Our Program
Humber’s Arts Administration and Cultural Management graduate certificate program is for those who wish to combine their passion for the arts, culture and heritage with business acumen and management skills. This distinctive program promotes diverse, multidisciplinary performing and visual artistic expressions supported by organizational competence in revenue development (earned and contributed), management of human resources (artists, volunteers, companies), planning (financial, strategic, special events, career), and communications (multi-platform, digital, marketing).
The program is situated within the creative milieu of Humber’s renowned programs in theatre, writing, visual and digital arts, music, photography, animation, television, and film. The program’s hybrid components allow for flexible learning arrangements. Real-world experience is gained through varied field placements in commercial, government and not-for-profit arts and culture organizations and collaborative capstone projects which demonstrate to employers the breadth of graduates’ abilities.
Courses Learning OutcomesSemester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
Develop a historical perspective with regard to the development and impact of artistic activity in Canada.
Design and implement efficient box office eservices (including reservations and refund policies, ticket sales, staffing and customer services and inventory seat control), contract with touring companies for performances.
Design and produce exhibitions for galleries and museums including labelling, display and public education.
Plan, implement and manage fundraising activities to secure grant support from private foundations, corporations and government agencies.
Plan, implement and manage fundraising activities and practices of public relations and communications, particularly as applied to the field of the arts.
Develop a basic understanding of the negotiation and administration of arts contracts.
Design and implement effective marketing and promotion strategies.
Develop a wide range of basic administrative skills pertaining to human resources management, facilities management, organizational structure and internal relations and financial management.
Develop essential skills related to fiscal planning, management and control.
Communicate effectively in both written and spoken business communications.
Develop a wide range of skills pertaining to the establishment and effective management of volunteers and boards of directors.
Develop an understanding of the applications of microcomputers in the arts field, including word processing, financial records and reporting and ticketing.
Work Placement
Two guided field placements offer students relevant experience and the development of mentoring relationships. Students have participated in placements with more than 100 regional, national and international arts and culture organizations including The National Ballet; The Royal Conservatory of Music; The Stratford Festival; the Hockey Hall of Fame; The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts; and numerous galleries, theatres, concert halls, museums and festivals. Students are responsible, with assistance, for arranging their own field placement locations and terms, and for the completion of the required 420 hours.
“Anne Frost has helped more people get jobs than most employment agencies combined.”
~ Blanche Israël, Founder, Proscenium Services
Your Career
Our graduates have attained a variety of arts administration and cultural management positions in such organizations as Mississauga Arts Council, CARFAC Ontario, Theatre Ontario, ImagiNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Canadian Film Centre, Soulpepper, Theatre Passe Muraille, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto International Film Festival and Toronto Dance Theatre.
The Humber Advantage
Student Success Stories
“One of the real strengths of the Humber program is getting to interact with creative minds from so many different art mediums... it also taught me a lot about what it takes to successfully plan and implement a project."
- Rachel Gauntlett
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee helps ensure that Humber's Arts Administration and Cultural Management program is as current as possible.
| NAME | TITLE |
|---|---|
| Jason Aviss | Toronto International Film Festival |
| Katherine Carleton | Executive Director, Orchestras Canada |
| Demetra Christakos | Executive Director, Ontario Association of Art Galleries |
| Kristian Clarke | Executive Director, CARFAC Ontario |
| Sandy Crawley | Periodical Writers' Association of Canada |
| Colin Druhan | George Brown College |
| Kendra Fry | Trinity St. Pauls United Church |
| Lauren Fulthorpe | Toronto Symphony Orchestra |
| Warren Garrett | Ontario Presents |
| Konrad Skorupa | Cultural Development Officer, City of Toronto |
| Dennie Theodore | TD Bank |
Director's Message
I am thrilled to be able to welcome students back to Humber's Arts Administration & Cultural Management Ontario Graduate Certificate program.
This valuable program was founded in 2000 by my colleague Jerry Smith, and ran until 2009 before a brief suspension. We are now back in the Humber calendar, retooled for current employment conditions in our sector, including robust social media and pluralism & diversity content. These new strands complement ongoing core curriculum in areas such as financial management; revenue development; human resources stewardship; cultural policy; planning and risk management; current software packages; marketing; and sectoral and career orientation.
Two faculty-supported field placements in the winter and spring/summer remain the program's most prized elements. Students may pursue their own curiosity about working at a particular cultural organization, or they may seek faculty direction on opportunities that our networks can provide.
Most faculty members also work in the sector. This ensures that our case study material is current and our peer relationships are available to motivated students. Faculty aims, collectively, to build peer networks through this program - graduates may work for us or with us, in our sector, and on occasion, even hire us in return!
Humber's Arts Administration & Cultural Management students and around 165 graduates of the program provide vital links between art, artists, and audiences throughout the GTA and beyond. If this describes your passion, this is your place.
Anne Frost
Director
Arts Administration & Cultural Management
Every attempt is made to ensure that information contained in this website is current and accurate. Humber reserves the right to correct any error or omission, modify or cancel any course, program, fee, timetable or campus location at any time without prior notice or liability to users or any other Person.