Exactly three years ago, I started working for the city of Kortrijk, almost by chance... Funny how things go in life. A lot can be said about working for a city. Let me say just say this: most of the clichés you have heard about the workings in a city are... not true. The past few years have been very exciting, challenging at times, but never boring!
After running large events in different cities (Brugge, Zeebrugge, Hardelot, IJmuiden,...) I have been able to experience the other side of cultural management. Working for the city (first as event manager, then as cultural communications manager) has been very rewarding. I was able to complete projects that are simply not possible for most private companies. I produced a book with a creative view of the city by over 50 artists (Ad!dicted to Kortrijk), I re-created the event magazine (Kortrijk Bruist) and I ran the communications campaign for the city project KunstWerkStede De Coene, among lots of other things...
Basically, if you put aside the "system" of working for a city, it's exactly about the same thing as in private companies: it's all about working with people. And the cultural department of the city of Kortrijk is filled with enthousiastic people, willing to work hard to accomplish a common goal. I won't mention anyone in particular here, but as a whole the team is great!
Why am I leaving then? In a movie (Jurassic Park I think) I once heard the phrase: "Life has a way"... The bug inside me to be self-employed again was popping up every now and then, but a certain sense of responsibility kind of kept me from taking the big jump once more... A few occasions arose, but never quite the right one. Until I got a phone call from Peter Hoogland, whom I had worked with on h2o in Antwerp a few years ago. This was the new challenge I needed... and the customer I needed to make my plans to become self-employed again realistic.
So, there's a change in my life again... It's not going to be too different actually, I'm still going to make brochures and posters, as my daughter calls it. That's my life, I guess. And life... has a way.
After running large events in different cities (Brugge, Zeebrugge, Hardelot, IJmuiden,...) I have been able to experience the other side of cultural management. Working for the city (first as event manager, then as cultural communications manager) has been very rewarding. I was able to complete projects that are simply not possible for most private companies. I produced a book with a creative view of the city by over 50 artists (Ad!dicted to Kortrijk), I re-created the event magazine (Kortrijk Bruist) and I ran the communications campaign for the city project KunstWerkStede De Coene, among lots of other things...
Basically, if you put aside the "system" of working for a city, it's exactly about the same thing as in private companies: it's all about working with people. And the cultural department of the city of Kortrijk is filled with enthousiastic people, willing to work hard to accomplish a common goal. I won't mention anyone in particular here, but as a whole the team is great!
Why am I leaving then? In a movie (Jurassic Park I think) I once heard the phrase: "Life has a way"... The bug inside me to be self-employed again was popping up every now and then, but a certain sense of responsibility kind of kept me from taking the big jump once more... A few occasions arose, but never quite the right one. Until I got a phone call from Peter Hoogland, whom I had worked with on h2o in Antwerp a few years ago. This was the new challenge I needed... and the customer I needed to make my plans to become self-employed again realistic.
So, there's a change in my life again... It's not going to be too different actually, I'm still going to make brochures and posters, as my daughter calls it. That's my life, I guess. And life... has a way.
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