| Learning Outcome: | At the end of this module, students will have developed a critical and applied understanding of cultural management in an international context. They will be able to analyse the political, economic, and organisational dynamics shaping cultural and international institutions and evaluate the strategies used to sustain agency in volatile environments.
Students will gain the conceptual and methodological tools to examine what defines a cultural or international institution. They will learn to assess institutional missions, legal and organisational structures, financing models, programmatic priorities, as well as public engagement and networking strategies, enabling them to evaluate governance, funding, and operational mechanisms in cultural institutions.
This module introduces a distinct model of cultural management that integrates four key components: critical analysis of contemporary political, economic, and technological developments; knowledge practices rooted in everyday institutional work; essential managerial techniques ; and specialised disciplinary expertise as a foundation for positioning institutions within artistic and theoretical debates.
By the end of the module, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles of cultural management in international contexts, the key challenges cultural institutions face, and the tools available to analyse institutional structures and develop context-specific strategies. |
| Contents: | This module provides a critical and integrative perspective on cultural management, examining the challenges faced by cultural and international institutions in an increasingly volatile environment. Uneven funding distribution, political interference, and the transformative effects of digitalisation have redefined curatorial and administrative processes, audience engagement, and the global circulation of cultural knowledge. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, authoritarian pressures, pandemics, and climate change are reshaping the conditions for artistic production, cultural exchange, and transnational collaboration. The module explores the practices, techniques, and strategies cultural institutions employ to sustain operations and maintain agency in such fragile and rapidly evolving contexts.
Cultural management is not presented as a purely administrative function but as a practice of enabling, sustaining, and developing spaces for cultural production, artistic collaboration, and public discourse. The module examines how cultural institutions navigate political, economic, and technological transformations, respond to geopolitical pressures, and preserve their room for manoeuvre amid multiple crises.
Structured around four core areas, the module establishes a conceptual and practical framework for understanding cultural management:
(1) Analytical Perspectives – The module introduces critical theoretical approaches to the political, economic, and technological forces shaping cultural institutions in the present. It examines how fundamental disruptions – such as war, authoritarian shifts, or digital transformation – affect institutional structures, cultural production, and transnational collaboration.
(2) Knowledge Practices – Cultural management is grounded in intellectual and curatorial methods embedded in the everyday work of cultural institutions. The module explores how practices such as observing, collecting, sorting, and connecting serve both as analytical tools for understanding institutional contexts and as the foundation for curating and organising exhibitions, festivals, residencies, and exchange programmes.
(3) Managerial Techniques – A command of managerial fundamentals is essential for positioning and sustaining cultural institutions. The module presents strategic and operational tools for financial planning, project development, funding acquisition, and institutional communication. Emphasising that ambitious projects require mastery of the craft, it examines how managerial expertise enables institutions to maintain stability while developing innovative initiatives.
(4) Disciplinary Expertise – Subject-specific expertise is introduced as a fundamental pillar of cultural management. The module explores how deep engagement with an artistic discipline or intellectual field – such as visual arts, film, literature, heritage protection, or postcolonial theory – provides the necessary foundation for positioning cultural institutions, shaping cultural programming, and contributing to theoretical and artistic debates.
Each year, the module focuses on specific case studies of internationally operating cultural institutions, providing a framework for analysing institutional responses to contemporary challenges. Through the combination of critical perspectives and applied insights, the module offers a comprehensive approach to managing cultural and international institutions in complex and uncertain environments. |
| Assessment Mode for Module Examination: | The assessment for this module comprises two components: - Reflection Papers (30%) – Students are required to submit five reflection papers (maximum 500 words each) on the seminar’s compulsory readings. Each paper should summarise the text’s central argument, critically engage with key concepts, and conclude with a question for discussion in the seminar. Reflection papers must be uploaded to Moodle by the day before the seminar session in which the respective reading is discussed.
- Essay or Oral Examination (70%) – Students may choose between a written essay (maximum 4,000 words) or an individual oral examination (20 minutes). Both assessment formats require a comprehensive analysis of the mission, legal foundations, organisational structure, financing, and programming of an internationally operating cultural institution, drawing on concepts explored in the lecture and seminar.
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