Collaboration among performing arts companies is an important catalyst for innovation, sustainability and growth.

Creation and innovation occurs outside the realms of time and money. Management deals with resources, primarily with time and money. Innovation and management are not in the same space. Collaboration leads idea to innovation. All collaborations are different. All collaborations are innovations. Some of us get better and better at it. Are there specific fertilizers for the soil wherefrom fruitful collaboration will emerge? Are there specific ways to apply them?

Philippe Rixhon started reflecting on these questions in 1994, while commissioned by ABB to produce a seminar about customer-focused innovation for their senior management. Then, he conducted a related research with the support of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich), studied the Swiss textile industry in the 19th century, and analysed the worldwide textile machinery manufacturers during the period 1994-2004. Philippe found a strong correlation between the effectiveness/efficiency of the innovation process and the quality of the dialogue between innovators and users.

 

Creative leadership in the cultural enterprise
On 22 February 2011, Philippe Rixhon delivered a lecture to the students of Arts Management at the University of Utrecht. He demonstrated the necessary, serial and parallel co-existence of three organisational forms within a cultural enterprise: business administration, knowledge management and creative leadership. The demonstration was supported by examples from two current projects of Philippe Rixhon Associates.

Life and innovation – a practitioner’s narrative
On 16 September 2010, Philippe Rixhon delivered the key note speech at the international conference Narrative and Innovation organised by the Karlshochschule International University. The lecture – based on true stories – presented a practitioner's perspective on the levers that open new paths to opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial innovation and business development in uncertain and contingent markets. Harvard Business Manager, the German edition of Harvard Business Review, have published the speech in their issue 1/2011.

Innovation leadership – best practices from theatre creators
Creation and innovation unfold differently in specific cultures; and it is the cradle of leadership which shapes every individual culture. Following more than twenty-five years of innovation practice in the manufacturing, service and theatre sectors, Philippe Rixhon derives five leadership characteristics from theatrical creation and recommends their broader application. This article outlines how theatre leaders innovate, what kind of techniques they use and which other business sectors they can be adopted for. It is published by Symposion in the third band of their series about The New Art of Leadership.

 

Result-focused consultancy

Our research leads to lectures and publications. We also conduct mission-critical interventions –

• Cultural exchanges & collaborations – We establish, develop and monitor international touring circuits and distribution channels. We plan and facilitate strategic partnerships. The end result is the assurance of adequate levels of time, place, and possession utilities in all items of value to audiences. Therefore, the focus of our services is on channel performance. A festival is important, but it is only a passing fancy if the hype cannot be exploited by a network of solid cross-cultural relationships.

• Shared services – The finances of performing arts organisations are tight. They become tighter. Could you reduce costs by sharing the back office or the real estate while at the same time improving their efficiency and quality of service? Although shared services are common and best practices in business and governmental sectors, the model is only too rarely transferred to the performing arts. Working with a major business processor, we have defined a way to commercialise the back office of a performing arts company and exchange costs for revenues.

Our clients know where they want to go. We provide professional services to facilitate their journey, adopting a specific collaborative role for each individual project. We have helped tens of clients develop and deliver on their strategies. Our approach is definitely pragmatic, open-minded, hands-on, and to-the-point. That's why we generate results when others only write reports.

 

Terms of engagement (PDF, 70 KB)

 

 

Programme associates

• Lutz Becker, Karlshochschule International University
• Farooq Chaudhry, Akram Khan Company
• Akram Khan, Akram Khan Company