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Hannah, Langsted and Larsen 1
Boerner (2004), Tobias (2004) and Urrutiaguer (2002)
all seek to measure creative capacity in performing
arts companies as a single score, whether that is based
on reputation, expert opinion, repertory or choice
directors. The Danish researchers Karen Hannah, Jørn
Langsted and Charlotte Rørdam Larsen take a different approach. While they aim
to develop a framework that can assess the creative capacity of an organisation
as whole (rather than as the sum of individual events or outcomes), Hannah et al
want to deepen the conversation by discussing different components of quality.
Unlike the organisational assessment methods discussed above, their approach is
strictly qualitative. As they write,
K Hannah, J Langsted and C R Larsen, 2003[],
‘Evaluation of Artistic Quality in the Performing
Arts’, Aarhus University.
The aim in our project is not to create a grading system for the assessment of
artistic quality. Neither do we want to transform artistic quality into a quantitative
matter. Instead, we wish to construct a better basis on
Figure 8 The IAN Model
which one can discuss artistic quality. 2
Their model, presented in Figure 8 distinguishes between
three components of artistic quality: intention, ability and
necessity. The authors conceived the framework both as a
means of evaluating individual performances and the work
of organisations as a whole. In the latter case, the ‘artistic
quality’ they seek to assess may be considered roughly equivalent
to our use of ‘creative capacity’.
I
A
In the IAN model, ‘intention’ refers to the artist’s (or organisation’s)
vision—the ‘will to express and communicate’.
While the intention ‘comes from within’, communication is
not a one-way street. According to the authors, ‘the magic of
the performing arts consists of the artist’s ability to listen to
N
(Hannah et al 2003). Reprinted with
permission from the authors.
1 The discussion of Hannah et al’s work is based on an English-language summary. The
authors have produced two books in Danish: J Langsted, K Hannah and C R Larsen, 2003,
Ønskekvist-modellen. Kunstnerisk kvalitet i performativ kunst (The IAN-Model: Artistic
Quality in the Performing Arts), Aarhus: Klim; and J Langsted, K Hannah and C R Larsen,
2008, Ønskekvisten. En håndbog i evaluering af teater, dans og music (The IAN-Model: A
handbook for evaluating theatre, dance, and music), Aarhus: Klim.
2 There is no pagination for this online publication.
CREATIVE CAPACITY OF AN ORGANISATION 111
UNDERSTANDING the value and impacts of cultural experiences