A citizen assembly, and that way of thinking and being, is both a new way of doing something that will help Global Majority leaders because you will have an entire town or region or area of people who you are co-buying into each other’s ideals and dreams.
I wanted to raise a provocation about citizen assemblies and citizen juries, especially after hearing about NAE’s work embedding a citizen assembly in a major cultural institution. It’s fascinating to me that this work is led by Saad Eddine Said – someone using the social change model of leadership: it’s no coincidence. Sara Wajid, alongside Zak Mensah, is also integrating a citizen Jury, as part of a groundbreaking global majority leadership duo at Birmingham Museums Trust – the first of its kind in the museum sector. This is about distributing power, recognising people’s voices, and fostering collaborative learning, which makes spaces more equitable.
In contrast to the Western concept of power, which often focuses on control, indigenous, global majority communities understand power as being in service to others, considering the impact on both past and future generations. When you involve communities in these decision-making processes, especially in a melting pot like England, you can create meaningful conversations that connect the global and the local. It’s about harnessing that collective power to make connections that, once felt difficult, suddenly become possible.
On the surface, citizen assemblies hand power back to the local community and in this case, a cultural institution, which I think is a great thing. What excites me about NAE’s work is that these decisions aren’t just about specific projects – they affect the entire organisation. But I want to take a moment to think about how this could support Global Majority leaders with values rooted in collective power and community. If you’re a leader who believes in success through collaboration, you don’t just empower your community – you draw strength from them too.
I hope that, in the future, citizen assemblies provide real support and security to Global Majority leaders, who are often the most vulnerable in society. I’m a big football fan, and there’s an analogy I love here. In some premier League clubs (yes not all), things just don’t happen because the fans won’t let it. They’re the backbone of football. Leaders like Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp are supported by fans, they support their coach, no matter what. I think we, in the funded arts sector, could learn a lot from that. By empowering communities to make leadership decisions, Global Majority leaders, and other underserved voices, become stronger. Because nothing’s more powerful than having a community ready to stand by you when politics, racism, or anything else, threatens you.
So yes, citizen assemblies are great for the community, but what I’m saying is that this model offers a solution to many leadership challenges we face in the cultural sector. It’s a strategy we, as Global Majority leaders, should really consider. It also links to the unique role visual art plays in society – not just in contrast but in collaboration. Murals, for example, offer a way to reflect who people are in a powerful, visible way. And when an organisation truly embeds citizen-led leadership, it creates a strong, supportive foundation for the community and the work.
About the author
Suzanne is the founder and CEO of Alleyne&, a cultural consultancy and research incubator, their work centres on leadership, power, and societal issues. An inaugural Arts Council England Changemaker and Churchill Fellow, she is a director of What Next? and trustee of artist Bobby Baker’s organisation Daily Life Limited. With an MA in Arts & Cultural Management from King’s College, London, she is now a guest lecturer.
Her innovative project, Neurology of Power™, explores the dynamics of power in the brain and body, and guides Alleyne&’s practices. With 30 years of experience, her client list has included Barclaycard, Wellcome Trust, BFI and Humboldt Forum. You can find out more about Alleyne& at www.alleyneand.com, www.allaboutpower.org LinkedIn @alleyne&, instagram @alleyneand
