Context
The five cultural institutions operated by the City of Leipzig – Leipzig Opera, Theater der Jungen Welt, Gewandhaus, Schauspiel Leipzig, and Leipzig Music School—with a combined staff of over 1,500, are among Europe’s leading cultural institutions. To ensure they can continue to meet their high artistic standards and guarantee their long-term sustainability, the City of Leipzig commissioned actori in September 2023 to develop a comprehensive overall strategy. The study was intended to examine the impact of current societal conditions and technological possibilities in three key areas: digital transformation, human resources, and audience development. The goal was to identify strategic opportunities for further development and to develop concrete implementation plans without additional municipal funding.
Approach
actori carried out the project from September 2023 to December 2024 in three sequential modules. A three-tiered project organization—comprising a steering committee, cross-organizational working groups for each area of action, and operational project management – ensured that all topics were addressed systematically and in parallel across the five municipal agencies. In Module 1, a comprehensive assessment was conducted through the analysis of existing documents such as staffing plans, organizational charts, and existing strategies, as well as interviews with managers and subject matter experts from all departments. An employee survey with over 500 participants identified pain points and existing ideas, while a visitor survey with approximately 3,000 participants provided insights into target groups and marketing effectiveness. In addition, national and international trend and best-practice analyses were conducted to identify transferable solutions. Module 2 comprised approximately 20 participatory workshops on areas of action with the relevant employees from each facility to develop target visions for each municipal enterprise. During these workshops, identified measures were prioritized and consolidated into a common strategy for each respective area. actori carried out the project from September 2023 to December 2024 in three sequential modules. A three-tiered project organization – comprising a steering committee, cross-organizational working groups for each area of action, and operational project management – ensured a systematic approach. Module 3 served to coordinate efforts across the various municipal agencies and consolidate the developed topics into an overall strategy. This overall strategy also includes a concrete timeline and action plan that takes into account existing financial and human resources, providing the municipal agencies with a concrete roadmap for implementation.
Impact
- The strategy that has been developed enables the city-owned cultural institutions to pursue sustainable development through 2030.
- The strategy, as a comprehensive plan featuring both overarching and specific measures, ensures that all institutions make effective and efficient progress.
- The participatory development process, involving the city and the institutions through approximately 20 workshops, ensures broad acceptance and feasibility at all levels.
- The definition of 26 goals and 113 measures provides the organizations with a concrete implementation plan.
- The cross-organizational analysis identifies specific opportunities for collaboration in digitalization, human resources development, and audience development.
The implemented strategic management structure enables continuous improvement driven by the employees themselves.
The project was carried out by Julius Geiger (Consulting), Marietta Schoenberg (Project Manager), Franziskus Linsmann (Project Manager), and Prof. Maurice Lausberg (Executive Director).