Managing Organisational Success in the Arts

by David Stevenson (Editor)

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

Review
'At last, a book courageously equating arts institutional success with vibrant and visionary leadership, and rejecting the frequent rationalizations for failure on an uncontrollable external environment.'
Thomas W. Morris, Artistic Director Ojai Music Festival, former Chief Executive The Cleveland Orchestra and Boston Symphony

‘Focused on real-life examples, this book applies a critical lens to the practices of arts management. Readers will not only learn what approaches were taken and why, but are given the space to question what viewpoints, ideologies and traditions have shaped the decisions that were made.’
Dr Victoria Durrer, Lecturer in Arts Management and Cultural Policy, Queen's University, Belfast

About the Author
David Stevenson is Head of the Division of Media, Communication and Performing Arts at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Drawing on his academic research alongside 10 years of management experience in the public and private sector, David teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in the fields of Arts Management and Cultural Policy