Artists create a work of art. Arts and cultural managers present artists and their art to the world - their audience. Effective managers are creative like the artists they support. They appreciate beauty. They see opportunities in unlikely places. They are innovative problem-solvers. They have vision.
Opportunities in the field of arts and cultural management are growing. Canada's arts and cultural industries employ 750,000 people.
The Manitoba Arts and Cultural Management Program (MACM)
Whether you are already working in the arts and cultural sector or are approaching it for the first time, the Manitoba Arts and Cultural Management Program is for you. The skills you build with us will open many doors for you in this creative field.
The Manitoba Arts and Cultural Management Program is a joint
program of the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg.
It is designed to help you develop the skills to be an effective
manager and leader in the arts and cultural context. The Program
also provides essential business and leadership training for artists
and cultural workers who are self-employed or working freelance.
Developed in consultation with Manitoba's leaders in arts and culture, the Program is innovative, accessible and reflective of the sector's needs.
Choose the MACM Program if you wish to:
- Work as a manager or supervisor in an arts and cultural organization
- Enhance your business knowledge and leadership capacity
- Improve your effectiveness as a self-employed artist or freelance manager
- Expand your career options or make a career transition
- Enter or re-enter the workforce.
The University of Manitoba offers a variety of two and three day workshops on relevant and current topics in the management of arts and culture. Consider one or more of these short courses for professional development. Learn from experienced and respected managers in the arts and cultural sector.
The University of Winnipeg offers a 215-hour Certificate in Arts and Cultural Management.
Workshops completed at the University of Manitoba may be transferred to the Certificate in Arts and Cultural Management Program at the University of Winnipeg.
The MACM Program is a member of the Canadian Association of Arts Administration Educators (CAAAE: www.caaae.ca)
MACM Workshops
Aboriginal Arts Administration
By 2016 Manitoba's Aboriginal population is predicted to number 15.3% of the population of the province. This topic is divided into two workshops that will equip you and your organization to work effectively with members of this community as co-workers, colleagues, artists and audiences. You will be able to analyze your cultural institution's policies and programming to work more effectively toward reflecting this demographic.
The focus will be on the examination of the critical Aboriginal issues that educators, managers and staff of government departments and agencies associated with the cultural sector need to consider. Redressing the historical under-representation of Aboriginal culture within the arts is now a recognizable component of new arts policies and resource development. This course will provide the tools needed for participants to research and develop course and program content and to work effectively with the Aboriginal community. The course discusses important legal and ethical issues including cultural property and cultural appropriation. Participants will learn how contemporary Aboriginal art practices reflect the history and heritage of this culture. The course will also focus on recognized best practices of management within an Aboriginal arts context.
Each of the two 20 hour workshops may be taken individually.
Workshop 1
Aboriginal Arts Administration: Essentials of Aboriginal Arts Administration (20 hours)
This workshop is intended for Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal arts administrators to teach fundamental management skills and best practices within an Aboriginal cultural context. You will learn and practice the skills for appropriate protocol concerning invitation and participation. Models of non-hierarchical Aboriginal arts administration and the philosophy that guides these models will be discussed.
Workshop 2
Aboriginal Arts Administration: An Overview of Aboriginal Arts and Culture (20 hours)
This workshop will focus on the acquisition of skills necessary for successful engagement with Aboriginal cultural producers and audiences. Intended for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal managers and educators, it is designed for anyone working in the cultural sector needing the skills to prepare for the changing requirements arising within a rapidly evolving arts environment. As educators, whether in formal training situations or informally in the development and presentation of programs, it is essential that the information presented reflects the significance of Aboriginal culture in this province. This course is relevant for everyone involved in the field of education or facilitation through working in a cultural organization or providing training workshops or courses or mentoring programs. It will provide the tools for policy analysis and development at provincial and national levels for managers, board members and staff of government departments and agencies.
The instructor, Liz Barron, is one of the original founders of Urban Shaman, an Aboriginal contemporary artist run center where she served as curator and executive director for many years. She is currently a consultant to cultural sector clients across Canada in management, production, marketing and communications.
In these workshops, you will learn to:
- develop appropriate course content that integrates discussion of the critical issues relevant to the Aboriginal community including cultural property, cultural appropriation and other legal and ethical issues.
- identify the historical and philosophical foundations of contemporary Aboriginal culture.
- identify how Aboriginal cultural heritage is reflected in contemporary cultural practices.
- collaborate effectively with Aboriginal communities.
- develop programs and policies that reflect Aboriginal culture.
- identify Aboriginal audiences.
- develop ability to research Aboriginal cultural resources.
- identify and track developments in arts policy, programs and resources that support Aboriginal arts and cultural production.
Marketing for Arts and Culture (20 hours)
This three-day workshop will focus on the building of a marketing plan. The instructor and the participants will discuss the basics of the marketing model as applied to the arts, and the relevant concepts of marketing in their specific environment. They will review the components of the marketing model for culture and the arts compared to the traditional model; study the profile and motivation of the consumer and non-consumer; explore how to define a product in marketing terms; discuss the pricing element of a strategy; and define the framework of a marketing plan. To apply the concepts discussed, participants will work on the marketing plan for their organization or project and discuss the components with the instructor. At the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to describe the basic principles of marketing the arts and will have had the opportunity to apply the concepts discussed to the basic formulation of a marketing plan useful to their organization or project.
The instructor, François Colbert, is professor of marketing and Carmelle and Rémi Marcoux Chair in Arts Management at HEC Montréal. In addition to his duties as academic supervisor for the Graduate Diploma in the Management of Cultural Organizations, he is editor of the International Journal of Arts Management . In 2002 he was awarded the Order of Canada for his unique contributions in developing the field of arts management. Professor Colbert has been active in arts management for over 30 years, in the performing arts, museum and film sectors. He served as vice-chair of the Canada Council for the Arts for eight years. He is the author of Le Marketing des Arts et de la Culture , now in its second edition and available in English as Marketing Culture and the Arts . Professor Colbert acts as a consultant for various companies, associations and governments and has presented seminars on arts management in twenty countries.
Cultural Board Governance (15 hours)
Whether you are a board member or a manager working with the board of a cultural organization, this course will provide you with the tools you need to contribute more effectively to your organization. You will be introduced to the principles that determine these roles and examine several models of governance. Ethical and legal issues relating to boards will be discussed, and typical responsibilities including planning and fundraising, examined. The practical aspects of board membership including group dynamics and procedures of board operation will also be covered.
You will gain the skills to:
- determine the roles of boards.
- evaluate the effectiveness of your organization's board.
- identify the responsibilities of serving on a board.
- deal effectively with conflict in board meetings.
- prepare new board members for their positions.
- organize a board meeting using proper procedures
- be effective in meetings.
The instructor, Kathleen Darby, is Executive Director of Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Manitoba Inc (ACI) and a cultural sector consultant. She has worked with many boards as a board member, a senior executive, and as a consultant. Her knowledge of board governance stems from direct experience, years of research, and most recently the implementation of a "best practices" approach to the development of ACI's new Board.
Financial Management For Managers Of Not-for-Profit Cultural Organizations (20 hours)
Learn the language of business to better understand and use financial information to be a more effective manager. In this workshop, you will improve your financial skills in reading and analyzing financial statements used by cultural organizations. You will be introduced to key concepts essential in setting financial targets, assessing financial performance, and evaluating strategies. This course is designed for managers who are not accountants, and board members of cultural organizations who need to understand their organization's financial situation in order to make financial decisions and assess the consequences of those decisions.
Improve your ability to:
- translate accounting jargon -- in plain language.
- read financial statements.
- evaluate what financial statements tell and don't tell about an organization or small cultural business.
- analyze financial statements.
- assess financial performance.
- analyze and manage expenses and income.
- make informed decisions.
- use budgets as a planning tool.
Advisory Council
The MACM Program is guided by an Advisory Council comprised of respected senior members of the arts and cultural community. The Advisory Council helps develop the Program in the areas of policy, curriculum, strategic partnerships and marketing.
Members of the following arts and cultural organizations are represented on the Committee:
- Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Cultural Human Resources Council (Ottawa)
- Theatre Department, University of Winnipeg
- Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association
- Humanities, University of Winnipeg
- Alliance for Arts Education in Manitoba
- School of Music, Brandon University
- Manitoba Foundation for the Arts
- Mentoring Artists for Women's Art
- Apogee Business Development
- Aboriginal Focus Program, Extended Education Division, University of Manitoba
- Manitoba Arts Network
- Arts Stabilization Manitoba, Inc.
- Manitoba Museum
- Royal Winnipeg Ballet
- W.H. & S.E. Loewen Foundation
- Education and Extended Education, University of Winnipeg
- Manitoba Advanced Education and Training
- Centre for Cultural Management, University of Waterloo (Waterloo, ON)
- The School of Art, University of Manitoba
- Manitoba Arts Council
- Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Manitoba Inc.
- Winnipeg Folk Festival
- Film Training Manitoba
- Manitoba Tourism Education Council
- Manitoba Film & Sound
- Arts Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism
- Winnipeg Arts Council
Acknowledgements
The MACM Program receives the generous support of the following:
- Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Manitoba Inc.
- Manitoba Advanced Education and Training
- Manitoba Foundation for the Arts
- University of Manitoba
- University of Winnipeg
- W.H. & S.E. Loewen Foundation
- The Winnipeg Foundation
Contact Us
University of Manitoba
Extended Education Division166 CED Complex University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Phone: 474-6685 Toll-free: 1-888-216-7011 ext. 6685 Fax: (204) 474-7660 Email:
University of Winnipeg
Professional Studies Program Division of Extended Education University of Winnipeg 294 William Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0R1 Phone: (204) 982-1705 Fax: (204) 944-1155 Email: www.dce.uwinnipeg.ca


