Male musician playing violin, ballerina dances
Male musician playing violin, ballerina dances

Economics of the Performing Arts - Applications closed

The trend towards more and more (cross-over) music, dance and theatre events, combined with an ever-increasing reluctance on the part of the state to fund them, poses new problems for cultural managers of theatres, concert halls and festivals. In this course, we analyse and compare the economic aspects of the performing arts and the establishment of cultural institutions. We discuss production, distribution, presentation and consumption in different socio-economic systems. Programming, audience development, financing, pricing theory, economic geography, marketing, collaboration and innovation are key topics.

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    General

    The trend towards more and more (cross-over) music, dance and theatre events, combined with an ever-increasing reluctance on the part of the state to fund them, poses new problems for cultural managers of theatres, concert halls and festivals. Moreover, this is happening at an accelerating pace. Also individual artists experience this tension on a daily basis. It is not just a question of funding, but above all of creating cultural and social value. Innovation in programming, education and audience development is essential. The course responds to these issues by combining theory and practical examples. An interdisciplinary approach provides insights and tools for practical application.

    Learning objectives

    The aim of this course is for students to:

    1. Acquire an understanding of specific aspects of the performing arts world from an economic and cultural point of view
    2. Understand the different ways of organising, financing and developing the production and presentation of performing arts such as music, drama, dance and opera in different European countries
    3. Acquire practical tools for managing cultural events

    Starting date

    23 June 2025, 8:30 am
    City
    Nijmegen
    Costs
    €888
    Discount
    15% when applying before 1 April 2025
    VAT-free
    Yes
    Main Language
    English
    Deadline registration
    15 May 2025, 11:59 pm
    Teacher(s)
    Maximum number of participants
    25

    Factsheet

    Type of education
    Summerschool
    Entry requirements
    This course is at Masters and PhD level, so a Bachelor's degree in cultural studies, economics, business studies or similar is required. Alternatively, several years of practical experience as a cultural manager may be sufficient.
    Study load (ECTS)
    2
    Result
    Certificate, Edubadge

    Contact information

    Radboud Summer School
    Postbus 9102
    6500 HC NIJMEGEN

    radboudsummerschool [at] ru.nl (radboudsummerschool[at]ru[dot]nl)

    Week 1:
     

    Start date: Monday the 23rd of June 
     

    End date: Friday the 27th of June


     

    Summer School 2025 Timetable
    Frans Brouwer looking at camera

    Dr. Frans Brouwer currently lectures on cultural policy, arts management, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural economics at the Latvian Academy of Culture in Riga, the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Radboud University in Nijmegen. He conducts musicological research and supervises master students with their thesis research. As a freelancer he is/was involved in various cultural projects, such as curator for the Christiansfeld Festival (Denmark, 2015), founder of the European Opera Academy (2014-2017) and consultancy. In 2023 he organised a Summer School Cultural Entrepreneurship & Leadership in Riga, for advanced students and professionals in the cultural sector from all over the world.

    In the past 16 years Frans has been lecturing at various universities and academies of music, theatre and visual arts in Austria, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden. Before, he has been a leader of various (interdisciplinary and international) festivals in Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Sweden. Between 1998 and 2009 Frans has served as a general manager for three music ensembles, producing concerts, opera performances and recordings. He has been project leader of European Capital of Culture in Copenhagen (1996) and the director of the Utrecht Conservatoire.

    Frans holds a doctoral degree from Utrecht University with a dissertation on Scandinavian cultural history, after master studies in musicology and science of liturgy at the universities in Groningen and Utrecht. He has published books and articles, as an author and an editor. Frans lives in Amsterdam and Ljubljana. 

    Personal website

    Costs

    Early bird | €754,80

    The deadline for our early bird application is 31 March 2025.

    Regular | €888

    The deadline for our regular application is the 15 May 2025.

    Includes

    Your course, coffee and tea during breaks, warm lunch every day, welcome dinner on Monday, Official Opening, Official Closing.

    Excludes

    Transport, accommodation, social events and other costs.

    Discounts and scholarships

    There are discounts and scholarships available for our partners. Click below to find out if you are eligible. 

    Discounts and scholarships

    Admission

    Level of participant

    Master, PHD, Professional.

    Admission requirements

    This course is at Masters and PhD level, so a Bachelor's degree in cultural studies, economics, business studies or similar is required. Alternatively, several years of practical experience as a cultural manager may be sufficient.

    Admission documents

    Motivation letter.