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Being the pioneer of local arts administration and management education, Prof. Tseng launched the first ever course in the discipline at a tertiary institution. HKAAA is honored to talk to Prof. Tseng and have him sharing on his thoughts about the development and opportunities of the profession in Hong Kong as well as his experience in conducting courses over the years.
Prof. Tseng: Prof. Tseng Sun Man | HKAAA: Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association
HKAAA: Arts administration as a profession has already been recognised for decades but just for the recent years, it is recognised by the general public in Hong Kong. As a veteran arts administrator, what do you think?
Prof. Tseng: Of course I am overjoyed to see the current situation. In the past, the profession was too small in Hong Kong and could not form a critical mass. That limits the mobility and promotion prospects of practitioners. Most arts administrators can only choose to either work for the government, the Arts Festival, the Arts Centre or one of the Big 9 companies. Nowadays, there are many more employers in small and medium size companies, the HKADC and of course the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. A really positive development is that some experienced arts administrators are starting their own companies and agencies. People can move about freely to take up different challenges at different stages of their career.
We also see quite a number of experienced administrators from outside joining the local profession. I would divide them into two groups. The first group are overseas experienced arts administrators from the UK, Australia, Taiwan and the States. The second group are experienced administrators from other professions, such as accountants, marketing specialists, human resources management experts, who are attracted to join West Kowloon or other major arts institutions. Having more professionals from diversified background is very healthy for the development of our field. I believe we would benefit from their vision and new perspectives. I also hope that they would try to understand the special contexts of the cultural ecology in Hong Kong and integrate quickly with local practitioners.
I agree with you that the general public has become much more aware of the profession in recent years. This has been the result of a number of factors: the development of West Kowloon, the government’s strategy in developing creative industries and increasing number of cultural activities. Most of the performing arts venues are close to being fully booked. It is gratifying to note that arts and culture have increasingly become part of the lifestyle of Hong Kong residents. You can tell from the growing number of art galleries and street performers, the popularity of the art fairs and crafts markets etc. Now more young people are interested to become artists and arts administrators, or they are allowed by their parents.
Now that we seem to have a lot of young people wishing to enter the profession, I hope we can attract the most capable ones to actually STAY in the profession, rather than seeking greener pastures after two or three years. We have to acknowledge that the drop-out rate of arts managers is high everywhere, particularly at the junior level. To some extent it has to do with the nature of the profession, such as the unsocial and long working hours. But we know that the drop-out rate of assistant managers in the LCSD has been rather low. I believe a major factor is that they offer a decent salary. I understand that we cannot expect small arts organizations to do the same. However, I hope other major arts institutions will set an appropriate benchmark in their compensation package. In the last thirty years I have come across many capable and dedicated young colleagues in different arts organizations I worked for. Sadly many of them have left for better prospects. I always believe that if we offer better packages and prospects, many of them will return to the field.
HKAAA: There are different views concerning arts administration training, for example, some say that arts administration/management cannot be taught? What do you think?
Prof. Tseng: Of course I would say that arts administration can be taught. Otherwise I would be out of work! Ha Ha Ha!
Seriously, this is a question that I have always asked myself for the last thirty years at different stages of my work—when I was a junior arts administrator, an arts management student, an arts CEO, and then as a teacher. What are the qualities of a good arts administrator and can these be taught? As a teacher, the challenge of course is how to nurture such qualities for students of different background: undergraduate, post-graduate, experienced practitioners.
To be a good arts administrator one needs to have relevant knowledge and skills, good judgment, values and pattern of behavior which are respected by colleagues. Some of these requirements like knowledge and skills can be taught. So theories of management, leadership, strategic planning, financial management, marketing, law, fundraising, cultural policies etc are useful knowledge for an arts administrator to function effectively. These can be taught and should be learned systematically. However, having the right knowledge and skills doesn’t mean that you can apply them appropriately. Learning through case studies and best practices helps in application. But the key here is one’s analytical ability and judgment. Academic studies can enhance these abilities to a certain extent. But some skills like communications can only be learned partly. It would be difficult for arts administration programmes to teach values, attitudes and behavior in spite of their importance. These are specific to individuals. Usually adults learn these through influence of leaders and peers rather than through lessons. However, if I have undergraduate students in arts administration, I would put a lot of effort to ensure that they acquire positive values, attitudes and behavior because these make them better individuals.
When fresh graduates interested to pursue arts administration as a career asked me for recommendation on arts administration programmes, I always advise them to find a job in arts administration first. They should work for two or three years BEFORE they study arts administration. My own experience was that the City University of London turned down my application for a Post-graduate Diploma in Arts Administration when I was a fresh graduate. I was admitted with a scholarship two years later after I had experience working in the field. Since then I firmly believe that if you have management experience, you would get much more out of an arts administration programme. For under-graduates who wish to become arts administrators, I always suggest that they actively participate in the organization of student bodies or cultural activities. Practical training and experience are vital in learning how to manage.
I believe that all arts administrators should at some point in their career complete an MA in Cultural Management or MBA. It is not because I think practitioners need degrees. But it is a systematic way to fine-tune your vision and develop a holistic understanding of how to effectively manage a cultural organization. Most practitioners concentrate on one to two areas in their job, for example in programming or marketing. Pursuing an MA enables them to acquire basic understanding of the areas they are not involved in their day-to-day work. Through self-reflection of their management experience, they are better equipped to integrate theories and practical experience in their actual work. Even if one has done the same task or project many times at work does not mean that it is the most effective way.
I don’t think there are model answers in arts management. A marketing plan which was very successful for an arts group in a certain city may not work for another arts group because the contexts are different. What we try to achieve is helping students to establish an analytical framework through which they can critically review the issues they encounter in work. In addition, we guide them to develop a habit of self-reflection and self-learning. These cannot be accomplished through short courses or professional workshops.
HKAAA: You have been involved in the development of almost all the arts administration/management training programmes offered by tertiary institutions in HK. Can you share with us how the landscape has been changed since the first programme you built, the one with the Hong Kong Art School in 2002, right? The “Executive Master of Arts in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship” programme offered by HKIEd is your most recent achievement, how can it address the needs of arts administration training in HK?
Prof. Tseng: First of all I only developed two arts management programmes in Hong Kong -- a one-year part-time Professional Certificate in Arts Management for the Arts School in 2002 and the current EMA for HKIEd. I did give some suggestions in the design of the Post-graduate Diploma in Creative Industries Management of HKU SPACE. I used to teach in three local programmes – SPACE, CUHK and HKAPA before I launched the HKIEd programme. Hence I got to know many students from these programmes.
In 2002, two arts management programmes were launched in Hong Kong, the one at Hong Kong Arts School and the MA in Cultural Management at CUHK. Now there are five award-bearing postgraduate programmes: CUHK, HKU SPACE, an MFA in HKAPA, an MA in Visual Arts Administration at Baptist University and our EMA. In addition there are short training programmes catered for senior managers, such as ACLP (Advanced Cultural Leadership Programme) of Hong Kong University and the Leadership Training Programme for Senior Arts and Culture Executives offered by the HKAAA and NAS. It is obvious that there is currently considerable interest amongst young people in seeking a career in arts or cultural management. Apart from programmes which are specially designed for practitioners, my knowledge is that the majority of arts administration graduates in Hong Kong do not end up as arts administrators.
In spite of this, it is fair to say that a significant proportion of young arts administrators nowadays have a degree in arts administration. Ten years ago, the percentage was very small. This is a very encouraging sign.
Personally I am more concerned about addressing the training needs of experienced practitioners who have not gone through structured training. Hence the idea of starting an Executive MA (Executive Master of Arts in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship). I appreciate that many experienced arts administrators are not keen to join training programmes if their classmates have little experience. As a trainer I also want to maximize the learning outcome. The need for award-bearing programme for experienced arts administrators is not limited to Hong Kong but is a regional one The diverse mix of the students in the first cohort of our EMA is a proof. We are able to get students from five cities with diverse background and minimum five years of management experience. They create a really powerful platform for peer learning and networking. Having the right learning platform for them is important even though the market is not big. I must confess that I have never taken so much pleasure in reading and marking the assignments of students.
We highlight entrepreneurship in our EMA in order to promote more synergies between not-for-profit and commercial arts activities. We are fortunate to work together with International Partner Goldsmith College, University of London who has expertise in this area. The mode of learning which we adopted for the EMA is another special feature. Lessons are held in two ten-day intensive learning periods each year for two years. In between the Intensive Learning Periods, learning continues through assignments and e-platforms. It seems that our busy students from different cities really like this mode of learning.
HKAAA: Last but not the least, you have mentioned in an earlier press interview that HK can be a hub for arts administration/management training. Can you elaborate more?
Prof. Tseng: Yes, I feel that Hong Kong has the potential to become a regional hub for arts management training. Firstly the training programmes address our need of nurturing practitioners for West Kowloon and other cultural developments. Secondly we have good universities which are recognized internationally. Thirdly we have a vibrant arts scene with many well-managed arts institutions in Hong Kong which provides good case studies. Fourthly we now have senior arts administrators from different parts of the world who can share their insights. Finally there is the Chief Executive’s Policy Initiative to support arts administrative training. As a result, LCSD, HKADC and HKAAA have been supporting and designing arts administration training initiatives.
It should be pointed out that some arts administration programmes in Hong Kong and our Professional Development activities have already succeeded in attracting overseas students and practitioners. The annual Cultural Leadership Summit organized by the HKAAA has been attracting more and more practitioners from the region. A few weeks ago, a delegation of senior managers from Mainland Performing Arts Venues came to Hong Kong for a 10-day study trip. Of course we are still a long way from BEING a regional training hub. Most local arts administration programmes operate on one or two full-time staff, we need a lot more research studies on arts administration practices and cultural ecology in Hong Kong. Above all, we need a roadmap for arts development in Hong Kong, which would state clearly human resources needs and development strategies. Then we can have a solid basis to plan and support training programmes.