Elke contributed to develop the image of the Center
for fine Arts in Brussels better known as BOZAR in Europe,
having led the funding team for four years
now. She attended the CultureBusiness forum
last year presenting the partnership she developed with Sony.
She is one of the CultureBusiness
committee members this year, unsurprisingly, as her focus is largely on
strengthening cultural institutions internally and externally in the Funding
area.
Hello Elke. Could you tell us a
little bit more about your job?
I am in charge of the BOZAR funding team at the Center
for Fine Arts - BOZAR- in Brussels. This department was set up to raise funds
to help finance the artistic projects as well
as help find partners for what is called the
Masterplan – the renovationproject of our Art Deco building.
We communicate on the crucial role played by culture as one of the pillars
of our identity and development, which means
that we conceive it as part of a wider process. By doing so, we create the
conditions for lasting partnerships that are in line with the values that are shared by our
sponsors and partners. We advocate coherence in
support with respect for the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy defined by our partners. Punctual corporate
partnerships are also set up through project sponsoring, corporate hospitalities as well
as hall rental for conferences, seminars, ect, all with the
greatest respect for the artistic program and
building. Last but not least, we also develop and nurture the support of
private individuals who support the Centre for Fine Arts.
Is there a specific way of becoming a
fundraiser today?
It is a relatively new profession
on our continent and mostly an import from the Anglo-Saxon society, but it is at last starting to be
fully recognized. I read that the study entitled Fundorama led by the French
Fundraisers Association and the CerPhi (French research center in
philanthropy) found that only 5% of the fundraising professionals work in the
cultural sector.
At BOZAR we have been developing it for
several years now, the true success lies in the passion for the project you
work for and the understanding of the partner’s needs as well as the possible
synergies with your project. BOZAR is definitely an institution to be
passionate about. 2002 was a turning point for The Center for Fine Arts: the merging of
the various artistic departments, the set up of an efficient governance model
under one director general Paul Dujardin and the creation of the BOZAR
brand, were the key ingredients for the success of
BOZAR today. A small funding team was created, which I have had the
chance to successfully develop for four years now.
As for myself, I studied in Toronto
- Canada, then worked in media and advertising
for 13 years, which was a thrilling experience, but not nurturing and
substantial enough for me, which led me to work for
the cultural sector, a passion since childhood. My past experience in media was definitely a plus, as the
majority of corporate funding revenue today is closely connected to
marketing and communication strategies. It is however my wish to further
develop the individual and Maecenas support in line with the CSR strategy of
many companies and foundations.
You occupy a key situation in a
major Belgian institution. What are the challenges and the needs of your
activity today,and why going to cultureBusiness represents strong added value
for cultural institutions?
It really has become a daily renewed challenge to reach our objectives. When it comes to the Center, the money we raise in our department is crucial to balance the final artistic budget. A lack of money from this side would quite simply jeopardize the existence of some events. It is also very important to have the support of the various artistic department directors, they are at the source of the projects and will bring extra insights that can make the difference as well as show an integrated approach to funding for BOZAR.
Taking part in
CultureBusiness will help institutions develop their knowledge of Funding and Fundraising which has become key
today for our sector and it will offer interesting
cross border networking possibilities. Exchanges of best practices
and case studies during the conference create conditions to rethink the way we
work, and could even lead to international
collaborations, which is something BOZAR is very interested in, as a lot of our
artistic productions (exhibitions for example) are hosted abroad and
international collaborations are an intrinsic part of our artistic programming. There
are relatively few platforms of this kind able to reach out to people on an
international level.
BOZAR is on Twitter
>> http://twitter.com/BOZARbrussels
Interview by Claire Solery
Comments