The 24th ENCATC Annual Conference will take place in Valencia, Spain from 5-7 October 2016. Aademics, researchers, cultural operators, artists, policy makers, students and media from Europe and around the globe will meet to explore what are consequences risk society has for education in general and for cultural management education. I am so much looking forward to this event and to the opportunity to share, learn and exchange ideas in a collaborative risk-free environment!

As a long-standing supporter and member, as well as former Board member and Vice-President of ENCATC, I have always been impressed by the ability and capacity of the network to fit well to its mission “to stimulate the development of cultural management and cultural policy education in Europe and beyond, engaging and responding to new developments in politics, economics, societies and technology.” Established in 1992, ENCATC now has over 100 member institutions and professionals in over 40 countries active in education, training and research within the broad field of cultural management and policy. ENCATC members have an impact on the education of thousands of cultural managers worldwide.

The 24th Annual Conference programme is designed to answer some of the following key questions:

• Which knowledge, skills and attitudes are required nowadays to become a cultural manager that is able to respond to changes? Or do we need to look beyond the classical knowledge and competencies?
• How can we teach students also entrepreneurial skills, which are more characterized by risk-taking, dealing with uncertainty and unpredictability in a digitalized and globalized environment?
• Do the recent adaptations of several cultural management programmes to cultural entrepreneurship reflect a broader and deeper paradigm shift?

The Conference will begin on 5 October 2016 with a Members Forum. As a benefit for more than 120 educational, cultural, research and governmental institutions, this is an opportunity for ENCATC current and new members and ENCATC students, to get exclusive access to teaching methodology, working groups, case studies, and more in parallel sessions.

On 6 October, the conference will open to the general public. The keynote speech “Education in Cultural Management and Cultural Policy in Risk Societies” will be delivered by Antonio Ariño Villarroya, Vice Principal for Culture and Equality, University of Valencia, Spain.

The 7th Annual ENCATC Research Session will be held on 6-7 October. These parallel gatherings of professionals in the field are a unique opportunity to bridge research, academia, practice and policy, and to foster exchanges. It will also result in a publication for Research Session presenters selected from the open call for abstracts. In parallel to this, there will be presentations around specific topics on problems that address the main theme of the Conference, as well as migrant issues, digital means for audience development, participatory governance of cultural heritage, cultural and creative sector: entrepreneurship and innovation, promotion of cultural diversity: cultural external relations, and monitoring culture and creative interventions: urban futures and social engagement.

On 7 October, in the afternoon during the Transfer Knowledge Session participants will have the opportunity to learn about ideas, objectives, results and conclusions of a project, a research, or a study impacting the field of cultural management and policy.

The Conference includes also a refreshing cultural programme to highlight local and regional artistic
talent as well as many convivial networking moments for all participants to exchange ideas, experiences,
practice and projects.
My talk on International Entrepreneurship in the Arts is scheduled for Thursday, 6 October, in the research session from 14.30 to 16.30. I will be pleased to share some of the research findings that form the background of my new book International Entrepreneurship in the Arts (Routledge, 2016). The talk will cover key trends, challenges and success factors for entrepreneurs in the arts and creative industries to cross borders and go international. I will also provide plenty of examples and cases of successful international arts entrepreneurs, their business models and lessons learned.

Join the discussion! I will be glad to hear your viewpoints and to learn from your experience.

If you plan to be in Valencia in this period: contact me! It will be fantastic to explore this magical city together 🙂