Festival Leadership, Structures and Roles

Running or working for a festival, you will find that you have to deal with issues related to structure and staff roles almost on a daily basis. These management issues will sit alongside leadership questions about your festival’s purpose, values, governance and ethos. In this chapter, you will be introduced to leadership models and different management structures and roles within festival production. The chapter will emphasise the role of leadership in the cultural sector, including artistic and creative vision. It will introduce the concept of organisational culture and discuss the relationship between structure, culture and values. It will also discuss and illustrate the key roles in festival management and delivery. So, what does the term ‘leadership’ mean and how does it differ from the term ‘manager’ which is also often used to describe people in authority? Titles have over the years changed, so what were once ‘managing directors’ at the top of companies are now ‘chief executives. So, are leaders and managers or directors and chief executives the same role but by a different name? The answer is that it very much depends on the individual and the organisation. But in general terms leaders and managers are now thought of in different terms, both in terms of skills and roles.