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Both emerging and established organisations inevitably go through a process of renewal or restructure. Part of staying relevant and fresh in the arts means adapting to new ways of working, creating and delivering programs. From moving venues and handling sharp growth through to organisational restructures and budget cuts, the volatility of the arts industry means organisations have to be adaptable and agile in order to remain afloat in times of stress.
Light after darkness
The Adelaide Festival Centre is situated on the Adelaide Riverbank, surrounded by Adelaide Railway Station, Adelaide Casino, Parliament House and the Festival Plaza, which is currently undergoing a $900 million redevelopment . The Festival Centre is also being upgraded, resulting in the temporary closure of the Festival Theatre from July to December this year.
Read: Adelaide Festival Centre to receive $90 million upgrade
The Festival Centre website states: ‘The difficult decision to close Festival Theatre temporarily was made with a great deal of consideration. While this closure is challenging for Adelaide Festival Centre, we are looking forward to providing a better patron experience upon its completion.’
Douglas Gautier AM, Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director said: ‘We are embarking on an exciting period of renewal and change with the most significant capital infrastructure project undertaken since Adelaide Festival Centre’s doors first opened in 1973.’
Such a large redevelopment involves clear communication to staff, patrons and stakeholders to maintain confidence and minimise disruption.
‘We acknowledge that the redevelopment presents some challenges and we are doing everything we can to minimise disruption and ensure safety throughout,’ said Gautier. ‘This includes a coordinated communications strategy that provides up to date information and access details to patrons.’
While a period of disruption can be difficult for any organisation, with a project such as a redevelopment, there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. ‘Our future is very exciting and the end result will be a world class venue for South Australia and a great facility for Adelaide Festival Centre staff, artists, and patrons,’ Gautier said.
Recovering after redundancy
While some organisations undertake redevelopments which will ultimately improve the experience for everyone, in some cases restructures can leave an employee high and dry.
Fairfax’s announcement in April of editorial budgets cuts resulting in 125 job losses led to editorial staff taking industrial action for seven days. The cuts are symptomatic of the media and arts landscape as a whole, where redundancies seem to be coming thick and fast in Australia and around the world.
Read: Shining a light on salaries
Research shows that older workers are often the most impacted during upheavals. The New Beats study has been following the lives of more than 3,000 journalists who became redundant in Australia during or since 2012. The study found that the average age of those whose positions became redundant is around 50, and on average they have had more than 20 years’ experience as journalists. While there is no data on the ages of those who kept their jobs, it’s also clear that some older workers were targeted.
Job searching as an older worker can be challenging, as the recruitment market is conservative, risk averse and template driven. But as the workforce changes, employers will have to stop favouring youth and looking for workers with more experience.
‘As our population ages, the largest cohort of workers for the future will be those 45 and older (about 40% of the workforce in 2011) and the smallest will be those under 25 (only 14% in 2011),’ said Ron Browne, director of PLUS40, a job site for mature workers.
‘Employers that ignore or discriminate against mature age workers (either overtly or covertly) will find themselves without a workforce.’
Coping with change
It is normal to feel a sense of grief when being made redundant, or when your organisation announces a major redevelopment. ‘The biggest challenges are the initial shock, then the questioning of self-worth, the grief over loss of regular contact with work colleagues and then depression about the situation,’ said Browne.
‘Counselling is usually offered by ethical companies that make staff redundant and many offer outplacement services [such as] assistance through a recruitment consultant with trying to find re-employment.’
When an organisation is undergoing a major upheaval, morale can be low. It is important that an organisation takes steps to inform staff and manage their reduced workloads.
‘Where workloads and hours are reduced, Adelaide Festival Centre staff are encouraged to take leave or upgrade skills and training; we have sourced alternative employment for casual employees who need to top up their hours; and, as always, our Employee Assistance Program is available for confidential counselling and support if anyone is struggling with change and needs assistance from someone outside the organisation,’ said Gautier.
