For me, dynamism is about who you’re listening to, what you’re noticing and what impact this data has on how you work. We are at our most dynamic when we’re in an active relationship with our environment – scanning, exploring, curious – seeking out and divining an understanding of the needs, perceptions and challenges of the people and communities that we exist to serve. I suppose we’re at our least dynamic when we’re listening to ourselves, referencing our own past, traditions and ways of making, or listening only to the trusty audiences whose passive acceptance and support for what we’ve been doing has kept us safe in the past…. read more – here is the Blog post.

We’ve been thinking about some ways you might explore dynamism. You might enjoy connecting with some of the ‘postcards to the future’ our podcast series last year on Culture Reset – including interviews with Sharmaine Lovegrove, Nina Simon, Bryony Kimmings, Farooq Chaudhry, Nato Thompson and Wesley Enoch. 

We have been inspired by many organisations who have been demonstrating dynamism in the way they have shifted their business models, evolved their skills and culture and responded to a changing world. We love the partnerships and product lines that the brilliant Intoart have developed, are really excited at the development of an agency at Pegasus Opera – sitting alongside their programme and new commissions – to support Opera singers of African and Asian origin to be better represented on our stages, and the development by Fuel and partners, of an anti-racism touring rider is another great example of a dynamic intervention to shift culture.

people make it work is a collection of 60 freelance cultural workers, leaders in their fields. A selection of them share their views on dynamism here. See more about our team here 

Some practical exercises and tools you might use to open up and explore dynamism with your leadership team, board or wider staff group.

Some other resources we’ve found useful when we’ve been thinking about dynamism (let us know what you’ve found useful too) Nesta’s brilliant and free Futurefest player, Creative United, Coventry’s brilliant open source data set, Dr James Doeser’s Culture Case.