On Friday, 17 April 2015, the students in the UIC Barcelona’s Arts and Cultural Management Programme visited the Gran Teatre del Liceu. In addition to taking a guided tour of the premises, they heard a talk on how cultural institutions handle communications during moments of crisis by Joan Corbera,the director of the theatre’s Communications and Institutional Relations Department.
At the lecture, Joan Corbera gave several examples of communication management during difficult times at the Liceu, including the theatre’s crisis of reputation years back. He gave advice on managing communications when a performance is cancelled or the main performer has to be replaced. He also discussed the actions taken after the recent, tragic plane crash in France, which took the lives of baritone Oleg Bryjak and contralto María Radner, soloists who had appeared in Siegfried and were on their way home after their final performance.
Cobrera, who has been at the helm of the Liceu’s Communications and Institutional Relations Department since its inception nearly two years ago, talked about the importance of being open with the press, given that transparency is one of the keys to a successful communication department. “The key to success is giving them a clear explanation of what you’re doing and what you’re not doing. You’re always rewarded for transparency. By putting the truth right up front, you can build a trusting relationship with the press and establish a credible line of work. Transparency and immediacy.”
Cobrera also addressed the economic problems that often haunt cultural institutions. “The arts don’t have to be profitable. If they did, they’d disappear. But arts management has to look after the bottom line.”
After the lecture, the students in the programme had the chance to tour the facilities at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, which, as Cobrera reminded the students, “may have the greatest international presence of any institution in Catalonia – just after FC Barcelona, anyway”.
