The working group for continuing professional development for conservatoire management

Higher music education institutions are located in local, regional and national contexts, but it seems that many issues faced by conservatoire leaders are similar. These are often musicians or music educators with no specialised training in management and, at the same time, opportunities for continuing professional development for such leaders hardly exist at national level. To respond to this need the working group for continuing professional development for conservatoire management was established and aimed toward the improvement of governance in higher music education institutions in Europe through developing, testing and implementing seminars for senior management officials in conservatoires.

During two seminars, information and examples of good practice on institutional governance was exchanged.

The members of the Polifonia working group for continuing professional development for conservatoire management were:

• Pascale de Groote (Chair - Koninklijk Conservatorium - Artesis Hogeschool Antwerpen, Antwerpen)
• Serge Cyferstein (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, Paris)
• Frans de Ruiter (Royal Conseratoire Den Haag, Den Haag)
• Marie-Claude Segard (Conservatoire de Strasbourg, Strasbourg)

The outcomes of the working group's work were:

• Seven working group meetings
• A needs analysis regarding continuous professional development of senior management staff in higher music education institutions in Europe 
• The organisation of 2 training seminars for senior management staff in higher music education institutions. These seminars will be based on a needs analysis executed during the first year of the project to identify at European level the needs and levels of understanding of senior management staff in institutions for higher music education.
• A business plan for the CPD training seminars to continue outside of the framework of 'Polifonia'.