Moving from "Me" to "We": Elitism vs. Populism
Me, we. (Supposedly the shortest quote in the English language delivered at a Harvard graduation.)" -- Muhammad AliFor some reason this quote by my hometown (KY) hero came to mind as I was skimming the page regarding a national cultural policy for Australia.
The cultural policy will be integrated into programs in universities, schools, local government, new media and longstanding media and cultural institutions in both settler and indigenous communities - creating a cultural infrastructure for the Australian economy and society, and building on the core activities in the arts and creative industries.Some of the major points of the proposal include,
- enabling innovation
- supporting and encouraging connections
- supportingt art & culture in education
- investing in new art forms and in the integration of investment in core cultural institutions
- supporting knowledge transfer and exchanges between academia and cultural institutions
- recognizing arts & culture in innovation policies through new products and services
- recognizing collecting institutions as a major resource in the Web 2.0 environment
What I especially like is the part about broadening "cultural policy from its foundation in arts policy." I wonder if we Americans could also build a discussion framework on culture - heritage, innovation, creation and expression while maintaining support for the arts. Inherent in this approach is the departure from the top-down approach of arts & culture programming.
...the "democratization of culture" is a top-down approach that promulgates certain forms of cultural programming that are deemed to be a public good. Clearly, such an objective is open to criticism for what is termed cultural elitism; that is, the assumption that some aesthetic expressions are inherently superior - at least as determined by a cognoscenti concerned with the acquisition of cultural capital. -- wikipediaI support a more participatory (or populist) approach in the definition and provision of cultural opportunities. I believe these approaches are mutually exclusive, perhaps even critical to creating arts & cultural in the U.S. that promotes a political democracy. Why can't we have diversified revenue streams with high levels of earned income AND a public culture that nurtures arts & cultural activities that contribute to individual self-worth and community?
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This Blog Arts and culture are a cornerstone of American society. But arts and culture workers are often left out of important policy conversations concerning technology and creative rights even though the outcomes will have a profound impact on our world. Is it benign neglect? Or did we... more
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This blog is a project of... the Future of Music Coalition, the National Alliance for Art Media + Culture, Fractured Atlas, and ArtsJournal.com. more
Our Bloggers We have 22 bloggers taking part in this week's conversation. They are... more
Contact us: Click here to send us an email... more
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