Simona Vrabcova
About me
The final year Doctoral Researcher in Cultural and Media Policy Studies. I am honoured that my research is funded through the Centre for Arts Doctoral Research Excellence (CADRE) Scholarship at the University of Warwick. I am the Module Leader of Project Management for Cultural Enterprise at MA Arts, Enterprise and Development.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music Business and Arts Management and a Master’s degree with Distinction in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from Middlesex University London. I also graduated from the Secondary School of Performing Arts, where I predominantly trained as an actress, singer and dancer. Coming from a Central European country, Slovakia, my national background and artistic practice strongly influenced my research interest.
Research Interests
The research aim is to examine and compare the strategic management techniques and prevailing structural models used by the National Cultural Institutes (NCIs) of the Visegrad Four countries in Europe, and cultural entrepreneurs with a focus on their cultural diplomacy and nation branding strategies. The purpose is to navigate the strategic implementation of the upcoming structural frameworks for Slovak cultural diplomacy and to support the development of a Slovak nation branding strategy in line with proven trends and examples of good practice.
The research has three dimensions of value:
- a) disciplinary — extending cultural research and its uses in an international cultural relations context
- b) methodological — revising our understanding of the strategic operational frameworks and their role in the management of NCIs
- c) creative — scoping new ways of constructing strategy operational frameworks for high-impact cultural value production
The key research findings of Smits et al. (2016) focused on European National Cultural Institutes informs my current direction in understanding the pragmatic requirements of organisational research along with the need for engaging with organisation directors and leaders and both articulating and then evaluating their aspirations for transnational cooperation: My research will investigate how NCIs engage in promoting their own national culture and language, represent cultural brands or participate in nation branding and soft power, enhance their capacity and professional skills for intercultural dialogue, and facilitate international cultural relations involving the staging of contemporary arts, digital and new media forms.
What NCIs often lack is a strategic framework informed by theoretical research, as well as a penetrative analysis of the impact and value of their work. The research will be systematic and engaged: my research will be conducted within this framework, informed by dialogue with NCIs themselves:
- The organisation's current strategic planning, operations and management.
- Self-perceptions, evaluation and development planning.
- The programme, strategy delivery and cultural production.
- Intelligence, networks, locations and impacts.
- Knowledge, learning, communications and representation (the achievement of cultural diplomacy objectives and aims, informing the construction of the strategic operational framework).
Furthermore, research is deficient, especially in the area of cultural diplomacy and ICR in Central East Europe such as the Visegrad Four countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary). The countries which went through major political regime changes had to re-think not only their foreign policy priorities but also their identity. Limited research in this area also reflects on the response in the practice with governments lacking comprehensive strategies and having limited interest in developing their NCIs network.
My research project responds to this research gap and proposes the creation of a strategic operational framework that can (a) analyse organisational and management capabilities; (b) measure work, progress and arts or cultural programming; and (c) navigate the strategies for NCIs networks and future development — specifically in the context of individual EU countries and the UK in a post-Brexit Europe.
My supervisors are Dr Jonathan Vickery and Dr Maria Barrett.
From January 2022 until July 2022, I had an amazing opportunity to be an Intern at the Student Experience Department at Warwick, where I coordinated undergraduate student-led Interdisciplinary Arts Research Projects. In 2023, I helped to organise the first Warwick Film Festival as an Engagement Officer.
Teaching
I practice my teaching skills as the Module Leader of Project Management for Cultural Enterprise at the University of Warwick. As a Visiting Lecturer, I teach BA Music Business and Arts Management and MA Arts Management courses at Middlesex University London. I teach selected lectures and workshops on the following modules: Critical Studies in Music Business and Arts Management (3rd-year students) and Introduction to Music Industries (1st-year students), Arts Management in Practice (MA), Arts and Music Marketing and Finance (MA).
Practice
Aside from academia, I am a freelance arts manager working on several projects including my independent devised theatre company Slovak Theatre in London a platform that gathers young artists from Central and East Europe living in London to create original theatrical productions. Our plays are provocative, vibrant, and up-to-date reflecting on our own experiences and the present world events and issues. In 2023, we performed 29 shows across 4 countries and participated at Edinburgh Fringe and Camden Fringe festivals. I am a part of Wax Collective a global platform for music and art through which I collaborate with musicians and creatives internationally. In 2021, I was a member of the project team Nitra 2026 - European Capital of Culture Candidate, where I helped my hometown create a Fundraising Strategy for Private Sponsorship. In 2022, I worked with Coventry City of Culture Trust on the Youthful Cities Event Series.