The music sector is not adequately prepared for changes and developments from outside, the Covid crisis, among others, has made that painfully clear. How can the sector ensure it is better prepared for such situations? Researcher Frank Kimenai used the Stockholm Resilience Centre's ‘seven principles for resilience’ model to research the music sector's ability to cope with crises and change. Based on the Findings, Kimenai has launched an animation outlining his advice for making the sector more resilient.
The music sector is not adequately prepared for changes and developments from outside. As a result, the sector is forced to primarily take a reactive approach when such a situation arises. The "seven principles for resilience" offer the sector tools to turn this around: the sector is better prepared for what may come its way and can act on it proactively. They also offer tools to anchor the sector firmer in society.
In the following animation, Kimenai outlines his advice and explains in a few minutes how each principle can be applied and how the set of the seven principles makes for a resilient ecosystem.
Resilient music ecosystems
The seven principles for resilience
In 2015, the Stockholm Resilience Centre launched the seven principles model for resilience. The idea of these principles is that an organisation is prepared for any development and change that comes his or her way when thoughted about, and acted upon, the different principles, and connected them, as in an ecosystem.
This model can be adapted to organisations in all imaginable sectors, including the music sector. This is the premise upon which Frank Kimenai started his research. Through case studies at festival Welcome to the Village, agency 3S Music Management, and Codarts University of Arts, and through 27 interviews with representatives from the sector, Kimenai was able to outline a clear image in which extent the principles already, to a varying degree, have a role within the policy of organisations in the music sector. And how these principles are connected.
The research showed that many principles are already being applied but not connected. And it is precisely the combination of the principles, and the understanding that organisations within the music sector are part of an ecosystem, that create resilience.
The principles in practice
But what are the seven principles for resilience exactly? And how can organisations implement them in real life? The set of principles should give a clear outline of its place within the ecosystem and where its weaknesses lie. These insights provide tools to make changes that will make the organisation more resilient. One of the principles is ‘maintaining diversity and redundancy’. An organisation that has adopted this principle is able to respond flexibly to crises. But 'foster and understanding' is an important principle as well. Is the organisation aware of the bigger picture? What happens outside the organisation? And what do they depend on? The principle of ‘encourage learning and experimentation’ ensures that an organisation stays on top of developments in the field and in society and is able to experiment and apply this knowledge.
- More information
Frank Kimenai has been associated with the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication as an external PhD student since 2020. Kimenai mainly focuses his research on the resilience of music ecosystems. He has over 20 years’ experience in the music sector in various roles. In recent years he has primarily focused on strategic consultancy, and the development of national and European music policy.
The next phase of Kimenai’s research, which starts soon and for which he landed a grant from CLICK NL, will focus on "Seeds of Change." These are niche initiatives in the music sector with great transformative potential. In collaboration with accelerator Art-Up, he will research where these initiatives are located, and how they can scale and contribute to the resilience of the entire music ecosystem, and thus to the societal viability of the sector.
For more information and interview requestion, please contact Lieke van Eijk, Marketing & Communications Officer via vaneijk@eshcc.eur.nl of 06-34536116.
