“We are currently in the process of writing a new strategic plan and engaged Culture Radar to help organise and facilitate a board and staff away day. We worked with Jeanie in advance to determine objectives for the day and identify the best methods of delivery. During the away day, Jeanie guided us through the crucial process of examining our organisational values and ambitions as we look to reassert our relevance in this new post-Covid world. The board and staff were overwhelmed with the support and insight provided by Culture Radar throughout the whole process and there was a shared belief amongst all that we had devised the start of an ambitious and impactful plan for the future.”

Gerard Mehigan, Development & Strategy Manager, Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival

Started in 1978, the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival has been showcasing international talent to audiences through its festival, one of the largest in Europe, which has traditionally welcomed around 70,000 people annually.

Like all live festivals, COVID-19 had severely impacted the festival’s business, and it wanted to review its strategy and programme as part of its recovery planning and ahead of business and investment activity for 2022 onwards.

Culture Radar worked with the festival’s senior team to prepare, design and facilitate an intensive board and staff development day which included insight talks from festival artists, information sharing, and group activities and reflections.

Key outcomes included a refreshed future vision and ambition for the festival, revived values and principles, and clearly identified strategic priorities which the company could integrate into its strategic planning. The approach also successfully brought together a board and staff team (both of which had undergone some change during the pandemic) to work together, agree a future direction, and most importantly begin to feel motivated and excited again about the festival’s future.

Expertise: Development, Facilitation, Strategy