welcome..
culturaldemocracy.net is a new organisation which offers an alternative vision for cultural politics in Scotland. Through the website, publications and ongoing debates, it aims to establish a new discourse around cultural policy and practice. culturaldemocracy.net is an initiative of the Cultural Policy Collective.
Beyond Social Inclusion: Towards Cultural Democracy
This pamphlet has been developed and written by a group of cultural practitioners, academics and arts professionals from Scotland, Ireland the rest of the UK. It includes an in-depth critique of current government social inclusion and diversity policies and programmes. It argues that present government initiatives are premised on the tokenistic democratisation of culture rather than attempting to reform the present institutional framework and its relationship to market forces. Cultural democracy represents a more far-reaching approach to cultural policy.
Drawing on cultural and political theory this publication seeks to recover cultural democracy as a radical instrument of democracy and social change. It posits a new set of challenges for cultural democracy in the 21st century in the context of globalisation, the current bureaucratic instrumentalisation of culture for social and economic ends that reflect the increasing dominance of the marketplace.
In this publication the Cultural Policy Collective concentrates on public service broadcasting, multi-culturalism, public libraries and the arts. Cultural democracy focuses on people's rights to public space and the public sector as arenas of democratic expression. It impinges on the dominance of the market and the state in defining cultural norms and the existing avenues of cultural development.
"The fight for a programme of cultural democracy depends on developing a cultural network within the public sector. The aim will be to replace the top-down policies of market-led regeneration and social inclusion's token co-option of the marginalised with an agenda promoting democratic participation and communication."
The pamphlet will be of interest to anyone who works in the "cultural sector", those who are interested in a more radical form of cultural politics, those who are disaffected with current government policies across all agendas, and people who are interested in progressive social change.
Frank Mc Aveety has recently published a document outlining the parameters of Scotland's Cultural Review. This publication from the Cultural Policy Collective reframes that discussion in a more open and challenging way and draws on academic research that has been excluded from government sponsored discussions of culture.
Publication on sale at word-power.co.uk or e-mail contactus@culturaldemocracy.net.
The Cultural Policy Collective are actively seeking reponses to the publication. To make a comment or respond, click here.