Festival Management: Theory and Practice seminar - Kathryn Heidemann

On February 13 and 14, Kathryn Heidemann, director of the GIOCA-MAM double degree at Carnegie Mellon University, will held a seminar on 

Festival Management: Theory and Practice

In Festival Management: Theory and Practice, participants will learn the fundamental aspects of planning and managing festivals and events. The course will explore the role of the arts festival, operational and logistical processes, marketing and communication strategies, programming practices (performing, visual and multi-disciplinary), community engagement tools, evaluation methods and other best practices in the festival management realm.   Participants will learn to define the fundamental inputs and outputs involved in planning and conducting festivals and events, identify marketing strategies and partnerships to effectively leverage a festival, understand the role of festivals in building audiences and communities, and assess organizational/operational structures, strengths, and weaknesses.  

The seminar is planned on Thursday, February 13, 1-4pm and Friday, February 14, 2-4pm, in room Filopanti 5, School of Economics, Management and Statistics, Bologna.

Kathryn Heidemann is a senior arts management professional with fifteen years of field experience in festival management, arts presenting, marketing, fundraising, operations, and education and community engagement. She has worked with a variety of festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, First Night Pittsburgh, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, CineDance Festival, and others.  In her current role as Director of the Master of Arts Management (MAM) program at Carnegie Mellon University, Kathryn oversees the arts management curriculum and academic affairs, spearheads the program’s administration strategies (marketing, alumni relations, career services, admissions) and research laboratories, and cultivates partnerships at the local/national/international levels.   As an educator, Kathryn teaches courses in festival management, arts management capstone, independent arts research, and has conducted seminars on various arts management and leadership topics at conferences and institutions across the globe.   Kathryn holds a Master of Arts Management (MAM) degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago, where she studied performing arts management and dance.