Aniko Racz

Like so many of my colleagues in the profession I have a number of hats. My permanent job covers strategic development and international relations at SÍN Arts Centre, a production house in Budapest for the development of independent contemporary dance artists. We offer space, production management, financial management services, consultancy, mentoring, share knowledge, represent artists internationally, initiate our own projects. We do all this in local and international partnerships. Although we celebrate the idea of independence we also recognize the beauty of interdependence, of relying on each other within the organization and externally.

As a biannual project I'm head of coordination of dunaPart – platform for Hungarian contemporary performing arts, an initiative of Hungary’s main contemporary performing arts hub, Trafó. Here the main focus is on the best ways and formats to connect Hungarian artists into the international professional network.

I'm also venue director of the dance and theatre venue of Sziget Festival a one-week summer festival in Budapest of 500.000 guests. This work gives me a chance to programme for an audience new to contemporary theatre. We have about 35 events and 200 artists within a week. Also it’s a great learning curve about leadership and team work.

Apart from a 2-year programme on arts management at University, where I earnt an MA in English linguistics and literature, I’ve been learning arts management on the go for the last 16ys. I persistently look for opportunities to learn from colleagues. I'm now taking part in a 3-semester programme at the Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy to be a coach and business trainer. My plan is to apply this knowledge and practice of raising questions in my work with the artists, to launch a mentorship programme on long term development in the coming year. I regularly participate the IETM meetings, I'm currently a member of its advisory board.