Producer Center for the Literary Museum "XX Century": Study Project of the Master's Programme “Arts and Culture Management”

Students of the Master's Programme "Arts and Culture Management", under the supervision of Academic Supervisor Elena Mikhailovna Zelenskaya, worked for four months on a strategy for the creation and development of a Producer Center for the State Literary Museum "XX Century".

The goal of the Producer Center is to transform the intangible heritage of 20th-century literature into sustainable, interdisciplinary, and economically self-sufficient projects by systematically managing partnerships and communities.

Sofia Vorobieva, a first-year student of the Master's Programme "Arts and Culture Management.

"Our task was not only to create a new ecosystem that would bring together independent producers, experts, and creative industry professionals, but also to understand the challenges the museum currently faces in order to enhance the future center's sustainability. To do this, we conducted an internal study of the museum's organisational structure, analysed its past experience, and carried out a competitive analysis of similar initiatives. As a result of diligent work, we elaborated a strategy for the creation and development of the Producer Center that meets the needs, values, and plans of the Literary Museum while taking its specific characteristics into account".

The launch of the Producer Center is planned for the third quarter of 2026. Through gradual development according to the roadmap, the Producer Center will help structure partnerships, reduce the workload on the museum team, and function as a full-fledged producer ecosystem, creating innovative projects to preserve and promote cultural heritage in the fields of theatre, cinema, fashion, literature, and media.

Elena Zelenskaya, Academic Supervisor of the Master's Programme "Arts and Culture Management"

"The Literary Museum “XX Century” is a new partner of the Master's program. It is a dynamically developing organization with a very strong and creative team. We are delighted with the Museum's proposal to develop our long-term partnership by establishing a Producer Center. This project challenged the students to develop a comprehensive solution based on a variety of knowledge and competencies in the field of management. They accomplished this task brilliantly. I am confident that this experience gives our students an advantage in today's job market, where complex and multifaceted managerial solutions are often required."

The students immersed themselves in the museum’s core processes and paid particular attention to integrating the centre’s organisational processes with the museum’s existing systems and exploring various ways of engaging with partners. The museum’s management has commended this approach.

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova, Deputy Director for Research at the State Literary Museum ‘20th Century’

"In the early stages of its reorganisation, the museum lacked sufficient space for large-scale projects, so we expanded not only by building an extensive network of partners, but also through a 'total literary expansion' into the urban environment, launching projects outside the museum’s premises. In this way the museum increased and reinforced public awareness, making the city part of its history. However, these projects took on a life of their own and remained linked to the museum only by its brand; yet these efforts were insufficient for the museum’s sustainable development."

Marina Valeryevna Linovich, Director of the State Literary Museum ‘20th Century’

"The Centre will act as a magnet for talent — from students and independent producers to professionals in IT, film, theatre, design, the arts, multimedia and events. It will provide an ideal environment for creative teams to come together and access resources, ranging from grants and technical support to financial assistance. Projects supported by the Producer Centre will not only receive help in the short term, but will also be able to develop into long-term, independent and self-sustaining initiatives."

As noted by Angela Aksenova, a first-year student of the Master's Programme "Arts and Culture Management," this work involved serious challenges, but it is precisely such tasks that become a growth point.

"We learned how to communicate with the client, propose and convincingly defend our ideas, work under resource constraints, and find ways to attract additional resources. Creating the Producer Center is fundamentally a serious management task, and this experience is valuable for achieving my long-term career goals, such as starting my own creative agency."

The students thank the museum staff who helped them immerse themselves in the internal processes, which enabled them to create a strategy that is as applicable to reality.