Woman of the world

Cultural Leadership is the hot topic in the UK at present. Leaders are being challenged more than ever to adapt to rapid socio-economic changes and to the tremors felt around the world due to the world financial crisis. So how can the arts sector equip and strengthen its leaders to ensure the UK’s arts sector remains a world leader and pioneer? I am currently on a placement as Associate Producer with Beijng Modern Dance Company (BMDC) in Beijing, China, funded by the Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP). Even 100 books cannot prepare one for the culture shock of living and working in a completely different cultural environment. Being away from familiar friends, family, language, time zone and food provides daily doses of freedom, adventure and terror. Leadership begins with leading oneself, and being taken out of your comfort zone forces your mind to strip away the layers of earlier experiences, leaving you with your true, core self. This can be a lonely yet liberating experience.

Part of the CLP application process included a test to identify one’s top strengths. My key strength is ‘WOO’: Winning Others Over. I like to network, and I enjoy a sociable working environment. Little did I realise how big an impact this would have, being able to talk to only two people in the office, who were constantly busy. The language lessons I had in Birmingham were not enough. China is all about relationship-building, and this is not instantaneous. Your own experience and knowledge are not likely to be taken on board straight away – building trust takes time.
Space invaders
Soon after my arrival in November 2008, BMDC premiered ‘Women of the World’ in China, a double-bill choreographed by BMDC’s Artistic Director and Anouk Van Dijk from Holland at the Tianqiao Theatre in Beijing. I was moved and impressed by the quality and sincerity of the performance, and the strength of the young dance troupe. Each audience member had to go through security bars on entering the building, so the ticket desk was outside. It was bitterly cold. My colleagues manned the desk – there was no box office. The theatre was cold, too, and the audience watched the show in their coats, hats and gloves.
The main challenge for the arts in China is space: it’s expensive and swallows up most of the income for a project. Few venues market themselves with a brand and artistic policy, as in the UK, although this is changing with the new National Centre for the Performing Arts, ‘Beehive’ and 9 Theatre. The theatres are huge, with a minimum of 1,000 seats. Venues also provide much less support for marketing and audience development, with neither flyers nor even venue brochures. The Chinese are more avid Internet users than the British, and our expenditure on printed material seems almost archaic to me now. BMDC’s loyal audience is growing, but the company currently earns income from international touring and commercial performances, and cannot afford to rely on box office takings. Contemporary dance is difficult to market even in the West, so trying to do this in a country that only opened up to the world 30 years ago is an even bigger challenge. BMDC tries to keep ticket prices low to get healthy audience figures and give more people the opportunity to see the work. So, how to break this cycle?
Crouching tiger
My mentor, BMDC’s Director, Zhang Changcheng, is a magnificent leader, an entrepreneur who has significant influence on the development of the arts infrastructure in China. Thanks to his hard work and determination, BMDC became the first not-for-profit creative organisation in China in 2006. Zhang is only days away from materialising his vision: the opening of a new arts centre in the Dongcheng district of Beijing. The JuChang or ‘Come & Go’ Arts Centre will be jointly operated by BMDC and the Arts Foundation, the latter being funded by the government to support artists to create their own work. This is a significant step in shifting the government’s recognition of the contribution made by artists to the city’s cultural landscape and development. There is no such thing as a government-funded arts system in China, but this is a step in the right direction. In China, if you really want to make something happen, you will succeed with the right contacts and influence.
The centre will forge partnerships across China and globally, with the visual and performing arts and new media, to present and create new work. I’m privileged to be a part of this and look forward to being the European contact for BMDC following my placement. In 2007 I worked on the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre in London, and the Town Hall in Birmingham. One thing these very different arts centres have in common with the JuChang is the opportunity to reflect the rich and diverse cultures of the world, and bring people of varying demographics through their doors. It’s been interesting for me to observe the passion and commitment producers and leaders have in China, and compare them with leaders of our Regularly Funded Organisations in the UK.
Opening doors
Zhang has a strong belief in supporting the growth of young people, and young leaders. The creative sector in China is young, as is the workforce. This is refreshing, and it will be interesting for me to return to the UK with a new perspective. I would like to see a more entrepreneurial approach in England, and will endeavour to incorporate this into my practice. One of my objectives through the placement was to develop my intercultural awareness. It has made me think more about my own heritage as a British Asian. I am now exploring the possibility of collaboration between South Asian and Chinese contemporary dance in recognition of the development of their growing economies, populations and lifestyle similarities. Getting off the dance floor and getting on the balcony has allowed me think about my own creative ideas and passions more easily. Developing leadership skills requires a 360 degree look at oneself. I knew that this experience would be life changing, but had no idea how humbled, strengthened and energised I would feel as a result.