The Amsterdam - Maastricht University

28 August to 31 August 2016

Sustainability of project based cultural initiatives and actions in times of short term aims in the staccato society

Introduction by Steve Austen

Amsterdam, from Sun. August 28 (arrival) to Wed. August 31 (departure)

This course offers an introduction and a systematic managerial approach based on tested models and practices from business, sociology,, political science as well as history. This course is unique in providing the participants with a toolkit to improve their daily work and start a different way of looking at the sustainability of their project or organization.

Are you:
- a professional working in the field of culture on mid-management level?
- a professional curious about practical tools for improving the daily routines as well as quality of network and reporting?

Then this is an excellent opportunity to take your professional career and knowledge to the next level! 

Background

The prestige of professional cultural products has diminished in practically all European countries over the last decades. To turn the tide cultural managers turn to more diversification and project based initiatives. The question remains: how to develop your organization from project to process and from process to continuity.

Sustainability nowadays only can be based on the decisive role that cultural initiatives can play in society. Relationships with stakeholders have to be redefined. The connection with other players in the public domain has to be investigated. New managerial development like the installment of business units has to be explored and the implementation program oriented business modelling has to be considered.

In terms of management this leads to more attention to the following topics:

WHY do you do, what you do, what are the goals and objectives of your endeavour?
1. Your personal drive to start the project, or being partner in a project/ initiative?
2. the relation with citizenship and civil society
3. the cultural organization as a citizenship educator
4. the role of the individual in cultural organizations

HOW do you do, what you do?
5. the origin of entrepreneurship in the 17th century
6. the natural person in a legal body
7. the relationship with stakeholders
8. the consequences of family-lifecycle
9. the interactive models for communication and program development
10. the system of activity based costs
11. the capitalization of time

WHAT do you do?
12. the integration of all this in a transparent business plan

All these topics should be part of a future curriculum of cultural management studies. Leaders of projects and organizations are expected to adapt to the exciting times of the staccato society, by offering a systematic approach based on tested models and practices from business, sociology, psychology, political science as well as history.

This course will provide the participants with a toolkit to improve their daily work and start a different way of looking at the sustainability of their project or organization.

A well informed participant can assist any cultural organization by describing and designing the place the organization has in the midst of competitors, clients, public bodies and citizens.
After this development process the aim of the organization can be clearly defined in terms of transparency in complexity: the ultimate challenge for any cultural organization.

Program outline

Sunday august 28th
Arrival and evening program 19-22 hrs
(dinner, introduction participants, exchange personal drive of working in cultural projects)

Monday August 29th
Morning program; participants giving insight in their projects/ initiatives.
(key notes about entrepreneurship, citizenship and the role of the individual in cultural organizations)
Afternoon and evening
(reflection on the project plans, working on the formulation of the weak points in the project outlines, finding out where the plans must be rewritten, or redirected)

Tuesday August 30th
Morning program; creating a 5-point action plan for the projects.
(what must be achieved, in order to become a sustainable player in the cultural world)

Practical information
Course leaders:
Freek van Duijn works as a consultant for cultural organizations, was managing director of the city theatre in Arnhem, and held the same position at the RO Theatre in Rotterdam.

Steve Austen is an innovator and developer of new insights and idea's, writer, speaker and lecturer, with a special interest in European citizenship issues.

Participants will receive a reader before travelling to Amsterdam.