This is a video recording of my lecture entitled Rethinking the role of artists in regeneration contexts. It was recorded at Northumbria University on 24th November 2017. Includes a short Q&A at the end.
cultural policy
Neoliberalism, language and engagement – A workshop
This is the transcript of my 3 very short provocations presented to stimulate discussion during my workshop at the Sound Connections Social Justice Conference at Cecil Sharp House on 30th November 2017.
Art Gets Over-Excited: A response to the Towards cultural democracy report #culturaldemocracy
This is the second of two blog posts examining recently published reports. The first post focused on the civic role of arts organisations. This post is a response to Towards cultural democracy: Promoting cultural capabilities for everyone and some of the other discussions that developed from its publication.
Carry on regardless: A response to “Rethinking Relationships” – a new report about the #civicrolearts
Two new reports were recently released about how the arts and creativity might engage with society and communities in more meaningful ways. The first was Rethinking Relationships – an enquiry into the civic role of arts organisations commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; the second was Towards cultural democracy, commissioned by Kings College London. Both reveal, for me, different and yet loosely interrelated attempts to find new ways to advocate for the arts or “everyday creativity”. This is the first of two blog posts in which I begin to critically examine the reports. The focus here is on Rethinking Relationships.
Participating without power: The limits of instrumentalised engagement with people & place
This article seeks to reveal the limitations of state-initiated arts and cultural projects as well as spurious notions of ‘empowerment’ by examining them in terms of homogeneity, universality and technocracy. It focuses on issues of instrumentalism with the arts and explores how state-initiated ‘community engagement’ programmes like Creative People and Places may effectively reproduce state agendas linked to social capital theory and thereby to neoliberalism. It asks a series of questions: Whose values really underpin cultural value? Who are ‘we’ and who are ‘we’ trying to ‘engage’? Whose culture are ‘we’ trying to (re)make and why? Do ‘we’ need new infrastructure; more managers? Do people in areas of low cultural engagement have their own forms of culture that some may just not consider ‘cultured’? If cultural democracy offers a different view of people power, so why is it loathed by the state?
Participating without power: The limits of instrumentalised engagement with people & place
This is a copy of my abstract submitted for the forthcoming Creative People and Places conference entitled (unbelievably) People, Place, Power. It was rejected. Perhaps it was not academic enough or badly written? Or perhaps it might have been a little challenging for some panel members? Anyway, I stand by my words... Make a Wish,…Read more Participating without power: The limits of instrumentalised engagement with people & place
ARTLAND: Flagship arts & culture for some, catastrophic cuts for everyone else #Budget2016
http://eil.com/images/main/The+The+Heartland+109120.jpg Arts Council EnglandBeneath the old iron bridges, across the Victorian parks And all the frightened people running home before dark Past the Saturday morning cinema that lies crumbling to the ground And the piss stinking shopping center in the new side of town I've come to smell the seasons change and watch the city…Read more ARTLAND: Flagship arts & culture for some, catastrophic cuts for everyone else #Budget2016
A Policy for the Arts: “excellence” within the reach of everyone? A contribution to #ArtsPolicy50
It’s been almost 50 years since Jennie Lee published her white paper A Policy for the Arts – The First Steps (1965). It was Britain’s first state arts policy. Some revere it. For others, the white paper ushered in a period of government instrumentalism in the arts, increasing the powerful influence of the Arts Council.…Read more A Policy for the Arts: “excellence” within the reach of everyone? A contribution to #ArtsPolicy50
Quality in participatory arts: fit for whose purpose & in need of qualification?
Doctor Faustus in a magic circle, Woodcut, 1648 I have always been perplexed when people talk of “quality”. It’s a strangely powerful word, given that it is essentially neutral. Colloquially, people say things like, “He’s a quality player,” meaning that the person has an excellent footballing attribute (or attributes): goal scoring, tackling, whatever. In science…Read more Quality in participatory arts: fit for whose purpose & in need of qualification?
A little reflection on the Culture Action Europe #BeyondTheObvious conference
This week has been hectic. Research visits in London with Platform London and Ovalhouse Theatre; a participatory art workshop commission for Berwick Visual Arts; working on a lab session about collective working, the commons and ending status-quos for arts organisations that I’m co-delivering in London in November; talking about The New Rules for Public Art…Read more A little reflection on the Culture Action Europe #BeyondTheObvious conference
‘Cultural Value’ and the Economic and Social Impact of the Arts
I attended a workshop at the University of Warwick on 9th July about Co-producing cultural policy. The day was very, very interesting and frustrating at times. I was guest blogger. I wrote this. It was originally published here: http://coculturalpolicy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/cultural-value-and-economic-and-social.html A morning of valuing artists, museums as co-producers of ‘social justice’ and cultural value as…Read more ‘Cultural Value’ and the Economic and Social Impact of the Arts
‘Cultural Value’ and the Economic and Social Impact of the Arts
I attended a workshop at the University of Warwick on 9th July about Co-producing cultural policy. The day was very, very interesting and frustrating at times. I was guest blogger. I wrote this. It was originally published here: http://coculturalpolicy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/cultural-value-and-economic-and-social.html A morning of valuing artists, museums as co-producers of ‘social justice’ and cultural value as…Read more ‘Cultural Value’ and the Economic and Social Impact of the Arts
Cultural policy
This is the fifth post taken from my draft literature review which is part of my on going PhD research centred around the question: Can participatory art support sustainable social change? Previous posts are below. This is a rough and ready document I just wanted to put out there. It will be refined. Some of…Read more Cultural policy
colouring in culture 
