IJAM Volume 6 Number 3 (PDF)

EDITOR’S NOTE

It is striking to observe that, in the arts sector, the same problems seem to turn up on all horizons. Indeed, in North America and Europe as well as Australia, issues related to funding, the labour force, success factors and management in the cultural sector are recurring themes. This issue of the Journal addresses all of these themes.

Faced with the ever-growing numbers of cultural companies and artists, governments can no longer keep up. All over the world, leading cultural institutions continue to require the same massive investments, while new creators must struggle to win the recognition of governments. How does one go about protecting established companies and helping them flourish, while at the same time making room for young and promising talent? Two articles examine innovative solutions to this central issue.

In addition to funding, our contributors address the topic of management. Issues such as the lack of skill of some managers, the specific challenges of managing human resources in the creative sector and the search for new ways to beat the competition are all given serious thought. Since the mid-1960s, training programs have been offered around the world; today, over 400 such programs exist. While not the only solution, improving training is obviously an important step. The acquisition of management tools can help people who have a fl air for management to direct creative staff without losing sight of the raison d’être of cultural organizations and to take on both national and international competitors. Three articles deal with these questions.

Finally, the profile of the Stuttgart Staatsoper offers an interesting perspective on management and on the opera company’s development of new markets in an effort to update its mission. 

François Colbert
Editor