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New Programme 'Evolve' Offers Creative Managers a Place to Think

Originally published 5 May 2004


What’s Management Got To Do With Creativity?

New Programme ‘Evolve’ Offers Creative Managers a Place to Think

The University of Warwick is set to launch 'Evolve', a series of seminars from May to July 2004 for creative professionals to address the challenges in the management of creativity. The three one-day London seminars are for senior managers and decision-makers working in the creative and media industries including film, music, broadcasting, advertising, publishing and design.

Run by the University of Warwick's Centre for Cultural Policy Studies, a proven beacon of excellence in the arts and creative sectors, Evolve, featuring speakers such as Peter Salmon (Head of BBC Sport) and Eileen Quinn (Head of Drama, WarkClements), brings together academic experts and senior industry figures to reconnect creative thinking with the management structures and decisions that make creativity possible.

Through workshops, keynote speakers and panel discussions participants will be challenged to think and to explore the critical issues facing today's creative business, such as the growth of creative organisations, the impacts of new technology and the role of strategic management in unpredictable markets. The event is set to encourage the exchange of ideas giving participants the rare opportunity to network with fellow professionals from across a range of creative industries.

Dr Chris Bilton, at Warwick’s Centre for Cultural Policy Studies, said: “This is a rare chance for managers in the creative and media industries to take stock and reflect on the future direction of their organisations and their industries. Because of the pressures of dealing with rapid change in markets and in organisations, it’s very difficult for managers to find time to think about what lies behind these changes. We want to provide a space to share ideas. It’s exciting because it’s very unusual for academics, consultants and managers from different areas of business to come together in this way. The idea is not to teach people new skills but to find new ways of thinking about the future.

The first seminar ‘ Transformation’ on Friday 21st May examines roles and relationships as creative organisations grow, and how the creative process can inform the management of creative teams and organisational structures. The seminar features contributions from top academics and management consultant and psychologist Pamela Hunt.

The second seminar ‘Evolution’ on Friday 11th June examines how technological progress is outstripping the law and traditional business models are under threat. Industry professionals, lawyers, artists and academics will explore the future of management and the exploitation of assets in the creative economy. Facilitators include Peter Salmon (Head of BBC Sport), Anne Leer (Welcome to the Wired World, Director MMG) and Debbie Manners (Head of BBC Commercial Agency).

The final seminar ‘Revolution’ on Friday 9th July examines risk taking and decision-making in the creative industries and asks what does strategy mean for businesses dependent on taking risks? The seminar will combine workshops and business simulations with case studies from risk takers in film and TV. Facilitators include Dr. Stephen Christie (Partner, Deloitte) and Eileen Quinn (Head of Drama, WarkClements).

Evolve is designed for creative professionals offerering the space to; reconnect with ideas, rethink the relationship between creativity, management and organisational change, re-imagine the future of their organisation and reinvent their professional ambitions.

For more information contact:

Ruth Leary,
Evolve Programme Director,
Centre for Cultural Policy Studies,
University of Warwick,
Tel: 024 765 74338,
Email: Evolve@warwick.ac.uk

Dr Chris Bilton,
Centre for Cultural Policy Studies,
Tel: 02476 572 535,
Home: 020 7485 1603,
Mobile: 07770 413 478