Course Objectives

The course will provide an introduction to cultural management in theory and practice. The goal is to give the students a fundamental understanding of basic skills, concepts and principles for the various aspects of cultural management. The student will gain insight into the role of art and culture in practical and social contexts.

Cultural Management will provide students with an understanding of what the management of cultural institutions and cultural projects in general involves, with a particular emphasis on managing the dramatic and visual aspects of the field.

The approach will be both theoretical and practical. Reading the syllabus and understanding the theoretical concepts will be combined with excursions, study trips, projects and fieldwork.

The course is suitable both as a basis for further study in cultural mediation and cultural initiatives, and as a culture-oriented component in studies within economics and administration.

Course Description

The cultural industry is rapidly expanding in Norway, and the field is becoming increasingly more complex, competitive and costly. In order to keep pace with these trends, the manager role in cultural initiatives must be professionalised.

A good cultural manager will be expected to meet high standards, and the course addresses important aspects of a position as cultural manager. The basic requirements include knowledge of the field and engagement, together with the ability to promote creativity, cooperation and enthusiasm. The cultural manager must, in addition, be able to efficiently balance risk, change and stability simultaneously.

The student will be given an introduction to how the cultural manager must operate in a landscape where interaction between public and private engagements and financing is especially challenging. When public grants are provided for cultural projects, then the public authority in question focuses on income and financial management. This requires considerable reporting.

As is the case for leaders in other fields, management of cultural initiatives and projects requires basic knowledge of budgeting and effective resource planning, as well as knowledge of the relevant regulations, laws and rules.

The course in cultural management is divided into four parts:

1. Knowledge of dramatic and visual arts

2. Organisation and management

3. Public relations and marketing

4. Art and culture

1. Knowledge of dramatic and visual arts focuses specially on the dramatic arts (theatre, ballet, opera and music) and the visual arts (museums and galleries). This part of the course focuses on genres, arenas, history and means as well as forms of organisation and financing. Viewing, experiencing and interpreting art constitutes an important part of the course. Visiting various cultural institutions, events and exhibitions will also form an important part of the course. The course will also examine how festivals are organised and marketed, as well as the importance of the profiles and identities of festivals from a market viewpoint.

Choice of area which will be covered in this subject will depend on the cultural life and activities of the area in which the campus is located.

2. Organisation and management provides an introduction to management theory, with an emphasis on vision, strategy and goals for creative initiatives. This part of the course will focus on the principal concepts such as cooperation, professionalism, hierarchy and ethics.

Management and management function will be discussed in connection with various organisation models in relation to established institutions, festivals and specific cultural projects and initiatives.

The focus will be especially directed at producer and project roles in the management of creative projects, and models for project planning, economy-planning (budgeting), progress planning and reporting.

The course will also focus on various methods of financing through funds, sponsors’ funds and public grants. The course will discuss what characterises organisation, application procedures and reporting in relation to how activities are financed.

3. Public relations and marketing will provide students with a basic introduction to consumer behaviour, communication and perception theory, with a look at market analysis, strategy and the use of tools. This part of the course will focus on how one formulates a broad information strategy, and how one identifies target groups, messages and channels. The course will discuss what set of traditional and untraditional tools can be used to attract attention, create interest and result in sale.

Further, we will focus on the needs of the cultural sphere for systematic and goal-oriented contact with the media and the public in Norway, through network building and contact with political decision-makers and the public authorities.

4. Art and culture focuses on cultural life from a social perspective, and examines some current culture-policy problems. The use of the concepts, art and culture will be discussed, as well as the question concerning the intrinsic value of art. Further, the production of art will be discussed in relation to social and financial policies, and the various ways of legitimising transference of funds to the sphere of art and culture.

We will examine priority areas such as culture and business, the experience industry, culture as a political tool in the past and present, culture and health, integration policies, district policies, foreign policy, and culture as a tool for the general education of the public and as a socially constructive force.

In this part of the course, students will also become familiar with the principal institutions and organisations in the field of the arts in Norway. Further, the organisation and financing of cultural initiatives will be compared, as well as the cultural-political visions of the public authorities in Norway, Great Britain and the US.

In conclusion, this part of the course will focus on the laws and institutions that protect and manage intellectual property and copyright.

Reading list:

The reading will be reduced to some extent: the following books will be used either in whole or in part:

1. Subject knowledge:

Literature – dramatic arts (c. 400 pages):

• William M. Wright, William M. Downs, Erik Ramsey, The Art of the Theatre – Then and Now – 480 pages (www.thomsonedu.com) ISBN: 0155063251.
• NOU rapport 2002 Etter alle kunstens regler – en utredning om norsk scenekunst

Additional literature:

• Robert Viagas (ed.), The Alchemy of the Theatre -296 pages – (www.applausepub.com) ISBN: 1557836981

Literature – visual arts (c. 100 pages):

• Mararet Lazzari, Dona Schlesier, Exploring Art – (excerpt c. 100 pages) 450 pages (www.thomsonedu.com) ISBN 0495102555.

Additional literature:

• Gunnar Danbolt, Blikk for bilder, om tolkning og formidling av billedkunst -70 pages (www.abstrakt.no) ISBN 82-7935-046-2.
• Ellen K. Aslaksen, Fornyet eller forbedret? Evaluering av Norsk kulturråds innkjøpsordning for samtidskunst. Norsk Kulturråd, 2002 – 72 pages.

· 2. Organisation and management:

Literature (c. 400 pages):

• Grete Wennes, Kunstledelse – 175 pages (www.abstrakt.no) ISBN 978-82-7935-215-0.
• Derrick Chong, Arts Management – 168 pages, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, Inc. ISBN: 041918970X.
• Ian Yeoman (Editor), Martin Robertson (Editor), Siobhan Drummond (Editor), Una McMahon-Beattie (Editor), Jane Ali-Knight (Editor), Festivals and Events management. An International Arts and Culture Perspective. – (Part A og B, pages 3-115) Elsevier Science & Technology Books- ISBN: 075065872X.

Additional literature:

• William Byrnes, Management and the Arts – (excerpt) 352 pages (www.focalpress.com) ISBN 9780240805375.
• Andy Bruce, Ken Langdon, Ken Langdon, Essential Managers: Project Management-72 pages - ISBN: 078945971X.

3. Public relations and marketing:

Literature (c. 400 pages):

• Philip Kotler, Joanne Scheff Bernstein, Standing Room Only: Strategies for Marketing the Performing Arts – (pp. 47-473) ISBN 0875847374.
• Tor Bang og Anne Rød, Informasjon og samfunnskontakt, (utdrag kommunikasjonsplattform) c. 20 pages.

Additional literature:

• Arild Danielsen, ”Behaget i kulturen, En studie av kunst- og kulturpublikum”- Norsk Kulturråd - 220 pages.
• Ian Yeoman (Editor), Martin Robertson (Editor), Siobhan Drummond (Editor), Una McMahon-Beattie (Editor), Jane Ali-Knight (Editor), Festivals and Events management. An International Arts and Culture Perspective. – (Part C, pp. 115-217) Elsevier Science & Technology Books- ISBN: 075065872X.

4. Art and culture:

Literature (c. 400 pages):

• Ringstad, Vidar (2005): Kulturøkonomi, Cappelen Akademisk Forlag, Kap. 1-5, og 7-9, -200 pages - ISBN: 9788202245955.
• Gran/De Paoli, Kunst og kapital: nye forbindelser mellom kunst, estetikk og næringsliv Pax forlag, - excerpt (240 pages ) ISBN10: 8253026455.
• Dag Solhjell, Kunst-Norge: en sosiologisk studie av den norske kunstinstitusjonen (billedkunst) Universitetsforlaget, 1995 ISBN: 9788200039198.
• Sigrid Røyseng, ”New Public Management møter kunsten” Norsk kulturpolitisk tidsskrift 2/2003 – 19 pages

Compendium:

• Norsk Kulturråd, Overordnet strategi 2006 - 35 pages +
• Arts Council England, Arts Policies 2007- 90 pages.
• National Endowments for the Arts, The Arts and Civic Engagement - 8 pages , Annual report - 15 pages, 40 years in the arts - 8 pages.
• Department for New York Culture, Policies, facts and figures - 10 pages.
• St.prp. 48 - Kulturpolitikk fram mot 2014 + Innstilling til Stortinget - 80 pages.
• St.prp. 22 - Kultur og næring - 135 pages.
• St. Melding 22 – Veiviseren – For det norske filmløftet - 2007, 140 pages.
• Odelstingsproposisjon 50 – Om lov om offentlege styresmakters ansvar for kulturverksemd 04/2007 – 28 pages.
• St.mld. 17, 2008 som markeringsår for kulturelt mangfold - 12 pages.

Additional literature

• Sigrid Røyseng, “Arts Management and the Autonomy of Art”, International Journal of Cultural Policy.
• Mangset, P. (2004) “Mange er kalt, men få er utvalgt”: kunstnerroller i endring , Bø, Telemarksforsking , (Rapport nr. 215) , ISBN 82-7401-235-6.
• Georg Arnstad, Per Mangset, Kulturstatestikk med vekt på næringsmessige og økonomiske tilhøve. Norsk Kulturråd, 2003 – 60 pages.
• Duelund, Peter (2003), ”Den nordiske kulturmodell”, i Duelund, Peter (ed.): The Nordic Cultural Model. København, Nordisk kulturinstitut. - 46 pages.
• Mangset, Per (1992), Kulturliv og forvaltning. Innføring i kulturpolitikk. Oslo, Universitetsforlaget. Kap.: 1,2,4,5,8 - 115 pages.

Learning Methods

The teaching will include lectures, seminars, excursions and planned visits to cultural institutions.

Assessment Methods

The continuous assessment includes written examinations and one or more submissions (project assignments and reports from fieldwork, in groups or individually).

For part 1: The portfolio with written submissions. Oral presentations through the semester. All the work will be assessed as pass/fail.

For parts 2,3, and 4 graded marks will be used. The continuous assessment (submissions etc.) will count for 40% of the final grade and a final 5-hour written examination will count for 60% of the final grade.

In order to gain a final passing mark for the course, all parts of the assessment must receive passing marks. Graded passing marks from A (best) to E.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean