- The kick-off meeting will take place on October 06, 2025 in Berlin
- The tandems will start their 6-month mentoring program in September/October 2025
MENTORS OF THE 8TH ROUND represent the following areas of work:
- Architecture, librarianship, visual arts, performing arts, design, film, radio and media, cultural education and mediation, cultural policy, creative industries, literature, museums, music, musical theater, management and administration, dance, theater, publishing
REQUIREMENTS for the mentees
- You are female and resident in Germany
- There is no age limit
- You have been working for at least ten years
- You are very well educated, have already completed demanding professional stations or have relevant projects and awards to show for it
- You are aiming for a management position or are already in a management position and have your sights set on the next step
ACTIVE ROLE of the mentee
- She undertakes to keep to the agreed meetings with her mentor during the specified period and preparation for the meeting is a prerequisite
- She is committed to additional events of the mentoring program
- She can and wants to address problems and concerns openly
APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
- one-page cover letter
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form with previous career (max. 2 pages)
- Selected and meaningful certificates, letters of recommendation or awards (up to a maximum of 10 pages)
- completed “MENTEE profile”
- Please send your application in the order of CV, form, cover letter and certificates in a single pdf file to:
- Please note that incomplete application documents cannot be considered.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
The mentors select a mentee.
The documents are first reviewed by the German Cultural Council according to formal criteria. A panel of experts made up of former mentees and former mentors then reviews the submitted documents and makes recommendations with regard to the available mentors.
The mentors are provided with a preselection of potential mentees.
Application deadline: July 14, 2025