Connect to Culture: pursue a career in the cultural sector

If you’re interested in working for a multinational corporation, the numerous career weeks organised by faculty associations offer loads of options to check out. If your preferences lie with the cultural sector, feel free to indulge yourself at the new event Connect to Culture.

Connect to Culture is a two-day event during which the participants work in groups on business cases presented by the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Mauritshuis, Kunsthal and International Film Festival Rotterdam. The event was organised by Leonardo Fuligni (22) and Julian de Vriend (25), both of whom are enrolled in the Cultural Economics & Entrepreneurship master programme.

Real problems, real solutions

On the first day, the organisations will be introducing their company and the problem they are faced with. “The great thing about this event is that the business cases aren’t merely examples, but actual problems that the organisations are hoping to find a solution for,” Fuligni explains. At the end of the second day, the groups will present their solutions to a jury made up of staff members of the participating organisations.

The gentlemen plan to keep the business cases under wraps for the time being. “Of course, participants can indicate their preference for a particular organisation, but they will have to wait until the day itself to hear which problem they’ll be working on,” says De Vriend. “You need to be flexible if you plan to work in the cultural sector. For example, as a member of the marketing team, you may be expected to handle part of the financials or help determine which performances need to be booked. You deal with whatever lands on your plate. And this reality is also reflected in the programme of Connect to Culture.”

Full of challenges

“As far as marketing and economics are concerned, the cultural sector is full of challenges,” says De Vriend. “It is an incredibly interesting domain that is often overlooked.” Undeservedly so, in Fuligni’s opinion. “This specific sector offers lots of opportunities to innovate and to really make a difference. Seriously: if I hadn’t organised this event myself, I would have registered in a wink.”

Connect to Culture will be held on 13 and 14 April. Tickets cost €15 and can be ordered via the ticket shop. Further details on the event can be found at the Connect to Culture website.