To support the takeover, ADF designed a Up Next residential for Up Next to provide the six future artistic directors with the necessary tools, insight and strategic thinking to develop exciting festival models for the organisations they will lead. Sessions on successful practices, business models and creative collaborations accompanied experienced leaders sharing insights on ways to make big visions and new ideas a reality. Guest speakers included: Gaylene Gould (BFI), Jude Kelly (Southbank Centre), George Perrin (Paines Plough), Eckhard Thiemann (Shubbak Festival) and Up Next evaluator, Samenua Sesher.
The Residential
Leading up to the takeover, we invited industry leaders and experts: Gaylene Gould (Head of Cinema and Events, BFI), Ekchard Thiemann (Artistic Director, Shubbak Festival) and Jude Kelly (Former Artistic Director, Southbank Centre) to facilitate a bespoke session with our Up Next Artistic Directors with the necessary tools, insight and strategic thinking to develop an exciting festival model. Exposing them to successful practices, business models and creative collaborations as well as providing insight on how best to implement big vision and new ideas into an existing organisation.
Quotes from guest speakers
“There’s only one way to learn how to create dynamic creative spaces and that’s to do it. That’s why the Artistic Directors of the Future initiative makes change real. Creating supportive environments for new visionaries to take real-life risks while learning the business ropes will create a seismic change in our arts leadership. It will also make way for exciting new talent we’ve never seen before”
“I had the great privilege being introduced to the six directors and talk about Shubbak Festival. There was such curiosity, creative ideas and bold thinking in the room. I cannot wait to see how their ideas translate into exciting programming next year at Battersea Arts Centre and Bush Theatre.”
