A Thought Piece by CEO & Principal Sally Ann Gritton: Redesigning the Obstacle Course

16 Mar 26

At our 80 years milestone, Principal & CEO Sally Ann Gritton reflects on eight decades of training the next generation of creative powerhouses. In a challenging UK landscape, Mountview has done more than survive – we’ve redesigned the obstacle course.

Redesigning the Obstacle Course

Photo credit: @rhiannonnoble_photography

80 years is more than a milestone; in the context of British arts education, it is a feat of defiance. I find myself reflecting on how in such a tumultuous and surprising world, Mountview has continued to survive and indeed to grow for these eight decades. Despite the arts and arts education being almost entirely neglected by successive governments over time, the people who nurture it daily: the artists, the educators, the arts leaders, the students and the audiences – have refused to be defeated.

This show of strength and belief sits at the heart of what we do at Mountview. We have an indestructible energy and an unshakeable need not simply to survive but to thrive and to drive our charitable purpose to its limits, championing our students and our community participants with passion and rigour. This is a mark of resilience. When we talk of building a resilience, I liken the idea to taking on a never-ending obstacle course. The more obstacles present themselves, the more lateral our thinking must become and the stronger our muscles to sustain energy and purpose. The obstacles ahead do not then disappear but our ability to negotiate and overcome them and then ultimately redesigning the obstacle course becomes our goal.

At Mountview we are realising our ambitions by harnessing the strength and resilience we have grown in 80 years of operating. New ideas are everything. It is not enough to stand still in this world or to just reflect inwardly. We have unleashed our potential by combining our expertise underpinned by our values to challenge the status quo to launch our Examination Board MX (Mountview Exams) which has ripped up the rule book through delivering a values-led, affordable, flexible alternative to traditional exams across the UK, and our nationwide network of CertHE partnerships are thriving. We are no longer waiting for permission to be inclusive – we are building the infrastructure to demand it.

It is what our American friends may call ‘grit’ or what we tend to refer to as stamina. We must learn to hold our nerve and be patient as we navigate difficult times and new challenges. Yet in my experience, stamina and grit only kick in when we are committed to persistence, consistency and imagining what can be possible. To truly thrive in 2026, we must look towards radical, outward facing self-sufficiency.

These are the grounding points from which we must then be prepared to truly take confidence in our ambitions and activate our imaginations. Showing resilience is also about being prepared to wait as the seeds of the ideas we plant begin to grow. Ensuring we plant them at the right time, in the right number and with the most chance of their survival and then getting everyone on board to help nurture these ideas is paramount.

Compassionate collaborations and partnerships are key to unlocking ambitions and will enable us to reach beyond our own experience, create a sounding board, encounter alternative ideas or windows into new ways of operating, and connect with likeminded people sharing our values. The benefit is mutual and the possibilities for artists, students and audiences when collaboration does thrive are clear to see.

We must all remember that the creative industries generate a new and indestructible energy when we collectively show our strength and are not a luxury or a ‘nice to have’ – they are a core pillar of the UK’s resilience. To resolve and overcome the obstacles ahead of us we must turn threats into opportunities, redesign the obstacle course and use any barriers as our armour.

We are resilient and our possibilities are unlimited as we look towards the next 80 years. To support us in our 80th year, learn more here.