create balance

keep moving forward

Specialising in the Arts, we help leaders across the culture sector create the balance they need to survive, succeed and keep moving forward. 

Balance is a proven concept. It gives us the agility we need to adjust to the world around us, whilst staying true to who we are, what we do and why we do it.

It looks easy, but it needs practice. That’s where we come in. 

Working with good people, doing good things, our approach helps organisations focus on what matters most, stay responsive to change, use their strengths in different ways, and learn and adapt more effectively.

Balance isn’t just a good idea. It’s how we evolve.
 

"Balance involves looking outwards at the world
and inwards at the soul."
Nicholas Hytner: ‘Balancing Acts’ - The National Theatre

"Mel and Martin supported SOLT & UK Theatre at a key time in our strategic development, helping us and our new Executive, identify the purpose for our new teams and what success, on behalf of our members, would look like. Their deep experience and emotional intelligence, as well as their knowledge of the sector was critical to us, as we embarked on the first part of our new chapter."
Co-Chief Executives, SOLT & UK Theatre

discover

"They react live to curveballs and unexpected discoveries, working their magic to help the team help themselves. That takes real talent and an innate understanding of humanity. This whole experience is unlike any other consultancy we've encountered." 
COO, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres

2024 reflections

Just as we were enjoying another year working with good people doing good things, 3-2-1 and it’s gone!

But... we’ve gained a lot from our experiences over the past 12 months, and as we look forward to 2025, we’ve put together a shortlist of the key themes and learnings that we'll carry with us and believe will be important.

 

  • arts and culture matter
  • authentic leadership
  • great audience experiences
  • honest brands
  • creating value
  • fresh thinking

there’s no place like home

Whatever home means to us, once we discover it, everything else can become a satellite to that place – connecting us to what matters most, wherever we go.

excuse me… do you have a light?

In every organisation a flame exists and should be nurtured… they are more than symbolic, they radiate a spirit.

squirrels also go up…

Do we only consider the options we know and the options we’ve previously chosen or do we employ fresh-thinking?

putting on the big boots…

In our current reality, the importance of leadership is paramount in providing direction and reassurance, whilst also acknowledging that the path ahead isn’t clear.

SOLT&UKT

With irrevocable proof that the Arts provide valuable socio-economic, educational and wellbeing benefits; we need a dynamic, sustainable, world class theatre sector, as a key forward investment and integral part of our society and culture.

balance has never been more relevant

Whilst life predictably challenges us to find a better way to evolve, the disruptive pace of the last five years has brought a greater need to create balance.

groundhog moments…

As each new year arrives, descriptive titles for the era we’re now entering, begin to emerge… are they fresh or have we said this before?

are you listening?

Of course you are, we always do don’t we?
Truth is… possibly not.
We’re hearing but are we listening?

where do we go from here?

Is this the moment we think and act beyond the boundaries of recovery and move from survival to success.

the art of meeting anticipation

Expectations begin with a poster, a review, or certainly a ticket, but are we meeting anticipation with what happens next?

is my audience misbehaving?

Is there a problem, or is it simply about our ability to adjust and better manage? Today’s challenges will be followed by tomorrow’s so how can we evolve?

immersive

The culture sector is uniquely skilled in reimagining how art is made, who makes it and how it’s experienced… so, is Immersive simply another way of looking at things or something totally different?

continuity and change

JANUARY… a moment each year when we predictably pause. What we decide will be reflected in our footprints. Do we keep to our previous tracks, or is it time to take a new direction?

personal balance

Most of us make occasional plans or timely decisions, but when we pay attention to our personal balance, we can make adjustments that consistently influence what happens next.

succession

Succession planning is often a reactive process linked to people moving on. But by being part of what comes next, we can connect secession to future success.

value me – value you (a-ha)

Feeling of value helps most people to perform at their best.  Feeling of value and delivering value are indisputably linked. True value is seeing the benefits of each.

no going back

As we lift ourselves out of crisis, our instincts say return and rebuild. Can we go back to how we did things before? And does going back help us move forward? 

doing and being

In a world of continual reinvention, fake news and multiple channels of input, being able to follow someone who is clear, and trustworthy counts for a lot. People are looking for authentic leaders.

it's time for balance

Balance is a proven concept. It’s how we evolve. As we experience faster and more complex change, it’s time to renew our understanding of balance and explore its benefits.