In the last two years, against the background of the Corona regulations, it has been necessary for museums, theaters and concert halls to react quickly to short-term changes and to assess their financial consequences. From talks with Lübeck cultural institutions, Prof. Dr. Nils Balke from the TH Lübeck has now developed the research project “Controlling and Management of Cultural Institutions”. The idea for this came about a year ago. The focus is on the question of how the controlling instruments usually used in industrial companies can be used in cultural institutions.
The potential of the project was first discussed in discussions with Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Wolff-Regett in his function as TH Lübeck Presidential Commissioner for Transfer and with Dr. Felicia Sternfeld, the director of the European Hanseatic Museum, explored. This showed that the project is attractive for all of Lübeck’s cultural institutions. The Theater Luebeck with the acting theater director Caspar Sawade was involved.
“Today, museums and cultural institutions are increasingly viewed from a commercial perspective. This is a great opportunity for us to help develop concrete, long-term guidelines and contribute our expertise. I am therefore very pleased that the European Hansemuseum has been part of this project from the very beginning,” says Dr. Felicia Sternfeld.
Caspar Sawade, acting theater director of the Theater Lübeck, is pleased about the start of the research project: “We were very pleased to be involved in the project. We hope to gain new knowledge in the field of controlling and implementation for the cultural sector. At the same time, we value the cooperation and exchange with the TH Lübeck and the European Hansemuseum.”
With Navid Azarafroz, who was newly hired for this project, Prof. Balke first wants to analyze the controlling instruments that are already in use in the cultural institutions. A particular focus is on planning, reporting and key figure systems. Risk management and strategic controlling analyzes also follow.
For these analyses, interviews and workshops are conducted with Lübeck’s cultural institutions. Prof. Balke explains: “For example, we examine how sales, costs and liquidity are planned and controlled, or how medium-term and strategic planning is implemented in a cultural establishment.”
In a further step, Prof. Balke and his staff of the Department of mechanical engineering and economics Together with the cultural institutions, practice-oriented suggestions for the further development and implementation of new concepts. Prof. Balke formulated the goal as follows: “We want to give the cultural institutions tools to present their economic situation transparently, to flexibly adjust the financial planning of exhibitions, performances and events, to identify risks in order to create an improved basis for project decisions”.
It is planned to involve other cultural institutions in the project.