1st stage of the M.M.M. training concluded!
The first part of the M.M.M. training programme took place in May and June.
Over 5 consecutive weeks, the course participants in six thematic modules met regularly during live online classes led by tutors from all around the world. During this period, we’ve held some 35 webinars connecting with experts from different time zones, from the US West Coast, through Iceland, UK, Switzerland, France, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, to Vietnam and Taiwan.
The MUSIC EDUCATION module featured outstanding examples from different countries as regards the instrument teaching practice, artistic and social dimension of an orchestra workshop, outreach programmes for diverse audiences across all age groups and backgrounds. Annika Kukkonen from the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Tuula Jukola Nuorteva from the Finnish National Opera and Ballet presented a series of impactful projects led by their institutions in partnership with the public school network in Finland, together with academies and organisations worldwide. Prof. Julian Lloyd-Webber and Ron Davis Alvarez spoke about the importance of music educators having had a performance career to identify with the students and advise them accordingly. The session also focused on the importance of introducing young children at an early age to classical music via social programmes such as El Sistema, which both speakers witnessed first-hand in Venezuela and went on to be the founding members of the programme in their respective countries, UK and Sweden.
In the ARTIST MANAGEMENT module, Gregor Kotow and his guests – Lydia Kuo (CEO, Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra), Florian Riem (Secretary General, World Federation of International Music Competitions) and Oliver Wille (Artistic Director, Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker and Head of the Advisory Council, German Music Competition) – tackled issues like communication triangle: artist – manager – programmer, manager’s professional relations with artistic directors of music festivals and concert halls, the importance of networking and meaningful long-term collaboration, the condition of the classical music industry across different continents, the phenomenon of some markets where classical music concerts attract mostly young audiences. Stanisław Suchora and his guests – curator and researcher Monika Pasiecznik and Sebastian Jóźwiak (publisher, manager and producer) – talked about the hybridization of various forms of the music business activity. Martin Malmgreen held a webinar on international contracting, contract negotiations and copyrights.
In the TEAM MANAGEMENT module, Xoan Castineira (J.S. Bach Fundation, St. Gallen) brought up a theme of orchestrating energy in an organisation, how to avoid overheating and bringing people way too far, but also avoid complacency and a level of energy that does not allow creativity to spark. Conductor Lilianna Krych talked about the organisation of the artistic work, communication from a programme to a concert, establishing line-ups, scheduling rehearsals. Rune Bergmann and Maria Sydor spoke about the challenges of a young conductor when it comes to working with orchestras in an international environment, establishing contact with a new orchestra and what is crucial in order to have a good understanding between an orchestra and a conductor. Łukasz Borowicz (Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra) and Maciej Żółtowski (Catskill Symphony Orchestra, Oneonta, NY) talked, among other things, about blind auditions, artistic season planning and crisis management: financial and image-related external factors and the new challenges posed by the pandemic.
An introduction to the ART CURATION module was a masterclass with Stanisław Ruksza about the role of a Curator and the curatorial experience. The versatile nature of a Curator was also a recurring theme in a webinar with Andrew Berardini, art critic based in LA. Marianna Dobkowska presented a series of artist in residence programmes led by the Contemporary Arts Centre in Warsaw; her colleague Anna Kobierska talked about exhibition coordination, budgeting and logistics,; Anna Marjankowska led a two-part workshop called ‘Art world as a workplace – a survival guide for art producers’ and ‘Practising solidarity in the art factory’ talking about working mechanisms in the art field, research, and design tools for bettering your working conditions. Bartek Buczek spoke about exhibition installation from an artist’s perspective. Nguyễn Quốc Thành presented projects by an independent arts collective in Hanoi Nhà Sàn Collective and talked about the current condition of an independent arts sector in Vietnam.
The SOUND module begun with a case study where Prof. Joanna Napieralska’s designed sound inspired by a spiral staircase in the foyer of the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall. In the following webinars our experts talked issues like: sound design in reinforcement (dr Jarosław Regulski), planning and mixer setup for live concerts and recordings (Erik Valderhaug), computer as a fully-fledged musical instrument and an electronic layer of a composition (dr Wojciech Błażejczyk), miking techniques (prof. Krzysztof Kuraszkiewicz), recording examples illustrating complex structures of a phonographic forms (Michał Szostakowski), immersive formats such as VR – new opportunity for reaching worldwide audience (Przemysław Danowski), sound in interactive installations, the importance of documentation and archives (Dorota Błaszczak).
In the LIGHT & MULTIMEDIA module we focussed on issues like the artistic aspects of lighting design, work method step by step, lighting designers' inspirations and references, building dramaturgy through light, working as part of creative teams and budget negotiations – with personal insights from such outstanding lighting designers as Felice Ross, Ellen Ruge, Katarzyna Łuszczyk. Ewa Krasucka spoke about filming contemporary performing arts, based on case studies from the National Opera and Ballet. Paweł Spider Pająk talked about the role of Creative Director and Creative Producer across different stages, from idea origination, through design, production through to event execution. We also focused on the impact that the pandemic has had on the accelerated development of the new technologies and the creation of a new hybrid form.
Above all, each module recognised the importance of the awareness and knowledge about each and every role in a creative production process, beginning with the artists, through management, producers, directors, designers, technicians, etc.
Over 5 consecutive weeks, the course participants in six thematic modules met regularly during live online classes led by tutors from all around the world. During this period, we’ve held some 35 webinars connecting with experts from different time zones, from the US West Coast, through Iceland, UK, Switzerland, France, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, to Vietnam and Taiwan.
More than 70 hours of live online meetings produced lots of interesting questions from emerging arts managers to do with effective leadership, teamwork and collaboration, outreach initiatives and creative audience engagement.
The MUSIC EDUCATION module featured outstanding examples from different countries as regards the instrument teaching practice, artistic and social dimension of an orchestra workshop, outreach programmes for diverse audiences across all age groups and backgrounds. Annika Kukkonen from the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Tuula Jukola Nuorteva from the Finnish National Opera and Ballet presented a series of impactful projects led by their institutions in partnership with the public school network in Finland, together with academies and organisations worldwide. Prof. Julian Lloyd-Webber and Ron Davis Alvarez spoke about the importance of music educators having had a performance career to identify with the students and advise them accordingly. The session also focused on the importance of introducing young children at an early age to classical music via social programmes such as El Sistema, which both speakers witnessed first-hand in Venezuela and went on to be the founding members of the programme in their respective countries, UK and Sweden.
In the ARTIST MANAGEMENT module, Gregor Kotow and his guests – Lydia Kuo (CEO, Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra), Florian Riem (Secretary General, World Federation of International Music Competitions) and Oliver Wille (Artistic Director, Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker and Head of the Advisory Council, German Music Competition) – tackled issues like communication triangle: artist – manager – programmer, manager’s professional relations with artistic directors of music festivals and concert halls, the importance of networking and meaningful long-term collaboration, the condition of the classical music industry across different continents, the phenomenon of some markets where classical music concerts attract mostly young audiences. Stanisław Suchora and his guests – curator and researcher Monika Pasiecznik and Sebastian Jóźwiak (publisher, manager and producer) – talked about the hybridization of various forms of the music business activity. Martin Malmgreen held a webinar on international contracting, contract negotiations and copyrights.
In the TEAM MANAGEMENT module, Xoan Castineira (J.S. Bach Fundation, St. Gallen) brought up a theme of orchestrating energy in an organisation, how to avoid overheating and bringing people way too far, but also avoid complacency and a level of energy that does not allow creativity to spark. Conductor Lilianna Krych talked about the organisation of the artistic work, communication from a programme to a concert, establishing line-ups, scheduling rehearsals. Rune Bergmann and Maria Sydor spoke about the challenges of a young conductor when it comes to working with orchestras in an international environment, establishing contact with a new orchestra and what is crucial in order to have a good understanding between an orchestra and a conductor. Łukasz Borowicz (Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra) and Maciej Żółtowski (Catskill Symphony Orchestra, Oneonta, NY) talked, among other things, about blind auditions, artistic season planning and crisis management: financial and image-related external factors and the new challenges posed by the pandemic.
An introduction to the ART CURATION module was a masterclass with Stanisław Ruksza about the role of a Curator and the curatorial experience. The versatile nature of a Curator was also a recurring theme in a webinar with Andrew Berardini, art critic based in LA. Marianna Dobkowska presented a series of artist in residence programmes led by the Contemporary Arts Centre in Warsaw; her colleague Anna Kobierska talked about exhibition coordination, budgeting and logistics,; Anna Marjankowska led a two-part workshop called ‘Art world as a workplace – a survival guide for art producers’ and ‘Practising solidarity in the art factory’ talking about working mechanisms in the art field, research, and design tools for bettering your working conditions. Bartek Buczek spoke about exhibition installation from an artist’s perspective. Nguyễn Quốc Thành presented projects by an independent arts collective in Hanoi Nhà Sàn Collective and talked about the current condition of an independent arts sector in Vietnam.
The SOUND module begun with a case study where Prof. Joanna Napieralska’s designed sound inspired by a spiral staircase in the foyer of the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall. In the following webinars our experts talked issues like: sound design in reinforcement (dr Jarosław Regulski), planning and mixer setup for live concerts and recordings (Erik Valderhaug), computer as a fully-fledged musical instrument and an electronic layer of a composition (dr Wojciech Błażejczyk), miking techniques (prof. Krzysztof Kuraszkiewicz), recording examples illustrating complex structures of a phonographic forms (Michał Szostakowski), immersive formats such as VR – new opportunity for reaching worldwide audience (Przemysław Danowski), sound in interactive installations, the importance of documentation and archives (Dorota Błaszczak).
In the LIGHT & MULTIMEDIA module we focussed on issues like the artistic aspects of lighting design, work method step by step, lighting designers' inspirations and references, building dramaturgy through light, working as part of creative teams and budget negotiations – with personal insights from such outstanding lighting designers as Felice Ross, Ellen Ruge, Katarzyna Łuszczyk. Ewa Krasucka spoke about filming contemporary performing arts, based on case studies from the National Opera and Ballet. Paweł Spider Pająk talked about the role of Creative Director and Creative Producer across different stages, from idea origination, through design, production through to event execution. We also focused on the impact that the pandemic has had on the accelerated development of the new technologies and the creation of a new hybrid form.
Above all, each module recognised the importance of the awareness and knowledge about each and every role in a creative production process, beginning with the artists, through management, producers, directors, designers, technicians, etc.
