Creative Leadership
SECOND EDITION
Activating Team Potential through Theatrical Techniques
Cost
1500.- CHF
Credits
3 ECTS
Language
ITA
Dates
26-30 April 2027 | 9:00 a.m.–12.30 p.m. | Dynamic Classroom, SUPSI Management, Manno
5 June 2027 | 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Verscio, Accademia Teatro Dimitri
Duration
70 hours in total
• 35 hours of classroom-based training;
• 35 hours devoted to certification and individual work.
Location
Depending on where the participants are from, the course may take place at one of SUPSI’s campuses: Lugano, Mendrisio or Locarno
Head of Advanced Studies
Daniel Bausch, FC trainer, lecturer in theatrical improvisation and head of continuing professional development at the Accademia Teatro Dimitri
Theatre does not just teach you how to act. It develops your stage presence, your listening skills, your ability to observe and adapt, your relationships with others, your creativity and your ability to communicate authentically and convincingly.
The SAS Creative Leadership programme offers practical tools for tackling
the new challenges of management: driving change, managing complexity, communicating effectively, developing people’s potential, and building teams capable of adapting and innovating.
Why theatre for leadership?
Through the body, the voice, breathing and listening, it is possible to develop key skills in a managerial context:
• communicate clearly and persuasively;
• listen actively and understand group dynamics;
• develop presence and the ability to concentrate;
• deal with the unexpected;
• take the risk of experimenting;
• generate and embrace new ideas;
• change perspective;
• make decisions whilst taking different points of view into account;
• create a climate of trust and participation;
• recognise and unlock the potential of colleagues.
Theatre techniques enable participants to experience these skills first-hand, transforming learning into a practical experience that can be applied in their day-to-day professional lives.
Methodology and content
The methodology organically integrates practical experience, observation, experimentation and reflection.
The learning process fosters a connection – both physical and mental – with the surrounding environment, with other people, with the space and with the content. Through a dynamic and creative approach, the programme broadens participants’ capacities for perception and expression and uses theatrical tools to develop cognitive, interpersonal and personal skills.
Participants acquire tools to encourage people’s engagement, foster the expression of creativity and guide the team towards developing innovative and practical solutions, whilst learning to communicate them authentically and effectively.
Throughout the programme, the key themes of creative leadership are explored: these are not treated as isolated skills, but are interwoven and developed progressively throughout the programme.
Themes:
- Authenticity
Authenticity in creative leadership is explored, understood as the ability to build relationships based on trust and to contribute to an open and innovative working environment. By connecting with one’s own strengths, it becomes possible to communicate credibly and persuasively, and to align decisions and actions with one’s own goals and values.
- Creativity
Techniques are practised that enable participants to tap into their creativity with confidence and apply it in a professional context. Curiosity is encouraged as a means of generating new ideas, exploring different perspectives and identifying new directions and opportunities within one’s field of activity.
- Courage
Experimenting without always needing to have a ready-made answer. Theatre work offers the chance to confront mistakes, the unexpected and uncertainty, developing the ability to act even in situations that are not entirely predictable. This approach fosters innovation, supports creative decision-making and helps to manage risk in an open and informed manner, strengthening the sense of belonging and collaboration within the team.
- Focus and presence
Developing concentration, attention and active listening. This fosters leadership skills that keep the team focused on shared objectives, priorities and visions.
- Decision-making skills
Making decisions whilst taking different perspectives into account and learning to act even when the available information is incomplete. The programme fosters greater awareness of one’s own decision-making processes and their influence on the group.
- New perspectives
Adopting different viewpoints and trying out different roles to gain a fresh perspective on professional situations. This approach fosters openness, strengthens connections within the team and creates the conditions for developing creativity, flexibility and a willingness to experiment.
Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have gained experience of a range of tools that they can put into practice in their own professional context.
In particular:
• creating an atmosphere of trust that encourages participation and collaboration;
• communicating effectively and persuasively;
• interpreting group dynamics with greater sensitivity;
• make the most of the skills present within the team;
• facilitate participation and the generation of ideas;
• manage unforeseen events;
• stimulate creativity and problem-solving skills within the team;
• use practical (theatre-based) tools to engage and involve a group;
Who is it aimed at?
The SAS is aimed at executives, managers and coordinators with responsibility for leading teams, who wish to develop managerial, communication and creative skills applicable to their role.
It is particularly suitable for those who wish to broaden and enhance their soft skills and acquire new tools to tackle
the challenges of contemporary leadership.
Certification work
The certification assignment involves the practical application of the tools learnt during the course.
Participants will be required to design and carry out a group activity within their own work context, describing the professional environment, the team’s role and how the activity was implemented.
They will also need to document the objectives, the practical steps, the resources and methods used, as well as the types
of people involved.
The final stage involves reflecting on the experience by analysing the results, feedback from participants and their own observations, with particular attention to the impact of the intervention on the group’s atmosphere and dynamics.
Background
The Accademia Teatro Dimitri, a SUPSI-affiliated school, is an international university of applied sciences specialising in theatre.
Its activities are centred on physical theatre, a form of theatre in which the actor’s body and movement are at the heart of cognitive, compositional and expressive processes.
Alongside its Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, the Academy offers continuing professional development,
basic and applied research projects, and services for the local community.
These activities enable the transfer of skills and methodologies developed through theatre to various pedagogical, social, communicative and business contexts, particularly where tools are required to develop interpersonal, communicative, collaborative, creative and empowerment skills.
The SAS Creative Leadership programme stems from this experience and offers a practical integration of the culture of theatre training with the demands of contemporary leadership.