Proud to be part of the faculty “dream team” of the new Arts Management Post Graduate program at the Story Centre in the School of Communications, Media and Design, Centennial College, I interviewed Shelley Crawford,  the Program Coordinator. Her responsibilities include faculty and student recruitment, course development and teaching, as well as field placement coordination. Shelley’s inspiration, devotion and efforts behind starting up of this new academic program are exceptional! September 2015 is the official launch of the  program at the Story Centre of Centennial College’s ‘downtown’ campus.

1. What is the main focus of the new arts management program?

This post-graduate program is designed to appeal to those who are already conversant – indeed passionate – about one or more art forms. Our goal is to introduce students to ideas, theory and debate around best practices and issues in arts management. And perhaps, more importantly, we will give them access to many people who have a story to tell about their experience and how it has informed their practice. It’s also a chance to network and put into practice what one has learned over for just eight months.

At the Story Arts Centre of Centennial College just north of a vibrant cosmopolitan Danforth neighbourhood, we are situated in a creative incubator of programs that span such clusters as digital media, film, visual arts, dance, journalism, radio and television broadcasting and communications. It’s an ideal place to work collaboratively in sharing knowledge, industry expertise and contacts. I sense a dynamic symbiotic relationship for faculty and students alike. The Dean and Chair are pleased to provide support for our new Arts Management program.

 2. Who facilitates this program? What is the main motivation of the academic team to start it?

As the program coordinator I work with a faculty cohort of seven industry professionals and academics who have proven experience in the arts and cultural sector. My background is in development with various sectors: orchestra, opera, arts facility and galleries. Much of my career has been in the development and leadership of arts administration programs at the post secondary level. My portfolio includes Fundraising, all the experiential learning courses, and the Careers in Arts Management courses.

My faculty ‘dream team’ includes incredibly accomplished senior leaders with so much to share with the student body. We have everything from the immediate past director of the Canada Council for the Arts teaching Legal and Ethical Environments in the Arts, to a culture and heritage adviser with Canadian Heritage that has an extensive career with government funders, gallery, theatre, and performing arts facilities as a general manager, fundraiser and programmer. Dr. Lidia Varbanova will bring her global experience to the table in three courses, no doubt sharing her entrepreneurial and strategic management focus with the students. The highly regarded E.D. of Prologue to the Performing Arts here in Toronto will work alongside the past president of the American Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) and successful author, Dr. Doug Borwick, to manage Arts Education and Community Engagement respectively…so capable! A seasoned museum consultant, Dr. Barr, has the Technology and Financial Management portfolios while Arts Marketing is taught by the principal of a very successful PR firm that does extensive work with NFP arts organizations as well as large and small corporate entities.

Initially, an ad hoc advisory group of 14 senior and emerging arts managers came together to thrash out the parameters around what our industry needs to enable nonprofit arts organizations (large, small, medium and also start ups) to succeed in an ever more challenging and densely packed marketplace. They worked with the Dean and me, constantly engaging us in conversations that pushed us to tackle not only the income management basics, but a wealth of key areas that would demonstrate leadership capability and sensitivity to local and global issues in the arts sector. With so many possibilities to adapt new and more progressive practices, to assess risk and harness the potential of your artists, boards, volunteers and management staff, there is a belief that we can make a difference with this incoming cohort of managers. I am grateful for their guidance and continued support.

 3. What are the unique characteristics of the program in terms of curricula or methodology? What are the main subject areas? How is it different from other programs across Canada?

The program that is eight months in length has an unusual structure. It’s a combination of traditional full semester courses complemented with short intensive workshops over six months that immerse students and faculty in their subject areas. This allows students to get to know their professors, access more guest speakers, and have more contact with the arts community. This delivery model will include blended learning styles, online and traditional classroom experiences, with plenty of ‘field trips’ and community engagement. The last eight weeks offer a field placement.

Courses include the basics such as financial management, marketing, innovative technologies, event management and fundraising, but then we start to delve into leadership strategies, community engagement, arts education, legal and ethical environments, policy etc. – pushing students to explore what truly transforms the manager into a leader. Yes, it’s a business, but we have responsibilities to be accountable to our staff, our stakeholders, our community and to ourselves and to operate at the highest level possible…ethically and responsibly – but always challenging ourselves and our audiences. Those courses are interspersed with experiential learning, mentorship and an eight-week field placement to allow the greatest opportunities to practice actual hands-on learning.

We also want students to experience art first hand and get up close and personal with the creators, so The Creation, Production and Dissemination of Art gets them ‘out there’ viewing, listening and experiencing Toronto and area’s vibrant arts community – engaging with artists, producers and arts managers of all types including choreographers, artistic directors and curators.

As far as what differentiates us from other programs, I believe it will be the ongoing exposure to industry professionals through guest speakers, experiential learning, event management and mentorship. The chance to showcase students’ abilities to a wide network should open doors for employment down the line. Whether researching a festival or arts event in a live case study, working directly with a mentor in a chosen field, participating in meaningful projects, every course will build upon the intention that what we teach and facilitate is practical, current and strategic in nature. Having the chance to fully engage in experiential experiences – to experiment and possibly fail and to ultimately succeed – will make for a stronger arts manager.

 4. What is the profile of potential students and the admission requirements?

Applicants must have a degree or a diploma from a post secondary institution and will demonstrate their interest in at least one arts discipline through their program admission session that is required in the Arts Management program. We are attracting bright university graduates that know they really do want to make a difference in bringing high quality arts experiences to audiences in dance, music, visual arts and theatre. There is another cohort who has extensive experience in related fields like broadcasting and film and a classical musician that has years of international touring experience and now will undergo a career shift to the management sector. All want to get their hands on some projects, to network and gain confidence in their emergence into the arts and cultural management sector. It’s going to be a challenge to keep up with the wealth of experience that each will bring to the table to complement what we are going to provide in learning opportunities. They have been alerted that this is not a forum for listening to professors rattle on – the program demands full participation by the students and voice in every discussion, debate and intersection with the arts community.

5. What are the career prospects for the graduated students? How the program would enrich their ability to find or create jobs in the arts and culture sector?

We offer Careers in the Arts courses where we have the opportunity to invite so many industry professionals to share their expertise as we prepare candidates through career counseling: mock interviews with real managers as well as training in networking and job search strategies.

Given the current expectations of incoming students, it is our hope to prepare some of them for middle management positions as income managers in one form or another – marketing, fundraising, public relations etc., while others will gravitate to arts education and community outreach work. The potential exists for careers in event management, and for those who have considerable management expertise in related fields, the advancement of their careers could be faster than expected. Some will inevitably lead organizations within five to ten years. Others may aspire to launch their own arts organizations and Centennial College staff and faculty will support them in taking on that challenge. All of us in the Arts Management program will do everything we can to support our emerging arts managers.

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