Following a lengthy period of ideologically enforced austerity, both the arts and cultural and higher education sectors currently face significant challenges. These sectors heavily rely on what economists call “human capital” and what the rest of us simply call people. But where does investment in the resilience of people sit in relationship to business or organisational resilience and what is privileged and why? Is striving to be resilient something that primarily benefits organisations, or can it actually also provide an opportunity to reconnect with purpose, creativity and kindness and even happiness.

Recent research commissioned by Arts Council England shows that although outwardly the arts have been remarkably resilient over the last decade, it is the sector’s committed workforce, largely freelance and often lowly paid, that have made this possible, at arguably significant personal cost. Dr Paul Gorczynski of Portsmouth University reflects that 43% of academic staff have exhibited symptoms of at least a mild mental disorder. This is nearly twice the prevalence of mental disorders compared with the general population. Primarily to blame are the increased workloads as well as demands to publish and obtain external revenue.

The work of researchers such as Emiliana R. Simon-James, at The Greater Good Science Centre, UC Berkeley, and Shawn Achor at Harvard University point to the profound importance of good leadership, sense of purpose, focus, engagement kindness and positivity in the development of resilience and work productivity. But these are areas that are hard to measure and assess, and are seldom prioritised for investment and development. Furthermore, how can we best work into or alongside these ideas at a point where we facing serious wider social and global environmental challenges?

Building on TCCE’s recent collaboration with Cass Business School of City University of London, and The Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University on the Boosting Resilience Project, Re-imagining Resilience offers the opportunity to come together to explore how we can best invest our personal and organisational resources for positive change. Through the afternoon, there will be a range of keynotes, as well as workshops offering opportunities to: develop interdisciplinary thinking and networking and to reflect on how, individually and collectively, we might be able to re-imagine resilience in more authentic and fruitful ways for the wider good. Contributors will include: Tom Andrews, Hilary Carty, (Director Clore Leadership), Rebekka Kill, (Leadership, Education and Creativity specialist), Jazz Rasool (Researcher, Ravensbourne University London), Alice Sharp (Director and Curator, Invisible Dust) and others will be announced in due course.

Tickets:

Full price £75

Concessionary price for unfunded artists £20

Please note that the Concessionary price is available only for artists or small arts organisations currently not in receipt of regular or project funding.

A limited number of free tickets are available to TCCE members. These are: City, University of London, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Faculty of Education, Health and Community, Liverpool John Moores University, London South Bank University, Loughborough University London, Middlesex University London, Ravensbourne University London, Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, University College London, University of West London. These will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Please email noshin@tcce.co.uk to secure your place.