Welcome to Culture le Hic!
As a consultant in arts management and governance, I am specialised in helping cultural organisations fine-tune their strategic development: whether you work for a small, experimental initiative or rather for a more established institution, I can support you in strengthening your organisational structure, while bringing out your innovative potential.
That can entail the following and more in arts and culture:
- Ensure that your mission and vision statement are clear and that they are in sync with your activities
- Support and complete the preparatory work of new projects and initiatives in your field
- Analyse the structure and activities of your organisation with a view towards highlighting both your strengths and weaknesses
- Work towards the sustainability and long-term planning of your project or organisation
- Develop ways to overcome the financial and operational challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic
If you would like to learn more about some of my past and current assignments, more information can be found here I achieve this by accompanying you through your creative and operational process. I am curious to learn everything that I can about your organisation – its assets, as well as its concerns – so that I can tailor my approach to your specific DNA. I am a thinker, but also a doer, and enjoy projects that allow for things to be done differently. I am also passionate to get to know the person behind the work.
If this piqued your curiosity and you would like to find out a bit more about me, have a look here
My support to you is based on more than 15 years of experience working in arts management and arts governance for a diverse range of organisations, both within Europe and beyond. My knowledge of the field includes but is not limited to contemporary arts, the creative industries and cultural heritage; cultural policy, arts practice and conceptual development; financial management and evaluation activities.
Through Culture le Hic, I am keen to put my experience and know-how to work for you and your organisation, whether it be for introductory assignments or for longer-term trajectories.
-> If you would like to speak to me directly about your organisation or activities, please do get in touch!
St’Art-Invest | Public Investment Fund
Financial Schemes | Government Funding | Support Measures
ASSIGNMENT: Programme Consultancy in Dutch
Ongoing since September 2021 | Belgium
With the goal to support and develop the Cultural and Creative Industries in Belgium, St’Art-Invest is both a public investment fund for the sector as well as interlocutor on behalf of the government. Ittherefore, among others, manages several subsidy funds and support measures. I am engaged to offer advice and inform about current schemes specifically for the Dutch-speaking community, which includes presentations and Q&A-sessions.
start-invest.be
Individual Artistic Practitioners / Small Collaborative Initiatives
Sector-wide | Coaching
ASSIGNMENT: Change Management
Ongoing since November 2021 | Europe
Whether right at the start or at a more advanced stage of a project or activity, it sometimes happens to feel stuck or lost. That is, it might not be exactly clear how to shape the next step(s). That could be in terms of needing to (re)define a project or activity, put more structure in the chosen approach or give clarity to ideas and thoughts. I help in doing exactly that, based on unique tools and a methodology that can afterwards be applied autonomously.
RABBKO | Brussels Platform of Arts Organisations
Network organisation | Brussels Cultural and Arts Sector | Evaluation
ASSIGNMENT: Assessment trajectory in view of a transition of the organisation
January - April 2022 | Brussels (BE)
Design and execution of an evaluation trajectory for RAB/BKO, one of the biggest member-based
networks of the Brussels cultural sector. The objective is to analyse the current state of the network
in order to prompt a (re)definition of its short, medium and long-term priorities and thus a transition
that will keep pace with current and future developments of the arts sector as a whole. Carried out
as part of the collective Culture le Hic - Mouvance.
rabbko.be
ILES | Creative Industries | Coaching
Centre for Artistic Entrepreneurship Coaching
ASSIGNMENT: Business development and self-employment advise for the cultural sector
Ongoing since June 2022 | Brussels (BE)
ILES has been around for more than 20 years, all the while offering tailor-made and personalised
support for those aspiring to develop an artistic and/or creative professional activity. I give advice
and coach selected candidates with business creation and/or self-employment projects in the
Cultural and Creative Industries. In other words: how structured steps, motivation, a sense of realism
and encouragement can lead to realising a long-term vision.
iles.be
European Commission | Supranational Governmental Organisation
Public Funding | Cultural Heritage | Evaluation
ASSIGNMENT: Expert Evaluator of H2020 Research and Innovation funding applications
April - September 2017 | Europe-wide
As an Expert Evaluator it is essential to be able to judge the real-life potential of a proposal presented on paper. I helped to advise the European Commission about the soundness and viability of project proposals from all over Europe in the field of cultural heritage in rural environments. The given evaluations are binding. Applicable funding per project runs upwards of 10.000.000 €
ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/
Author & Co-Author | Books, Articles, Op-Eds
Various topics in Culture and in Education
Topics covered: Visual Art, Intereuropean Collaboration, Religious Cultural Heritage, Fashion Design, Global Art Market, Art Biennials, Africa & Europe, Resilience, ICT for Learning. Written in English, French, German, and Dutch
- May You Live in Interesting Times : Resilience* | LinkedIn | April 2020 | EN
linkedin.com/pulse/may-you-live-interesting-times-resilience-sandra-t-j-coumans
- The Global of Fashion | MAD Brussels | September 2019 | EN
mad.brussels/global-fashion
- Les biennales d’art autour du monde | Africa e Mediterraneo n. 90 (1/19) | August 2019 | FR
laimomo.it
- The Lubumbashi Biennial. The Step Towards an Anchorage | Rekto:Verso | March 2018 | NL & FR ; Arts Management | October 2018 | EN
artsmanagement.net/articles
rektoverso.be/artikel/biennale-de-lubumbashi-de-stap-naar-verankering
rektoverso.be/artikel/
- The Mishap of Cultural Values in Present-day Europe | Flanders Arts Institute | June 2017 | EN
kunsten.be/dossiers/
- The Netherlands: Newly launched church inventory site attracts church owners and the press alike | Future for Religious Heritage | December 2015 | EN
frh-europe.org
- Erasmus+. Building on experience, best practices in ICT for Learning | European Commission (Co-author and editing) | December 2014 | EN
bookshop.europa.eu
publications.europa.eu
- Geschichte und Identität. „Black Box / Chambre noire“ von William Kentridge | Regiospectra Verlag | December 2011 | DE
regiospectra.de/buecher/afrika/suedafrika/
Speaker & Moderator | Talks, Roundtables, Workshops
Within the Realm of Arts Management, Governance, and Policy
Topics covered:
Arts and Culture, Arts Management, Policy Development, International Relations, Sustainability, Technology.
Delivered in English, French, German, and Dutch.
• Participation in a closed panel discussion on the New European Bauhaus for the Brussels context | Perspective.Brussels | Belgium | April 2021
• In conversation with influencer Laurafromthedesert about sustainability in fashion | Ding Dong Challenge European Commission | Belgium | November 2020
• Moderation of brainstorm workshop about the future of the project TRIAXES | MAD | Belgium | October 2020
• Moderation of a round table about best practices and current challenges faced by the Belgian arts community | IETM | Belgium | September 2019
• Moderation of panel discussion about international cultural policies, how they function, and what are their shortcomings | Festival OFF D’Avignon | France | July 2019
• Moderation of stakeholder meeting about the planned European fashion network UFE| MAD | Belgium | June 2019
• Presentation about transnational arts organisations in Europe | Oslo Region European Office | Belgium | March 2019
• Presentation Europatalk: European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 | EuropeDirect Ostbelgien | Belgium | November 2018
• Presentation and panellist !F Lab training (interactive digital technology) | Creative Europe Desk | Poland | June 2018
• Presentation about the Lubumbashi art biennial in its global context | Università della Calabria | Italy | May 2018
• Workshop on interactive storytelling | TechHub Riga | Latvia | November 2017
• Moderation of panel discussion “European Cultural Routes of Reformation” | Representation of Thuringia to the EU | Belgium | October 2016
• Workshop on ICT and learning during Kick-off days | European Commission | Belgium | April 2013
• Presentation “The Animated Works of William Kentridge” | Klik! International Animation Festival | Netherlands | November 2012
• Presentation “History and Memory in Black Box / Chambre noire” | Goethe-Universität Frankfurt | Germany | June 2011
• Presentation “Kentridge’s Staging Practice between Opera and Visual Art’ | Columbia University New York | USA | March 2010
See also: Brussels Binder
brusselsbinder.org/boomvrouw/
!DROPS | Social Innovation Agency
Interactive Digital Tech | Cultural Strategy
ASSIGNMENT: Coordination of the pan-European training !F Lab
October 2017 - March 2019 | Ghent (BE) & Europe
The training programme !F Lab is geared towards the creative development of interactive storytelling. I took over its coordination mid-term, which involved having to quickly grasp the project’s set-up alongside the key challenges of interactive digital technology, in order to be able to find additional partners, funding, and participants within relatively short notice. One of the end products of the programme was a toolkit that facilitates DIY interactive storytelling in a very practical and affective way.
iflab.net
iflab.net/#cost
Funding Applications | EU and Others
Related to a wide range of topics and programmes of the Cultural and Creative Industries
ASSIGNMENTS: Support in funding opportunities, mapping calls and grant writing
Ongoing since 2012 | Europe and Africa
The funding programmes I have worked on include the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (UNESCO) | Culture at Work Africa | EU ACP | Creative Europe Networks strand | Creative Europe Cooperation projects | MEDIA | Horizon2020 | Erasmus+
Topics covered: Youth Projects | European Networks | Religious Heritage | Classical Orchestras | Audience Development | Cultural Business Models | Mobility | Sustainability | Contemporary Art | Social Cohesion | Regional Development | Interactive Digital Tech | Evaluation | Communication & Dissemination | PR & Marketing | Commons | Gentrification | Covid recovery programme | Implementation of Funding Cycles | Roma communities | Audience Development
Sint-Lucas Gent | Institution for Higher Arts Education
Visual Art | Global Art Market
ASSIGNMENT: Workshop facilitator for arts students as part of the lecture series ‘Art in Local and International Context’
March 2018 | Ghent (BE)
Biennials of contemporary art play a critical role in the international art scene, both for the exhibiting artists and for other arts professionals. My workshop focussed on the development of the biennial format and its ever-expanding role, both locally and globally. My goal was to create an interactive and engaging workshop for an audience that consisted mainly of arts practitioners.
Member of Board of Directors
Dance collective | Contemporary Art Venue | Cultural Centre
ROLE: Board member of various cultural organisations
• Out of Sight | Ongoing since May 2018 | Antwerp (BE)
Out Of Sight is a venue for international exchange and contemporary art in Antwerp, Belgium, whose programme is built around international cooperations among artists, curators, researchers, and the public at large, with a special focus on Western Europe and the Balkans.
http://out-of-sight.be/
• De Pianofabriek | Ongoing since March 2019 | Brussels (BE)
The cultural centre De Pianofabriek is a renowned, open house in a metropolitan, superdiverse environment. It is a place where people are offered opportunities for entering into dialogue with another, and where new ideas and initiatives arise, based on existing local and metropolitan dynamics. I am currently a member of their Executive Board.
pianofabriek.be
• Mouvance | Ongoing since September 2022 | Brussels (BE)
Mouvance is a collective of amateur and professional dancers. Through all its activities, mainly in
French-speaking Belgium, it aims at giving expression to the creative power of each individual
through their body.
mouvance-asbl.be
Communities of Peers
ROLE: Memberships
• Rebound | October 2022 - November 2021 | Brussels (BE)
A platform for female entrepreneurs in Brussels who want to contribute with their business to an economic and social transition. Supported by womeninbusiness.brussels and HUB.
• RAB / BKO | Ongoing since June 2021 | Brussels (BE)
Network of French-, Dutch-, and bilingual professional organisations active in the Brussels cultural and artistic sector.
rabbko.be
• July 2018 - October 2020 | Paris (FR), Madrid (ES) & worldwide
culture Solutions is a not-for-profit independent association that aims to positively contribute to EU international cultural relations. Among other things, I assisted with a needs analysis of the cultural and creative sectors with a special focus on international relations, including at the policy level.
culturesolutions.eu
MAD | Brussels Fashion and Design Support Platform
Fashion Design | European Cooperation
ASSIGNMENT: Establishment of a new European network in fashion design
October 2018 - September 2019 | Brussels (BE)
Pan-European cooperation in fashion design is an emerging field, which means that confidence in its purpose and benefits still need to be established. United Fashion Europe (UFE) is the very first extensive network at the service of fashion SMEs, related businesses and organisations in Europe, with the goal of fostering their creativity and viability. In cooperation with MAD, I developed the conceptual, legal, and financial set-up of UFE, and in the process produced a streamlined business plan and roadmap.
united-fashion.eu
EO-LAB II | Consortium of European Orchestras
Classical Music | Audience Development | Dissemination
ASSIGNMENT: Development and implementation of dissemination activities for an EU project dedicated to building new audiences through re-imagining orchestra management models
July - October 2019 | Europe-wide
The EO-Lab II project was about finding ways to truly connect with harder to reach communities, while taking a critical look at the role of hierarchical management in culture. My role was to pinpoint the project’s relevance and essential results, and design a corresponding dissemination strategy. I therefore mapped all the relevant sectors and organisations, and succeeded in drawing attention to both the project and its results, as demonstrated by social media posts and publications.
project.eo-lab.eu
MAD | Brussels Fashion and Design Support Platform
Fashion Design | Product Design | Enterpreneurship
ASSIGNMENT: Prospect the long-term sustainability of an innovative coaching project and university programme for fashion and design entrepreneurs
January 2020 - July 2021 | Brussels (BE)
The project TRIAXES, spearheaded by MAD Brussels, offers entrepreneurs and start-ups in the fashion and design industry what they desperately need, but cannot afford: operational coaching combined with the collective intelligence of multiple experts to help them bootstrap their activity. An Executive Master’s programme, based on the same methodology, has also since been put into place. While highly effective, this programme is also rather costly; I have therefore been charged with the task of developing opportunities to make it more viable, both financially and conceptually.
mad.brussels/triaxes
mad.brussels/triaxes-ens
Parcours MASO | Collective of Senior Arts Managers
Arts and Culture Management | Training
ROLE: Tutor at practice-based training in arts management
Ongoing since April 2021 | Brussels (BE)
Those who work in the cultural sector typically do so out of a combination of personal conviction and social commitment. They are also often familiar with the sector’s specific organisational challenges, but not necessarily with possible solutions. Together with three other professionals in arts management and governance, I have founded a training programme that is firmly rooted in everyday practice while offering tailor-made advice on topics such as cultural policy, mission-vision-values, production, and brokering.
GPF Africa | Event Production Company
Stand-Up Comedy | Funding | Prospection
ASSIGNMENT: Mapping and development of funding possibilities (public funding, philanthropy, diaspora) for various comedy circuits in Africa
March - December 2021 | Central, West & Southern Africa
GFP Africa, which is linked to the Montreux comedy festival - the largest French-speaking comedy festival worldwide - aims to support the development of various local comedy circuits on the African continent. This assignment is about investigating and mapping funding possibilities where options are relatively limited, while putting comedy on the map of the Culture and Creative Industries and demonstrating its professional relevance.
montreuxcomedy.com
Fantômas | Film Magazine
Cinema & Visual Culture | Financial and Operational Viability
ASSIGNMENT: Financial Coordinator
July 2021 - January 2022 | Belgium & the Netherlands
Fantômas is a brand new, Dutch-speaking, critical journal that is dedicated to film and visual culture founded in June 2021. The journal will have both a traditional print format and will explore the potentials of digital publications. I am engaged as the Financial Coordinator, in order to build a financially sound management strategy in a sector that is extremely challenged by the current technological landscape.
Fantômas is a brand new, Dutch-speaking, critical journal that is dedicated to film and visual culture founded in June 2021. The journal will have both a traditional print format and will explore the potentials of digital publications. I am engaged as the Financial Coordinator, in order to build a financially sound management strategy in a sector that is extremely challenged by the current technological landscape.
fantomas.be
- I was raised between the mergel and löss of the deep south in the Netherlands, that is in Limburg; an area that makes some people reflect on their roots and others explore the world. Whatever your experience one thing is for certain - your surroundings matter.
- I then lived in Amsterdam.
- From where I moved to Barcelona and Berlin.
- And am now based in Brussels.
- It is here that I have decided to set up camp, in the midst of the Belgian and European urban jungle, where I host colourful birds and butterflies, three koi, two rhinos, a gorilla, and a tree frog in my flat. And plenty of plants to boot.
- At the age of 19, I decided I wanted to spend my life doing something that I would miss when not doing it.
- This quickly turned out to be arts and culture, which to this day still makes me tick.
- I care about how the world turns and how we turn in it.
- I love it when 1+1 equals more than 2.
- It would be awesome if the car tunnels in Brussels would be turned into urban cave diving spaces, whose beds were filled with water from the Zenne and whose walls were enhanced by local artists. Dare to dream big – and wild.
- I have tried my hand at electricity, plumbing, interior design and carpentry, all in the name of home improvement. The apartment is still standing and has not burnt down; it flooded only once and now I have a sturdy, one-of-a-kind table. Making = knowing!
- I have a weird accent, put milk in my tea, and adore veggies.
- My head is swimming with 5.5 different languages, which in all of their beautiful chaos and demanding precision make for a life that is extremely enriching.
- There’s of course much more to tell. For one, Aby Warburg, who introduced me to an inspirational universe of structured anachronism and associative thinking. Or Nina Simone, who remains my heroine for her strength and stoicism.
Sandra T.J. Coumans
+32 (0)488 479 996 (BE)
sandra.c@culturelehic.eu
VAT: BE0677.902.910
IBAN: NL98INGB0006874004
BIC: INGBNL2A