ABSTRACT

The creative and cultural industries are a dynamic and rapidly expanding field of enterprise. Yet all too often the dominant narrative about arts organisations is one of crisis, collapse, and closure. This edited collection seeks to challenge that narrative through pursuing a focus on organisational success in the management of creative and cultural organisations.

This book offers a robust and in-depth analysis of nine international case studies exploring how different organisations have achieved their objectives through effectively managing their resources. Spanning a broad cross section of the cultural sector including Theatres; Multi-Arts Venues; Performing Arts Companies; Museums and Galleries; and Festivals and Events, these cases highlight the importance of examining an individual organisation’s success in relation to its environmental context, revealing not only how arts organisations work in practice, but also providing inspiration and encouragement for those wishing to emulate such success.

With an explicit focus on examining theory in practice, this unique collection will be of great interest to students, academics, and practitioners alike. While traditional approaches have often been overly theoretical, this pragmatic approach will help students to gain a richer understanding of how to manage cultural and creative organisations more effectively.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

In defence of good management in the arts

chapter 1|16 pages

Feeding tomorrow

The Case of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati, USA

chapter 2|15 pages

Taking charge of change

The Case of Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, Colorado, USA

chapter 3|23 pages

That’s all very well in practice, but what about the theory?

The Case of Glasgow Life, Glasgow, Scotland

chapter 4|15 pages

Purpose, place, people, and passion

The Case of the Lammermuir Festival, East Lothian, Scotland

chapter 5|17 pages

Breaking ground without breaking stride

The Case of Mesa Arts Center and Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Mesa and Kansas City, USA

chapter 6|16 pages

Contingency and context in strategic planning for success

The case of Northern Ireland Opera, Belfast, Northern Ireland

chapter 7|20 pages

Attractiveness through mystique

The Case of the Culture Yard, Helsingør, Denmark

chapter 8|20 pages

Global PR that works

The Case of the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia

chapter 9|24 pages

Episodic volunteer management at festivals

The Case of Valletta Film Festival, Valletta, Malta