Understanding resilience in an art music intermediary organization within a change

Abstract

This thesis examines how organizational resilience emerges and operates within an art music intermediary organization in a changing societal and networked environment. Using a qualitative case study of Art Music Denmark (AMDK), the research explores how resilience is constructed internally through organizational practices, how it is shaped by external relationships such as cultural policy and networks, and how it manifests in collaboration and contributes to broader systemic change in the art music field. The study draws on resilience theory from social sciences, particularly conceptualizing resilience as a relational and processual “social fabric,” and combines this with perspectives from cultural policy and cross-sector collaboration. Empirical data consists of semi-structured interviews analyzed through thematic analysis.

The findings suggest that resilience is not a fixed organizational attribute, but a dynamic, practice-based capacity embedded in everyday work, relationships, and identity. Internally, resilience is supported by trust-based leadership, flexible structures, and continuous learning. Externally, it is co-constructed through networks, funding structures, and policy frameworks. Collaboration emerges as a key mechanism through which resilience enables knowledge exchange, innovation, and gradual systemic change. The study contributes to understanding resilience in the arts by highlighting its relational, processual, and ecosystem-based nature, offering insights for both cultural policy and organizational practice.