Research Leaflet

Invitation to research participation 

 

Title for ph.d. project: An other inside: A practice-based exploration of the relation between the individual creative drive and professional responsibilities and structures around collaboration in the creative industries.

 

1. Introduction

In the creative industries, professional development as leadership training and individual support is still a young discipline. This research aims to dig deeper into the experiences and how people make sense of them in narratives that influences the experience of working with cultural production and professional quality in the context of the creative industries and how these narratives support and prevent work conditions where people can thrive creatively.

2. Research Objectives

• Explore personal experiences and reflections inherent in the process of managing both own creative drive and professional obligations.
• Examine the relationship between personal narratives and successful strategies for developing own professional practice.
• Identify insights and strategies to develop better work conditions for creative work within a professional context.
• Contribute to the evolving discourse on leadership in the creative industries by sharing tacit knowledge and lived experiences.

3. Methodology

The research employs a practice-based research methodology, with a three-fold approach:

a) Biographical narrative interpretive interviews: This interview method will give you the chance to tell your own story about how you developed your professional life and how you experience the relationship between your life experiences and your professional situation today. The interview is conducted by the researcher Thea Mikkelsen without other people attending.

b) Action research: Action research is a research methodology where you work with change and think about what happens while you do it. The change we will work with is the change in reflection and actions you will experience while you go through the online Næste skridt process that consists of individual online learning and reflection modules and online group sessions.

c) Questionnaires: After each group session you will be asked to answer questions about the session.

 

4. Participant Profile and Role

We are looking for 6-10 participants from the Nordic cultural and creative industries. The participants will be working professionally (that is making money) in the cultural and creative industries:

1. a) Self-employed: Participants can have their own company or work as self employed and independent.
2. b) Employed: Participants can work for a company where they hold a creative role.

 

    5. Data Collection and Confidentiality

All sessions and interviews will be conducted using platforms such as Zoom or Kajabi. You will get an introduction that will help you use the platforms. The interactions might be recorded in written, audio, and video formats, with the utmost priority given to confidentiality and participant consent. Data will be anonymized before shared with anyone outside the group, ensuring participant identities and specific responses remain unlinked. All recordings and data will be stored securely.

All participants will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding information from their co-participants.

6. Benefits to Participants

For the individual participant: Apart from contributing to an essential body of knowledge, participants stand to gain personal insights from these reflective sessions. This research offers an opportunity for introspection, professional progress, professionalisation of own working methods, understanding one's professional journey, and identifying areas of potential personal and professional growth and development.

For sponsoring organisations: Organisations that send participants will have the benefit of getting insight into the recommendations from the research and hereby secure the thriving of their creative environments that will secure their competitive advantage.

7. Timeline and Commitment

The research is anticipated to span over 6 months, with periodic interactions.

January 2025: Undertake a Biographical narrative interpretive interview (2-4 hours)

January 2025 – June 2025: Self-coaching process: The participants go through the 12 steps Milano Club process (på dansk hedder forløbet Næste skridt) individually (24 hours)

January 2025 – June 2025: The participants join 5 x 2 hours online group sessions – we will try to find a time slot that fit the participants (10 hours) 

8. Conclusion

This research seeks to be more than just an academic exercise. It hopes to resonate with the lived experiences of people working in the creative industries, aiming to provide real, actionable insights that can transform the professional development trajectories of creative people and the work environments in the creative industries.

Your participation or referral can make this vision a reality. I invite you to be a part of this exciting journey.

 

9. Next steps

If you would like to express your interest in participating in this research, please email Thea Mikkelsen at [email protected]. If you would like to have a conversation before expressing your interest, please call Thea on +45 31410051

 

10. Researcher

My name is Thea Mikkelsen, and I am currently a PhD candidate through NIODA (National Institute of Organisation Dynamics Australia). I have 15 years’ experience working as a leadership coach and consultant in the creative industries. During these years I have worked for both the Danish and Norwegian Film Institute and Associations for Architects, for the German continuing education institute Erich Pommer as well as for companies from a broad range of creative fields where I have worked with organisational development and leadership trainings. I have written four books on professional creativity for people in the creative industries and innovation. The latest Coaching the Creative Impulse,  published in English by Routledge in 2020.

I live in Italy with my two daughters and my husband.