European Cultural Leadership Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Cultural Leadership

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The European cultural sector is in the midst of dramatic changes. Factors as globalization, migration and digitization are affecting the conditions and ways of functioning of art and culture. Established welfare models and funding systems are changing. Respected cultural institutions are struggling with underfinanced budgets as well as new consumer patterns. Traditional borders between creator and audience are being questioned and trespassed.
The demands that face leaders to be in the European cultural sector are significant. There is an acute need to develop a leadership characterized by the ability to create a inspiring work atmosphere, make relevant analysis and initiate sustainable processes of development and change in cooperation with different actors from the public, private and third sector of the European society.
The rationale of the project European Cultural Leadership was to develop an Educational Program, which will improve the competence, knowledge and skills of future leaders in the cultural sector of Europe. This Program will be distributed through the networks of our partners in order to offer high quality further education for leaders to be in the cultural field all over Europe.
The strategic partnership that has been established for the project European Cultural Leadership involves experiences from business, pedagogy and research. Nätverkstan has an experience of nearly 20 years in working close to labour market, academia and civil society organizations, especially in the cultural field – both in Europe and elsewhere. Over the years we have built networks that has been vital to the project European Cultural Leadership.
Trans Europe Halles is such a network. With 50 member organizations from all over Europe they have contributed with experience from different aspects of European labour market as well as a unique intercultural and transnational competence when it comes to European cooperation and training.
European Network on Cultural Management and Cultural Policy Education (ENCATC) is another partner. ENCATC is a university-based network of education providers and researchers in the field of cultural administration. The representatives from Encatc in this project, Professor Annick Schramme and Dr Sue Kay have as individuals an unique experience and knowledge in the field.
In addition to these partners we have cooperated with experts in the field of management and organizational development in the cultural sector, Olivarte. Olivarte (Paul Bogen and Sandy Fitzgerald) is a company specialized in consulting and organizational development within the cultural sector. They have experience both as leaders of big European cooperation projects and as teachers at European universities.

The project aimed to revise and develop new forms of cultural leadership education through:
1. Examine the changes in the cultural sector and the new challenges within the labour market;
2. Modify and revise methods for cultural leadership and organizational development and make these suitable for the specific conditions within the cultural sector;
3. Develop and update specific course modules and facilitating skills;
4. Design an educational process combining the different course modules;
5. Pilot parts of the educational program and evaluate them;
6. Disseminate and implement the results.

The project European Cultural Leader has resulted in following:
1. a detailed and empirical based analysis of the needs of the sector, including mapping of existing educational programmes;
2. strengthened and deepened cooperation between all involved partners;
3. a publication that presents the thematic fields and methods used;
4. a publication of narratives, based on interviews with cultural leaders in and outside of Europe;
5. an educational programme.
In its entirety this programme will be a process that stretches over 18 months, and will contain theoretical as well as practical moments. The target group is emerging leaders in the European cultural sector with at least 5 years work experience from the field. Especially people working in small and medium sized organisations with an interest in international cooperation.

Other results to be mentioned:
The intention is to present the education in the form of vocational education or in any other form we find appropriate. The modules in the programme can also be used separately by the different partners in the project, and will be implemented in their respective organizations.
TEH will offer training opportunities to their member organizations.
The project will lead to raise in competence and professional development for the involved personnel from the different partners;
The project will lead to a larger degree of internationalization and improve the intercultural capacity of the organizations involved.
The project will be disseminated through the respective partners networks and member organizations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 206422 Eur

Project Coordinator

Nätverkstan Kultur & Country: SE

Project Partners

• TRANS EUROPE HALLES
• OLIVEARTE LIMITED
• EUROPEAN NETWORK OF CULTURAL ADMINISTRATION TRAINING CENTRES