Change in practice - Naomi Russell | congres podiumkunsten 2012

© Wonderbird Limited 2012. All right reserved 1

Naomi RussellManaging DirectorWonderbird

Congres PodiumkunstenRotterdam, 29 mei 2012

Working to create something wonderful

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The world we live in is constantly changing


Cultural organisations need to be ready and able to cope with changed and changing circumstances whilst staying true to their artistic mission and values.


Change creates sterkte. It can be good.

To be effective for the long term it has to happen Inside Out.


First steps

First in the heart is the dream, then the mind starts seeking a way…. Langston Hughes


Back to your rootsEstablish your core and what can never change• What are you called?• What do you do?• Where have you come from?• What makes you unique?


Are you up for the ride?


Or in this?


Most likely to be this…


Seriously….However great the vision, if you have the wrong people you won’t achieve it.

• Build teams with aptitude as well as skills

• Find people who are more than 100% committed and want to be part of achieving great results

• That’s how you stay a team and are motivated when things are tough


Great art, great ideas.Prioritise these things above all else.What is the point of giving access to mediocrity? Access to excellence is the only thing we should settle for and make happen.

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Be excellent.What can you be best at?


Align action and values

• Who does your organization say it is?

• What’s it actually like at ground zero?

• If these things are different take steps to change that


The roman road‘turn neither to the left nor to the right … keep your eyes on the road’

In a world of constant change, agreeing your fundamentals is more important than everDiscipline is essential to define what is your ultimate goal and make decisions based on what will get you thereIf it doesn’t take you forward on the journey – don’t do it!


Set the right priorities and…STOP doing!


Leadership & collective accountability: without vision and drive from the very top of your organisation – the Artistic Director, Managing Director and Board, change is virtually impossible.Inside Out change requires top down leadership and bottom up commitment and contribution.


Individual accountability: be proactive and set yourself targets, identify where you can make a contribution: find reasons to do things rather than not to. For you: This will play a major part in your professional development and job satisfaction. For your organisation: it will deliver more.


• What does failure look like?• How do you avoid it?• How do you learn from it?• How do you feel about it?• Facing the prospect of failure

and how to avoid it can be one of the most effective ways to make a strong plan


My father and my grandfather taught me that you need to be perserverant. You should never discourage, you must have good ideas and go to the end of your ideas with perserverance and stick to it. I think in business it’s really key to success. Bernard Arnault

Pace yourself.It’s a marathon not a sprint!


Changemakers

Communicators

Connected

Highly knowledgeable

(expert or generalist)

Visionary and totally

committed, reliable

Never satisfied –

what else can we do better?

Generous and open

Impactful and ideliatistic


Are you a changemaker?If you are one, how do you behave in your organisation? How do you respond to those who aren’t?If you aren’t one how will you cope with a changemaker?


Be adaptive whatever role you perform. Adaptive people demonstrate: resilience, creativity, are happy to be stretched, are optimistic in the face of disappointment. Learn to be adaptive whatever your role in an organisation and find reasons to do rather than not to do.


Facing the fear: when confronted with challenge do you face it or avoid it?Change is unsettling. It can bring out responses in individuals that are varied and often nothing to do with work and all about you! When it’s happening recognise your personal response. Aim to do one thing a week differently


Case study: Winning Words


A single ambitious idea to ‘carpet the nation in poetry’ alongside the Olympic Games in 2012 by William Sieghart, poetry enthusiast, philanthropist and Chairman of the Forward Arts Foundation transforms the life and future of this small charity, in existence for 20 years. The project itself creates: 6 permanent commissions of poetry in the Olympic Park, 100 poems across the venues for the games, 7 towns across the UK doing their own poetry installations, a nationwide education programme and online poetry game, sports presenters and footballers reading poetry to camera for broadcast on Big Screens during the games itself and an anthology with leading publisher Faber.


Change has resulted in: Winning Words changing the future for a small poetry charity. £1m is raised (x10 usual annual budget) for the project, FAF becomes a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England, new vistas for funding are opened up, along with a new strategic role for FAF and impact on the poetry sector in UK as a whole.Change also meant: a founder and Chairman who was very emotionally connected has had to learn to operate differently, existing freelancers used to doing their own thing have had to learn to become part of a team and integrate their work, partnerships with poetry organisations FAF barely talked to have needed to be forged (!) and stronger financial reporting has taken 2 years to achieve!


Case study: Young Vic Theatre


What can we be best at? The Young Vic’s artistic and financial transformation from 2000 onwards included reinvigorating the idea of the Young Vic from its founding principles, setting ambitious financial targets to support new artistic vision, dismantling a relationship with the Royal Shakespeare Company to create room for work by young directors and giving away 10% of tickets whilst building a risky budget.

Was it successful? Yes.


Battersea Arts Centre: artists’ process driving change


Playgrounding at Battersea Arts Centre meant applying the principles of ‘Scratch’ to the architectural and building development process. Scratch encourages artists to experiment and take risks, to listen and respond to feedback and to take time to develop their ideas. This approach placed artists and audiences at the centre of the design process for the capital project. It allowed ideas to be tested before large expenditure committed. It resulted in more inter-department working and understanding, and a working practice where every member of the team has habitual time for thinking, creativity and own projects.


National Theatre, London: Finance and IT as changemakers?!: Efficiencies in areas of an organisation considered the most boring can have a profound impact on audiences and other theatre companies as the National Theatre in London and the global consulting firm Accenture showed.


The NT had aspirations to be leaders in the field of digital and innovation. This matched Accenture’s brand values.Accenture seconded a consultant to the organisation who helped with strategic advice on IT infrastructure, finance, website and ticketing capabilities.

Accenture also spearheaded a project for the NT to use technology more effectively in Front of House areas - and worked with internal teams to create a 'big wall' - a touch screen interactive wall that showcased production related content

The finance and ticketing capabilities are now shared services with smaller theatre companies, provided by the National Theatre, having sector wide impact.

The relationship has a 'back of house’ and 'front of house' execution, and as well as being £ effective ensured a strong relationship was formed between sponsor staff and NT staff


So, what’s the change your organisation needs to see?

• 50:50 requirement of own income: subsidy by 2016?

• Different domestic or international touring patterns?

• Working in partnership with another organisation?• Restructuring?• A more active board?• Attracting new audiences?• Raising more money: full stop…


Thank you

Change in practice - Naomi Russell | congres podiumkunsten 2012

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