The Platform is published by AEA Consulting,
a company that specialises in strategic and operational planning for the
cultural sector. The Platform promotes discussion and understanding
of the critical factors affecting cultural planning and the successful
management of cultural organisations. Comments or contributions welcomed
by Jeanne Bouhey, Editor, The Platform, platform@aeaconsulting.com.
Back issues available at www.aeaconsulting.com
. If you don’t wish to receive The Platform again, then
just send e-mail to this address saying ‘Just not interested…’
and you won’t.
Editorial: Valuing Culture
Last month the National Gallery, the National Theatre, the think-tank Demos and AEA jointly hosted a one day seminar in London entitled Valuing Culture.
The purpose of the event was to stimulate a debate about the appropriate balance between instrumental arguments for the arts – economic impact, urban regeneration, social inclusion, personal development etc. – and arguments concerning intrinsic worth. The thesis was that the balance is a bit skewed at the moment and that without a better account of the ‘intrinsic’ arguments than the arts community or the public policy community can generally muster, we are in danger of misrepresenting why the arts are of value to society and therefore deserving of support. This is particularly true given the flimsy, and therefore ultimately vulnerable, empirical evidence for some of the more ambitious instrumental claims for investment in culture. This is not an ‘either/or’ issue, it’s one of balance, and ultimately of integrity.
The standard of debate was extremely high, the views expressed were wide-ranging but considered, and the stakes were heightened by the presence and contributions throughout the discussion of the Secretary of State, Tessa Jowell, and her new Minister for the Arts, Estelle Morris. Both listened to and joined the discussion in reflective, appropriately undogmatic mode. The consensus was that there is indeed work to be done, both analytical and presentational, on the appropriate ways in which cultural organizations receiving public funds should be held accountable and for what they should be held accountable.
The occasion was funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Jerwood Foundation and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The background note for the conference can be found at http://www.demos.co.uk/media/vacupr_page269.aspx and the proceedings will be published by Demos later in the year. All those involved in organising and funding the seminar believe the debate is an important one and would like to widen it.
Adrian Ellis
AEllis@aeaconsulting.com
Editorial: Valuing Culture
Last month the National Gallery, the National Theatre, the think-tank Demos and AEA jointly hosted a one day seminar in London entitled Valuing Culture.
The purpose of the event was to stimulate a debate about the appropriate balance between instrumental arguments for the arts – economic impact, urban regeneration, social inclusion, personal development etc. – and arguments concerning intrinsic worth. The thesis was that the balance is a bit skewed at the moment and that without a better account of the ‘intrinsic’ arguments than the arts community or the public policy community can generally muster, we are in danger of misrepresenting why the arts are of value to society and therefore deserving of support. This is particularly true given the flimsy, and therefore ultimately vulnerable, empirical evidence for some of the more ambitious instrumental claims for investment in culture. This is not an ‘either/or’ issue, it’s one of balance, and ultimately of integrity.
The standard of debate was extremely high, the views expressed were wide-ranging but considered, and the stakes were heightened by the presence and contributions throughout the discussion of the Secretary of State, Tessa Jowell, and her new Minister for the Arts, Estelle Morris. Both listened to and joined the discussion in reflective, appropriately undogmatic mode. The consensus was that there is indeed work to be done, both analytical and presentational, on the appropriate ways in which cultural organizations receiving public funds should be held accountable and for what they should be held accountable.
The occasion was funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Jerwood Foundation and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The background note for the conference can be found at http://www.demos.co.uk/media/vacupr_page269.aspx and the proceedings will be published by Demos later in the year. All those involved in organising and funding the seminar believe the debate is an important one and would like to widen it.
Adrian Ellis
AEllis@aeaconsulting.com
| << previous article |
AEA Consulting LLC
Past issues:
Volume Three
Number 1 - Number
2
Volume Two
Number 1 - Number
2 - Number 3
Volume One
Number 1 - Number
2 - Number 3 - Number
4 - Number 5 - Number
6
© AEA Consulting 2000 - 2004
| PLATFORM | SERVICES | ABOUT AEA | CONTACT AEA |