MA in Arts, Festival and Cultural Management
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7195
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Item Cinema Matters: An empirical study into understanding the value of local rural cinemas in Scotland(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Cinema is one of the most popular forms of cultural entertainment in Scotland. Yet, very little is known or understood about the value of film presentation and consumption in rural areas. Despite growing interest in the situation of rural cinema by film historians, scholars have been slow to engage with the detail and meaning of its more recent past. Engaging with 11 cinemas across rural Scotland through an audience survey, research interviews and participant observation, this study seeks to contribute in addressing this knowledge gap. This research aims to extend the critical understanding of the meaning, value and significance of these screen experiences and provide a useful resource for, CS, BFI, policymakers and advocacy groups seeking to develop the sector by addressing the question: What is the perceived cultural understanding of the value of local cinemas in rural Scotland? And addressing the sub questions of: How do local audiences value local rural cinema in Scotland? How is local cinema understood by the people operating the screenings in rural Scotland? And what is the understanding of the local cinema experience in Scotland for the researcher?Item "Dinner &…" A Feasibility Study of a Culinary, Culture and Arts Venue.(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Using desk research and analysis, this study compares the feasibility of three business models against five feasibility criteria. The organization follows a modified dinner theatre concept to provide various art forms with a sustainable performance arena free from reliance on grants and donations. This study discusses the current and potential market for the performing arts through investigation of the community, its citizens, its economy, and the current social and artistic opportunities available. Through analysis and discussion, the study discovers the variety of feasibility levels of the options. Through discussion of the general concept, requirements necessary overall are feasible. The requirements for Option A (a permanent facility with an in-house, set menu) are feasible with the exceptions of criteria that are feasible with time to develop a larger network of artists and donors. The requirements for Option B (a rented facility with hired catering service) are feasible with the requirement that there must not be insurmountable competition for the supporting systems' services. Finally, three of the five criteria for Option C (partnership and event coordination) are feasible but two remain improbable as the mission of a profit-based organization is not likely to coincide with the mission of the organization and are unlikely to support the organization to the extent needed for sustainability. The study concludes that options A and B should be used as various stages of the same project with Option B providing the network of artists and donors required to build the permanent facility and consistent programming required for Option A.Item Inside Grease: Live The Production Process of a Live Television Musical Event(Queen Margaret University, 2016)As the "live television musical event" becomes increasingly popular among consumers of live theatre and television, and increasingly accepted as a novel television genre among professional practitioners in the arts sector, production management of this type of production must be understood and streamlined to optimize the quality of the creative product, and maximize human resource during the production process. Analyzing primary data collected in semi-structured interviews with members of the production team of Grease: Live, this research aims to outline the production process of Grease: Live and determine its success factors for management in order to ultimately make recommendations for how similar projects might be effectively planned and managed in the future.Item Flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Benefits of participation in circus arts(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Past research has emphasised the intrinsic benefits of participation in the arts, including more receptive modes of participation such as attending live performances and visiting museums and galleries, and more active modes such as participation in dance. However, there is a gap in the knowledge in relation to participation in circus arts. In this study, 17 adults currently involved in recreational circus arts, took part in semi-structured interviews that sought to identify the perceived benefits of participation. Qualitative analysis revealed that the benefits of participation in circus arts can be grouped under five categories: physical, psychological, intellectual, social and self-realisation. In addition, potential barriers to participation in circus arts were identified, including perceived ability to participate, physical ability to participate, and gender stereotypes. This study constitutes a starting point in understanding the benefits of participation in circus arts and asserts that the hybrid nature of circus offers a specific combination of benefits that is unique. The evidence provided by this research may be useful to policy-makers and advocacy groups seeking to develop the sector, gain access to funding or infrastructure, or reinforce the legitimacy and value of circus as an art form.Item Integrating theory and practice in business planning for non-profit arts organizations and festivals: a three-year plan with a critical analysis.(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Introduction (part): In 2015, Just Festival celebrated 15 years of successful delivery of one of Edinburgh's most unique and diverse festivals featuring hundreds of events and performances in St. John's Church and engaging with thousands of audiences every August. The festival engages with broadly encompassing topical themes of social justice, equality, human rights, and cultural diversity, including prejudice against race, ethnicity, class and economic status. Previous editions have all provided a platform for local, national and international participants to share their talent, ideas, opinions and visions by engaging in music, dance, and theatre performances, conversation and talk discussions, exhibitions, film, family activities, and workshops. Every festival edition, performers are given the option of registering as part of Edinburgh Fringe programme besides being part of Just Festival since St. John's is a fringe registered venue. Just Festival is proud to have hosted for the past editions several socially conscious events that had strong positive impressions on audiences and created lively interactive debates. Although the 15th edition of the festival has successfully led to a high number of new connections made as a result of cooperating with diverse community organizations and performers from various backgrounds, average paid attendance per event for that edition in particular was lower than expected due to expanding the programme offer into over 300 events which led to an overwhelming quantity for audiences to choose from, the inclusion of some events that were loosely connected to Just Festival's mission, and adding a second main venue besides St. John's for the first time that was not familiar to audiences as a fringe venue. Survey feedback gained from audiences and a thorough analysis of that edition's performance revealed those mentioned challenges, and that also depending on a different external temporary PR and Media consultant every season to handle the marketing for the festival is not ideal in such a competitive festivals month.Item Theatre as a Way of Inclusion - What effects can theatre have on matters of rehabilitation with (youth) offenders in prison?(Queen Margaret University, 2016)The following research project examines what effects participation in a theatre project can have on youth offenders in prison. As an example the WERFT project at the Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) Wiesbaden was chosen and some of the participants were questioned through a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaire included questions on their personal expectations and experiences regarding the project to gain insight into impacts and effects which the project might have on issues regarding re-integration into society. Additionally, a diverse mixture of prison staff has been interviewed; during the interviews, there was a particular focus on matters in regards to identifiable and measurable changes in participants' behaviours as well as personal perceptions of these changes. The findings are discussed in relation to existing literature on the topic. Overall, it can be assumed that participation in theatre projects not only serves an educational purpose, but also offers a chance to change the inmates' behaviour: higher self-confidence, increased communication and better conflict management skills can be observed amongst other positive effects.Item Culture-led urban regeneration: sustainability models and practices for bottom-up cultural regeneration. The Italian case of Farm Cultural Park.(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Sustainability is at the heart of the debate about cultural organizations and is one of the more discussed topics inside them. Different approaches can be used when dealing with it and the literature on the topic is wide and complex. This dissertation is meant to explore how cultural managers working in independent organizations perceive sustainability and the extent to which their role is fundamental to secure the sustainability of their organization. Appropriate research questions were drawn from the comprehensive examination of the literature and designed in order to narrow the research focus to the specific aims. This paper studies the case of Farm Cultural Park, an independent cultural and contemporary art centre in Favara, Italy, that was created in June 2010 after the initiative of a notary and his wife. The case examines different issues related to the achievement of sustainability of the organization, considered from a holistic point of view that includes the cultural, economic, organizational and social spheres. The dissertation utilizes a qualitative research methodology that includes one indepth interview to the founder, several informal conversations with the people involved in the project and the participant observation of the researcher, that has spent one month on the field to gather the necessary information and elaborate its personal considerations. Recommendations are provided in conclusion, based on three brief examples of best practices that cover the areas of sustainability mentioned above on which, according to the researcher, is opportune to consider some applications in order to extend the life-cycle of the organization.Item Feasibility Study: Critical Analysis Essay(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Introduction: The functionality and purpose of a feasibility study is widely understood as a means of testing the practicality and likelihood of success of a proposed project for a business. While the practice of feasibility studies is regular in the for profit sector, the non-profit sector does not have an extensive amount of experience employing them. This essay will attempt to critically analyse the process of conducting a feasibility study within an arts organisation and examine how appropriate theory and literature have informed and influenced this process through a discussion of each of the sections included in a feasibility study. Firstly the essay will examine the pre-project research section of the study, the combination of methods employed and how specific concepts and theories can influence the design of this section. Following this the essay will discuss the internal and external sections of the feasibility study. Here the essay will discuss the necessity of a business model appraisal and why this is a relevant process during project development when conducting an internal audit before examining how the processing of information is equally important to the feasibility as information collection. Finally this essay will discuss the approach analysis and proposed material section of the study. Throughout this essay, examples and insights from a previous edition of the feasibility study will be discussed and examined to provide a contrast with the processes undertaken when conducting the current feasibility study.Item Which are the crowdfunding tactics that theatre campaigns may implement in order to succeed in the online platform? The point of view of seven millennials.(Queen Margaret University, 2016)Crowdfunding can be considered as an alternative to traditional fundraising, but it is also an instrument that could influence or be influenced by audience development and engagement (Buckingham 2015). The success of a campaign can be measured in many ways and according to different combinations of criteria (Buckingham 2015). The following study concerns the tactics that campaigners may use to influence people in order to achieve three main objectives: reach their funding goal, build a wider audience, and improve their reputation within an existing audience. For this research two participant groups had been organised in order to understand and gather opinions and reactions of seven 'millennials' who were observed and interviewed about theatre campaigns in crowdfunding. According to statistics millennials represent the largest group in crowdfunding (Art of the Kickstart 2016). It must be clarified that the purpose of this research is not to deliver the 'right formula' to guarantee the success of a crowdfunding campaign but rather to give some recommendations on how to increase the chance to create a successful campaign. Considering that most of the findings are related to the importance of video and images and their ability to create emotions and increase the audience engagement, in this research 'tactics' is referred to an appropriate use of the tools within the website such as: videos (that includes storytelling and sounds), images and text. It must be underlined that crowdfunding videos and pictures alone do not guarantee the success but increase its probability (four times more) (Indiegogo 2015) of achieving the target (Balitski 2016). Unfortunately, crowdfunding is not as well-known as Facebook or Twitter. Although its popularity has been rapidly increasing in recent years (Taylor 2016), statistics show that around 36% of the population in America do not know about the existence of crowdfunding (Smith 2016). On the other hand, it was demonstrated that a crowdfunding campaign can gain visibility and catch people's attention (as well as friends and family) through the support of other online platforms (Lu et al. 2014). Therefore, this research will take for granted that there is an active crowdfunding community ready to explore new campaigns. It must be also said that the crowdfunding campaigns which were selected are all related to theatres that adopted keep-it-all or all-or-nothing models. This means that debt and equity crowdfunding models will not being examined as in these two cases funders receive something 'in exchange' (Frydrych et al. 2014). Most of artists and creative projects ask for funds because they create an 'intangible product' that cannot be physically shared and most artists sell 'experience' such us exhibitions, performance or emotions etc (Irvine 2009).Item Perceptions of the Value of Cultural Heritage: The Value Triangle of Stirling Castle(Queen Margaret University, 2016)This research project analyses various value perceptions of cultural heritage in the specific case of Stirling Castle located in Scotland. Adopting a framework sourced from respective concepts of John Holden and David Throsby, it applies a quanti/quali approach to data generation. Resulting themes form a value triangle of intrinsic, institutional and instrumental values. These are theoretically tied to respective stakeholders, namely The Public, The Professionals and The Policymakers. The holistic manner in which this research is constructed focuses on the interconnectedness of value categories and the relationships among stakeholders. It aims to understand the differences and commonalities among the perceptions of the value of Stirling Castle. This research refrains from being generally applicable, however, it is generally adaptable for its hybrid framework remains flexible. Keywords: Stirling Castle, value, cultural heritage, stakeholderItem What differences do classical and popular musicians at the Royal Northern College of Music perceive there to be between them and do these perceptions have credibility?(Queen Margaret University, 2016)The purpose of this research project was to highlight the differences which classical and popular musicians at the Royal Northern College of Music perceive to exist between them. The project also critiques these perceptions in order to ascertain their credibility in the musical sector outwith the Royal Northern College of Music. In order to produce this research, the researcher conducted several semi-structured qualitative interviews with several students from the Royal Northern College of Music; both from the classical and popular music schools. The researcher appropriately gathered the data from these interviews and critiqued it in conjunction with recent literature. The researcher also took into account the notion of how these perceptions were formed by applying attribution theory; in order to appropriately discuss how these perceptions may best be broken down. The results of this study show that although some of these perceived differences do indeed have credibility, the majority have a severe lack in credibility and therefor are in fact misperceptions which are currently discouraging these two types of musician from working together. The researcher argues that by breaking down these misperceptions, classical and popular musicians can be encouraged to work more harmoniously together by highlighting their commonalities as opposed to their differences. This could lead to a broader employability for both types of musicians as well as a pool of creative and artistic talents.Item The eternal dilemma of accessibility versus sustainability in the theatre industry: A study of pay-what-you-want models' viability as a permanent principle(Queen Margaret University, 2016)If pay-what-you-want (PWYW) has started to generate interest in the researchers' community in the last few years for its accessibility dimension in conflict with its potential profitability, it can be noticed that this disputed policy has been overlooked at different levels: (1) PWYW suffers from a lack of field analysis since literature has mainly produced theoretical quantitative experiments about it (2) The arts sector has not been identified as an area that needed further research development regarding PWYW sustainability (3) PWYW has been rarely considered with regards to its long-run perspectives. Therefore, in order to determine if PWYW and its main variation, pay-what-you-decide (PWYD) can be considered as a viable business model, this paper examines the case of three theatres that have all implemented PWYW as a permanent policy (the Holbeck Underground Ballroom, UK; Available Light Theatre and Forum Theatre, US) under a qualitative and exploratory mixed methods approach. An overview of the PWYW theatres studied and their financial results is first provided, before the examination of the different issues that presently limit PWYW mechanisms in the theatre industry. It is finally concluded that PWYW is not at the moment financially viable in the arts sector, but that it could be if communication and perception barriers were removed and if PWYW, beyond its risky aspect, could be modelled on other innovative marketing systems, such as crowdfunding.Item Social media in the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector: What are the benefits of social media for NFP festivals and what opportunities arise from its use? A case study of four Edinburgh based NFP festivals.(Queen Margaret University, 2016)The following study concerns four non-profit festivals based in Edinburgh and the use of social media accounts. The non-for- profit or third sector plays an important role in Edinburgh's society. Edinburgh has been characterized as the ''Festival City'' and thus this research is going to investigate the core of Edinburgh's artistic activities: Festivals. Taking into consideration the challenging environment which not- for- profit (NFP) festivals operate as well as their limited financial resources, staff and expertise, this research is going to provide useful information about the benefits of social media and what opportunities it could offer to non- profit festivals.Item Item What’s meant by the term audience and who are they? Audience development research at Greenbank Garden, National Trust for Scotland, Glasgow and the West Region(2018)This study conducted audience development research at Greenbank Garden, Clarkston. This Grade A listed Walled Garden and Georgian House is part of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), Glasgow and the West Region (National Trust for Scotland, 2013). Prior to this study no formal audience development research had been carried out at the site. The term ‘audience’ in the context of Greenbank was defined and audience development frameworks that have been applied to the culture sector in Britain were explored. Focus group method and semi-structured interviews determined the current and potential audience at the property. Current and potential audience values were explored through semi-structured audience interviews and audience development frameworks. Finally, based on the audience values and in line with the new strategic direction of the trust, recommendations for maintaining the current and attracting the potential audience were provided.Item How Heritage Organisations Value Membership Schemes(2018)Research on the nature of membership organisations requires insight into strategy alongside identifying typologies, to provide practical insight and a path to follow. National Museums Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland were selected as case studies which apply to Slater’s (2005) Integrated Membership Scheme typology. A thematic analysis of interviews with managerial staff, alongside a content analysis of strategic documents from the organisations produced findings on the strategic elements of membership. Applying economic, sociological and marketing theory on these strategies brought insight into how they lead to the characteristics an Integrated Membership Scheme. It was found that technology, sustainability and marketing had the most significant influence on membership. The findings from this study are of value to membership organisations who want to follow strategies to reproduce an Integrated Membership Scheme typology.Item Configuring Hospitalities: dialogic relations between artists and curators(2020)This research seeks to explore the dialogic relationship between artists and curators in Scotland through the lens of hospitality. Taking an interpretive approach informed by post-structuralism, I examine the discursive construction of hospitality as it applies to contemporary art, and the meanings ascribed to it, drawing from relevant literature and qualitative data generated through a focus group and interviews with eight artists and curators working in the contemporary art sector in Scotland. As such, I pose the question: how do artists and curators understand their corresponding roles in relation to the concept of hospitality? At various points, hospitality might signify a practice, a theme, a situation, an exchange, a facade, or a set of laws, and with it brings its subjects: the host and guest. By analysing these subject-positions in relation to the roles of the artist and curator, one might then articulate some of the complexities of social relations and working conditions within the field of contemporary art.Item Ageism and the Invisibility of Older Age: A Study of Individual Perceptions of Age Characteristics in the Context of Scottish Film Festival Volunteer Management(2020)Framed by an interdisciplinary literature review, the purpose of this paper is to provide a first insight into the overlooked variable of age within diversification processes in the context of the workforce of the UK cultural sector, specifically volunteer management. For the purpose of this, qualitative analysis of face-to-face interviews and an online questionnaire are employed. Hypothesised invisibility of ageism and age in the arts and cultural sector is explored through individuals’ beliefs and perspectives. Based within a constructivist paradigm applying thematic analysis, temporalisation and stereotypical construction of older age – with cursory treatment of younger age – and the malleability of such construction in individuals are conceptualised. Possible tensions between perceived characteristics of older people and advantages of older volunteers are explored and invisible barriers are identified for older people on micro, meso, and macrolevel. Through a deconstructionist discussion, the findings, and recommendations of the research will be of interest to arts workers and managers in how non-cultural objectives, such as more age diverse workspaces, can open untapped resources of skills, professional experience, time and commitment. The insight sits within arts and cultural management for critical and holistic approaches, particularly, following sociologist Riley’s approach to reducing age discrimination, advocating structural progression in order to alleviate age discrimination and foster ageinclusion in the wider society.