32510 - Laboratory of Performing Arts Management

Learning outcomes

The student is expected to learn frameworks of the performing arts sector in Europe. In particular, the student is expected to: - understand artistic projects, - learn about organizational structures - learn some management models.

Course contents

Syllabus - Laboratory of Performing Arts Management

GIOCA - Anno Accademico 2016/2017

Laboratory of Performing Arts Management

INTRODUCTION

This “laboratory”, and course of lessons, is devoted to offering the students the possibility of approaching some of the main forms of management of performing arts organizations, as well as their evolution.

Various genres and cases will be taken into account and considered: the “academic” genres of performing arts, as well as the more spontaneous and/or less formalized ones, the more traditional forms of expression and the contemporary ones, great and historical public institutions, privately run companies, independent promoters, innovative organizations.

The teacher prefers and thinks more appropriate and useful a “spoken” and discussed approach, rather than an approach based on slides, projections and a list of headilines.

Among the goals of this “laboratory”, and course of lessons are:

- contributing to increase the degree of understanding of management processes in the performing arts;

- favouring the acquisition of a mature awareness of the vital importance of the performing arts, and of a familiarity with this particular industry; increasing the idea that this awareness is to be felt as important also when working in other sectors of arts management;

- underlining the crucial role of communication in all phases of performing arts management;

- fertilizing the possibility that students can easily and deeply understand the universe of performing arts and its unique features;

- inspiring the students, by offering them stimulus, example and incentive, in considering the possibility of becoming future active leaders in the management of performing arts;

- showing the students how difficult, challenging, though fascinating is the dialogue and dialectics between “management”, “creation” and “performance”, which are typical and peculiar of performing arts.

LESSONS

The lessons will compare different models of management. They aim to help learning how to use, with a sufficient degree of familiarity, coherence and confidence, analytical and evaluational tools which are “tuned” with the objects of observation.

There will be space for definitions of performing arts, for a brief excursus of the various cathegories and genres, in their history, for a discussion on the gradual loss of original social function of performing arts until modern times, and on the rather flexible border between performing arts and entertainment industry.

Among the themes that will be discussed are: a description / comparison of various forms of funding for the performing arts, in various countries and at different times; the central issue of legitimization of the role of the arts in a given community; the international panorama; the non-typical phisionomy of the performing arts market; the contradiction between the need of a satisfactory, rewarding and fulfilling fruition experience, and the need of box-office income; the connection between performing arts and advertising investments; the various roles of buyers, spectators, audience, contacts which are included in the one who attends performing arts; the peculiar complexity of performing arts industry. All these aspects will be discussed, as well as the various structures, protagonists and leaderships of the performing arts management, and of the performing arts business in general.

An important portion of this course will be dedicated to performing arts festivals, as well as to the transformation of the very notion of performing arts festivals, its history, evolution, actuality, future. Are we facing a new age for the performing arts festivals?

Two lessons will be devoted to visiting two different organizations of performing arts based in Bologna.

One lesson will consist of a day-trip to an Italian city tba (chosen among Venezia, Firenze, Parma opr Milano), for visiting the main theatrical and musical venues and institutions of that city (theatres, concert halls, etc).

Two lessons will have the presence as a guest of Mr. Guy Borlée, managing director of the festival entitled “Il Cinema Ritrovato”, in Bologna. The main issues which will be discussed during these two lessons will be a kind of case-study about the peculiar features of this festival, mainly taking into consideration the episodes when the program includes, as it often does, projections of silent movies with contemporary performance of live incidental music.

WORKSHOP

Three lessons of this “laboratory” will be dedicated to a kind of “workshop” in designing a number of possible festivals of performing arts.

The students will autonomously form six small groups, each group consisting of aproximately three to five students, combining in each group students of different nationalities.

Each group will propose the teacher, for approval, before April 27th, 2017, an idea of a project for a festival of performing arts to be drafted and designed.

During each of the last three lessons, two groups for each lesson will expose to the other students their project: its concept, philosophy, goals, drafting its framework, its management and funding structure, its sphere, its leading themes, its timing, its duration, its location(s). Each presentation will last aproximately 30’ to 40’. After each presentation there will be a brief discussion involving all students.

READINGS

It is strongly recommended that BEFORE attending the Laboratory of Performing Arts Management students who do not have a specific background of studies in performing arts, and/or who are not particularly familiar with music, theatre, dance, read a choice of the following books, which are easily available in libraries, and in some cases also online. At least one book should be read for each of these three main forms of live performing arts.

In English

- J. P. Burkholder, D. J. Grout, C. V. Palisca - A History Of Western Music

- A. Ross - The rest is noise

- O. Brockett, F. Hildy - History Of The Theatre

- J. R. Brown - The Oxford Illustrated History Of Theatre

- Cambridge paperback guide to theatre

- P. Parvis - Dictionary Of The Theatre: Terms, Concepts, And Analysis

- C. Sachs - World History Of The Dance

- M. R. Strauss, M. H. Nadel - Looking At Contemporary Dance: A Guide For The Internet Age

- W. Benjamin - The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility

In italiano

- M. Mila - Breve storia della musica

- R. Favaro, L. Pestalozza - Storia della musica

- G. Montecchi - Una storia della musica

- A. Ross - Il resto è rumore

- M. Baroni - L’orecchio intelligente

- S. D’Amico - Storia del teatro drammatico

- C. Sachs - Storia della danza

- W. Benjamin - L'opera d'arte nell'epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica

EXAM - ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will consist on a free paper (no less than aproximately 2.000 words, no more than aproximately 4.000 words) on a subject related to a specific performing arts organization, to be analysed. The subject will be proposed by each student, and approved by the teacher. Each student will propose his/her subject to the teacher, for approval, before April 27th, 2017. Deadline for delivering the free paper, via email, will be June 30th, 2017. Second deadline will be on September 8th, 2017. Third (and last) deadline will be on September 29th, 2017.

The teacher will let each student know the evaluation, along with a brief comment, by October 31st, 2017.

MEETINGS WITH TEACHER

This is possible at all times, but only by appointment. In order to schedule a meeting students should write the teacher an email.

SCHEDULE (subject to changes or adjustments)

April 19th – Wednesday

14/16 – 2 hours general introductory lesson.

April 20th – Thursday

14/16 – 2 hours lesson.

April 21st – Friday

16/18 – 2 hours lesson.

April 26th – Wednesday

14/16 – 2 hours lesson with the participation of guest Guy Borlée, managing director of the festival entitled “Il Cinema Ritrovato”.

April 27th – Thursday

14/16 – 2 hours lesson with the participation of guest Guy Borlée, managing director of the festival entitled “Il Cinema Ritrovato”.

April 28th – Friday

14/16 – 2 hours lesson.

May 2nd – Tuesday

all-day-trip visit to Parma (see above): Teatro Farnese, Teatro Regio, Teatro Due, Auditorio Paganini

May 3rd – Wednesday

14/16 – external visit in Bologna - Teatro San Leonardo / AngelicA Festival.

May 4th – Thursday

14/16 – external visit in Bologna - Teatro Arena del Sole.

May 5th – Friday

16/18 – 2 hours lesson: workshop on festival projects I.

May 10th – Wednesday

14/16 – 2 hours lesson: workshop on festival projects II.

May 11th – Thursday

14/16 – 2 hours lesson: workshop on festival projects III.

Office hours

See the website of Valerio Tura