An extraordinary invitation
to Reimagine Leadership, Reclaim Humanity,
and Reshape Our Collective Future
The Imperative for a
New World Order
Our world stands at a precipice, gripped by a profound crisis that demands more than conventional solutions or incremental adjustments. We urgently need a radical reassessment of all the assumptions we hold dear about how best to run our world. This moment calls for bold and compassionate thinking that leaves no possibility unturned in our quest to rescue our world from destruction. If we do not cultivate courageous, creative, and compassionate leaders to navigate its complexities now, our dangerous global landscape will bring grave consequences.
Yet, traditional high-level forums are self-congratulatory and Western-centric. They have fallen short in delivering real, lasting change for the most challenging problems of our era.
These gatherings speak at rather than with an audience. Consequently, they rarely foster the deep engagement necessary for transformative action. We face an urgent need to transcend historical analyses and shift our focus towards tangible action, grounded in higher-order values such as respect and reverence for human life, empathy for suffering, and a collective orientation away from self-interest towards the greater good.
Clos de Gaye
Where the World Comes Together for Impact
It is within this crucible of global disruption that we see the opportunity to build the foundations for a new paradigm, embodied by Clos de Gaye. This unique sanctuary in the heart of the French countryside is more than a retreat; it is a crucible where we bring the world’s most influential thinkers, changemakers, and executives together for profound impact, much like the intellectual gatherings of the Bloomsbury Group. We extend an extraordinary invitation to participate in the restoration of our shared humanity, offering a distinct path for leaders committed to deep, transformative change.
The very design of our initiative, "action summits" dedicated to "solving a world problem," highlights a fundamental redefinition of engagement. While the setting offers tranquility and space for deep reflection, its ultimate purpose is to catalyze concrete action and transformative change.
True, sustainable solutions cannot be rushed or superficially addressed. Instead, they demand a deliberate withdrawal from the constant demands of the everyday world—a strategic pause for intense, collaborative introspection. This period of unhurried thought allows for the emergence of higher-order values and refined perspectives, often suppressed by the pressures of conventional leadership. This is not an escape, but a launching pad. We will propel our community back into the world with renewed purpose and actionable strategies. Our ultimate purpose is to catalyze concrete action and transformative change.
Responding to The Challenge
We will rebuild the New World Order through gathering visionaries and doers together in one place. Attending our action summits represents a significant investment and public commitment to creating change for high-level, high-impact leaders across a range of disciplines.
The Centre for Arts and Global Leadership has designed a system to turn the profound discussions and intellectual breakthroughs of our summits into tangible, real-world impact. During each 5-day summit, our visionaries will meticulously craft a "theory of change"—a comprehensive blueprint for addressing a specific world problem. We believe this is not merely an abstract concept; it represents the distilled collective wisdom and strategic insights of our high-level participants, formulated into a coherent, actionable vision for intervention. We will then work with participants on an action plan and funding strategy to implement concrete outputs envisioned during the summit.
Our impact lab, The Foundry, strategically located on the Clos de Gaye property, will then bridge the critical gap between high-level ideation and practical execution. This proximity ensures a seamless transition from conceptualization to development. Here, we engage a dedicated team composed of doers with an exceptional track record in carrying out high-complexity high-impact projects: top grantwriters, journalists, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) specialists, lobbyists, community organizers, designers, engineers, and subject-matter experts. Collectively, they will viralize and act on the solution proposed during each summit.Our summits and The Foundry are a highly integrated and self-sustaining ecosystem, a model for a Global Imagination Ecosystem. Here, your financial investment and intellectual contribution will turn you into co-investors and co-creators of global change.
Five Transformative Summits
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Beyond Bloomsbury: Art, Artists and Ideas
November 2025
The arts aren’t merely aesthetic appreciation and entertainment, but a potent, underutilized force for geopolitical dialogue, cultural diplomacy, and imaginative problem-solving, capable of transcending traditional political impasses. Transforming Clos de Gaye into the "new Charleston," we will redefine the arts' impact on global affairs.
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New Narratives for a World In Crisis
December 2025
How do we honor each individual’s needs for affirmation of who they are whilst transcending the boundaries that keep us locked away from a healthier relationship from “the other”? Together, we will reimagine identity and belonging in our divided world.
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Humanity First: Building a New World Order
January 2026
During this summit, we will bring together world leaders committed to constructing a truly multi-polar world that more accurately reflects emerging power structures. Starting from fundamentals, we will develop a profound approach to rethinking global order in the aftermath of devastation — in the Middle East and beyond.
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A New Blueprint for Global Governance
February 2026
We must urgently create a governance model that’s more multimodal, more representative of typically unheard, and more representative of the global majority. By actively co-creating a fundamentally new, post-Westphalian system based in equality, representation, and moral integrity, we plan to bypass the inertia of existing institutions.
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Feminine Leadership in a Brave New World
March 2026
Let’s reimagine “power” as a holistic integration of diverse human qualities, rather than solely dominance. Here, we will create initiatives that enable people of all genders to embrace masculine and feminine qualities in a balanced way, fostering human progress.
Measuring the Unseen and the Unfolding:
A Commitment to Profound Impact
A core tenet of The Centre for Arts and Global Leadership is a deep commitment to rigorous impact measurement, moving beyond simple outputs to focus on profound, measurable outcomes and behavioral change. We meticulously define key impact markers at every stage of a project, acknowledging the inherent complexities of measuring such transformative effects. Our approach transcends traditional pre- and post-surveys, embracing more nuanced methods, such as observing subtle changes in participants and their environments, recognizing that significant impact can manifest in unexpected ways.
We employ a comprehensive strategy for assessing the internal growth and transformation of our visionaries, understanding that genuine external change originates from deep within each individual. We foster and track this internal metamorphosis through:
Structured Reflection:
Our dedicated 12-month program of structured reflection guides participants, supported by a welcome package that includes a beautiful journal and daily reflection prompts.
Self-Perception Surveys:
We administer initial and exit surveys to capture shifts in participants' self-perception and understanding of their leadership capabilities.
In-depth Interviews:
We conduct initial and exit interviews to provide qualitative insights into personal growth, allowing for a deeper understanding of individual journeys.
External Feedback:
Crucially, we gather feedback from individuals in participants' spheres—colleagues, family, and peers—to observe and validate perceived changes in behavior and leadership style.
We have seamlessly integrated this internal transformation into a year-long learning journey led by Caroline Watson herself, which includes personalized one-to-one leadership development and a group coaching Masterclass titled "The Art of Leadership".
This comprehensive impact measurement strategy is not merely about data collection; it is designed to create a continuous feedback loop that amplifies influence and ensures accountability. Internal reflections will feed directly into external impact, which is then meticulously documented and transformed into powerful thought pieces. These thought pieces, in turn, spread ideas, attract new participants, and secure further funding, thereby fueling The Foundry Impact Lab and future summits and retreats. The mechanisms of public commitment and peer pressure add a crucial layer of accountability. This creates a virtuous cycle of influence, accountability, and continuous improvement, where the act of measurement itself becomes a powerful tool for propagation and sustained impact, rather than a mere reporting exercise. By building and sustaining movements, your efforts will contribute to a legacy of demonstrable, widely disseminated change, extending far beyond the initial retreat.
Together, we will create far-reaching ripple effects across the globe. We expect outcomes to include high-level policy changes at government levels, the building of social movements that catalyze large-scale change, the development of new models of global governance, and the creation of entrepreneurial and scalable solutions to the world's most pressing problems.
Post-retreat, we will ensure a robust support system for the fruition of participants visions, with our team members providing guidance over 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timelines, leveraging our world-class networks to ensure real-world impact.
Our programming is for leaders interested in humanity's larger questions, recognizing that true change emanates from within. We seek the ideal participant: a true global leader with a nuanced worldview, a commitment to ‘higher order’ leadership, prepared to embark on a deep interior journey as a prerequisite for serving society. In collaboration with The Foundry, we will build meaningful projects that create lasting and profound impact, aligning with a desire for meaning, legacy, and genuine contribution in a world we perceive as broken.