Lyn Heward

Former Creative Director of Cirque de Soleil

Lyn Heward
English · French

As President of Creative Content for Cirque du Soleil, Lyn Heward was responsible for managing, guiding and channelling the incredible creative force of the company′s designers, performers, artisans, and technicians into a product that was both breathtakingly original as well as commercially successful. Her range of experience in this regard touches on virtually all aspects of management. In addition to the specific areas of creativity and innovation, she can speak with authority on such issues as finding and developing talent and fostering an open and dynamic corporate culture.

Lyn Heward draws on her Cirque du Soleil experience to provide valuable ideas and lessons for virtually any audience. She has distilled her experience at the company into a wonderful new book, The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives within Us All. The book is an inspiring tale that draws on behind-the-scenes stories from the most creative people in entertainment, and is an unparalleled guide on how to make creativity a part of everything you do. It was published to great acclaim in 2006.

Beginning as an acrobatic scouting coordinator and creation studio director,Lyn Heward ′s responsibilities evolved as Cirque do Soleil grew in scope. In 2000 she was named President and COO of Cirque du Soleil′s Creative Content Division, a position she held until 2005. In that period the hit shows “Varekai” (2002), “Zumanity” (2003) and “KÀ” (2004) were created under her guidance.

Her understanding of the demands and the multiple facets of creating a show, as well as her managerial talents, brought her to this position. Lyn Heward has been the guiding force behind activities related to creation, production, artistic and technical follow-up for all Cirque du Soleil shows and other creative ventures. Her command of five languages— English, French, German, Russian and Spanish—helped her open direct lines of communication with Cirque du Soleil′s artists and partners all over the world. She is still deeply concerned by the development of young athletes and performers.

Lyn Heward is presently working as an Ambassador and Executive Producer for Special Projects for Cirque du Soleil; in this new capacity her first mandate was to create and produce the opening ceremonies of the 2005 FINA World Aquatics Championship in Montreal. Lyn Hewardhas also lent her creative expertise to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee as a member of its creative team and associate producer of an eight-minute segment presented during the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Torino Olympic Games.

Innovation and Creativity





Senior management

Working and coordinating teams

Business ideas

Leadership

Corporate culture

Cirque du Soleil: The Spark - Igniting the Creative Fire that Lives within Us All

Creativity and innovation are widely recognized as essential to success in business, and so many aspects of our lives. For over two decades, Cirque du Soleil has been a world-renowned laboratory of creativity, enthralling audiences around the world by fusing dazzling acrobatics, staging and choreography, and music, along with beautiful costumes and technical effects to inspire and create magical, almost otherworldly theatrical experiences. In The Spark, Cirque's former president of creative content, Lyn Heward, invites readers inside the world and ideas of Cirque du Soleil through the story of an ordinary man searching for meaning in his work and life.
Like so many other people in their careers, sports agent Frank Castle has lost the passion he once had for his job. But a chance encounter with an inspiring Cirque du Soleil director takes him inside Cirque du Soleil to meet the artists, directors, designers, and technicians who create, shape, and perform in their acclaimed shows. As the story unfolds, the artists reveal surprising secrets about the sparks that ignite their creativity — from the pressure of deadlines and the exhilaration that comes from risking it all, to the chance encounters and everyday occurrences that have changed the way they live and work. As Frank comes to discover, every one of us is creative — wherever we work or whatever our job title is — but it’s up to us to tap into that powerful force.
As The Spark makes clear, there is no single formula for creative success–each of us must unlock the power of our imagination in our own way. An inspiring tale that draws on behind-the-scenes stories from the most creative people in entertainment as well as some out-of-this-world Cirque du Soleil magic, The Spark is an unparalleled guide on how to make creativity a part of everything you do.

Cirque du Soleil: The Spark - Igniting the Creative Fire that Lives within Us All