In January 2008, the South African Arts Symposium was hosted by the John F. Kennedy Center Institute for Arts Management in Cape Town, South Africa. Sianne Alves from DEVELOPMENT WORKS attended and gained much knowledge on how to build the arts sector.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has developed and presented arts management programs in Mexico, China, Pakistan, and the 22 Arab Nations. Through its Institute for Arts Management, the Kennedy Center offers practical training in strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, and institutional branding. Successful programs around the world have demonstrated the value of strengthening these efforts, especially in countries where government support for the arts has been traditionally strong and is now declining.
The South African Arts Symposium focused on developing resourceful and forward-thinking solutions to the many challenges facing arts leaders in South Africa today. The seminar included strategic planning, fundraising, and marketing of the arts. This important initiative also presented and promoted the arts as crucial to the preservation of the culture and heritage in South African society.
Participants from organizations that create or present any artistic discipline: music, dance, theater, visual arts, film, cultural preservation attended the symposium, with some members traveling as far as Johannesburg to participate in this event.
Michael M. Kaiser, President of the John F. Kennedy Center, a key note speaker at the symposium provided direction on the many challenges being faced by artists in South Africa today. Kaiser’s advice and strategic direction is readily available online as the Kennedy Center has developed a free valuable online resource as part of their outreach programme.
The online resource provides solutions to management challenges faced by many of today’s not-for-profit organisations. These resources includes models in strategic planning; case studies by arts leaders currently working in the field; a resource center for management challenges and finally an Ask facility where you can submit questions and receive free practical advice. All these resources can be found at www.artsmanager.org
Other exciting opportunities for leaders or managers in the arts discipline are offered by the Kennedy Centre through their International Summer Fellowship Programs for developing countries.
The International Summer Fellowship Program provides practical experience and instruction for up to 20 managers currently working in international not-for-profit performing arts organizations. This full-time, four-week intensive program takes place in July 2008 and includes classes, seminars and practical work experience in the Kennedy Center’s fundraising and marketing departments. Individuals selected for this program will return to the Kennedy Center for ongoing professional development for a total of three consecutive summer sessions. Lodging, per diem, travel, and materials are provided at no cost to participants. Further information can be found at:
http://www.kennedy-center.org/
economic development (SED).
