Humak’s mission in Portugal, the Finnish-Scottish tandem and Arts Managers’ Regenerative Mindset

Humak’s teaching and research was presented twice in Portugal last week to an international audience in Lisbon at the AIMAC conference and at the international seminar in the city of Coimbra – home to Portugal’s oldest university, founded in 1290.

Marcin Poprawski, Humak’s Senior Lecturer in Cultural Management and coordinator of COSMs – Arts Management and Sustainability modules, collaborated with a colleague from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Alice McGrath, Lecturer and Co-Director of the MA in Arts, Festival and Cultural Management.

Marcin Poprawski and Alice McGrath. Photo: Marcin Poprawski

The research process based on their teaching was presented at the AIMAC Arts Management Conference organised by Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon. Both scholars were then invited to share their experiences with the audience and participants of Modes of Production – the international seminar on Performing Arts and the Ecological Transition, hosted by the University of Coimbra.

Coimbra University & Coimbra University garden. Photo: Marcin Poprawski

Discussions About Regenerative Practices – Similarities & Inspiring Differences

The aim of the tandem of scholars from Northern Europe was to explore together how teaching can encourage arts managers to develop a regenerative mindset.

It started with a spontaneous curiosity to visit each other’s teaching, guest lecturing, but also inviting QMU students to attend courses at Humak in Finland, after recognising some similarities in content and method and some inspiring differences.

The portfolio of research presented in Lisbon was two cases of their own teaching, courses they run in Scotland and Finland, as a potential for comparative learning and dialogue between arts management teachers. Both authors explored if and how regenerative practice requires a different set of skills and competencies for arts managers.

They explored their own teaching practice in Scotland and Finland, analysed students’ work outcomes and, based on the Regenerative Mindset Principles offered by a UK Royal Society of the Arts, proposed a preliminary Arts Managers’ Regenerative Mindset Framework to be developed with their own practice and in dialogue with other educators and researchers. Their presentation in Lisbon launched the discussion with colleagues from universities in Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.

Roundtable discussion on Teaching for Sustainability in Arts & Culture, moderated by Marcin Poprawski. Photo: Carla Figueira

At the University of Coimbra, the Scottish-Finnish unit met with academics, teachers, artists, performing arts producers and students in a lively roundtable discussion on Teaching for Sustainability in Arts & Culture. The discussion, moderated by Marcin, Humak’s representative, was held with colleagues from the University of Barcelona, the University of Arts in Belgrade and the University of Coimbra, and an engaged audience of academics and arts practitioners from Europe, South America, Asia and North America.

The work on the arts manager’s regenerative mindset and teaching continues and intensifies to be transferred to the academic article, and the idea spreads.

 

Author: Marcin Poprawski