Management Seminar for Leading Managers of Latvian Theatres

New Theatre Institute of Latvia and the Association of Managers of Theatres and Concerthalls (VSCD)

Netherlands organizes management seminar for general managers of Latvian Theatres. The training program is divided into six parts, taking place over a two years period. Four of the training programs take place in Latvia and two in Holland. The core group remains the same for all the six seminars. The trainers come from the Netherlands and represent Association of Managers of Theatres and Concerthalls (VSCD)

Netherlands, Theatre Company “Huis aan de Amstel”, Management and consultancies company “ConsulArts International”

Project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Ministry of Culture of Latvia, Cultural Capital Foundation of Latvia, Soros Foundation-Latvia.

Seminar I, Riga, Latvia, November 5-9

1. Seminar Topics were:  (methodology in training: interactive)

  • ·         Strategic/organizational management

  • ·         Financial management

  • ·         Personal management and personal profiling

  • ·         Marketing

  • ·         Cultural Policy

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Seminar II, Cçsis, Latvia, March 2-6 2000  

This seminar was focused on working with case studies.  Two (2) hypothetical case studies were be developed as a result of the information attained from Seminar I and the four (4) groups homework. Case study A was based on a state run theatre model and case study B on an independent theatre model. In this respect the case studies were relative to the issues raised in Seminar I and provide the participants the opportunity to explore new ideas and approaches within their work, without risk.

The topics of theoretical sessions were incorporated in the group work on case studies:

  • ·         Problem Solving process,

  • ·         Public Relations,

  • ·         Creating the Opportunity for Dialogue,

  • ·         Networking and Lobbying,

  • ·         Strategic Analysis,

  • ·         Presentational Skills,

  • ·         Change Management

  • ·         and Looking Towards New Cultural Policy.

Four groups (representatives from state and independent theatres and Culture Ministry worked in mixed groups) worked on both A and B cases.

 

Seminar III, Amsterdam, Holland: Field Study, May 15-22, 2000

Core group from Latvia will visit Holland.  

The program of the seminar was organized in 3 levels:
   ·  makro - introduction to the cultural policy of the Netherlands. 
  ·  mezo – co-operation between theatre companies and professional associations 
  ·  mikro – introduction to selected theatre companies, their working methods and organisational structure

Following to this schema the participants visited and were introduced to different organisations:

   ·  The Theatre Instituut Nederland
  ·  VSCD (the Association of Theatre- and Concerthall Managers  - venues)
   ·  VNT (the Association of Theatrecompanys - producers/performers)
   ·  BPP (the Bureau of Promoting the Performing Arts)
  ·  AUB - the organisation of collective marketing on all Art in Netherlands (http://www.aub.nl)
  ·  Selected theatre companies: The Netherlands Opera, theater De Trust/Art en Pro and Rozentheater, Huis aan de Amstel, Bellevue/New dela Mar, Speeltheater Holland

 

Seminar IV, Riga, Latvia, September 6-10, 2000

The participants will maintain the schema of three levels: cultural policy, cooperation between theatre companies and introduction to selected theatre companies. During this seminar the participants will visit Ministry of Culture and meet the representatives from Cultural policy and theatre departments. The group will visit the Latvian National Opera and the New Riga Theatre with an aim to get introduced to the organisational structure, working methods and to work on the main problems of these theatres

 

Seminar V, Riga, Latvia, November 1-5, 2000

During seminar V participants will visit other theatres of Latvia to get introduced to the working methods and organisation`s structure. The group will analyse the main problems and work on possible solutions.

 

Seminar VI, Latvia: Concluding Seminar, February 2001

Final development and coaching of the participants in their groups in preparation for the final presentations.

Summation of all activities and definition of future goals for the Latvian theatre community in view of 'networking' as well as continued training and professional development programs.

 

PARTICIPANTS(Latvia):

  1. 10 senior managers and administrators from 6 states operated and 6 managers from 5 independently managed theatres throughout Latvia (core participants)

  2. representatives (3) from the New Theatre Institute Latvia

  3. representatives (2) from the Ministry of Culture

  4. educators (1) currently involved with new developments in arts management training