During the recent conference in Dublin, there was an odd silence in the room when one of the closing plenary participants asked about policy (it was Emily, actually), and how the changing landscape of new technology and new audiences might inform future policy for the two major forces sitting next to me on the panel (the Arts Council and RTÉ, Ireland’s public media network). As an outsider to the conversation, I had assumed policy would be an essential concept in Ireland — especially as a large bulk of arts funding is provided through the government, and there are few foundations or individual funders to muddy the waters. But nobody wanted to talk about it.
As I’ve posited before, ”policy” is one of the most important words we actively avoid in arts and culture. Yet even in Ireland, where government policy is a big, obvious lever to pull, it seemed strangely abstract and boring.
To fill the silence (I hate silence…but I’m working on it), I read back to them what I kept hearing during the conference sessions about what they wanted, what they feared, and what threats and opportunities they saw in emerging communications technologies for the arts. Policy, I suggested, is the process by which you define collective goals, and map the systems and rules that might help you achieve them. From what I heard, some of the key collective goals of those convened included:
- Encouraging/celebrating democratic access to expressive opportunity. With on-line tools and communications technology, everyone can discover and share their voice and vision.
- Retaining space and special opportunity for excellence in craft or voice. With an increasingly open communications system and marketplace, there was concern about how to find, foster, and advance exceptional talent (by whatever measure you wanted to use to define excellence). Policy clearly had a role in preserving this space.
- Supporting systems of validation for working artists, that can inform their work, and foster critical conversation around their disciplines.
- Fair compensation for working artists. When everything on-line wants to be free, how do we sustain a system that provides a living wage to expressive individuals.
- Stewardship of expressive content and opportunity for generations to come. In a policy framework, especially public policy, all of the above must be addressed in ways that do not reduce the opportunities of those not yet born.
These are obviously not the only policy goals for an arts ecology in Ireland. But they’re a start. Policy should begin and end with a vision of the world we want. It seems like this could be an important, and even exciting, way to instill the conversation with a bit more passion and urgency.
I like putting policy and vision in the same thought….
“I had assumed policy would be an essential concept in Ireland — especially as a large bulk of arts funding is provided through the government, and there are few foundations or individual funders to muddy the waters. But nobody wanted to talk about it.”
I can’t speak for the panelists but to suggest that nobody wants to talk about policy in Ireland simply isn’t the truth. I should know – I designed and managed the Arts Council’s national consultation process in 2005 which involved 1000 people in 100 meetings talking about, designing and debating policy. The results of that consultation can be seen in the Irish Government’s policy for the arts in Ireland – Partnership for the Arts (available here http://www.artscouncil.ie/Publications/strategy.pdf)
The Arts Council has also continued to consult with the sector and public policy in all art form/practice areas – more importantly it has acted on them – some of their work can be seen here
http://www.artscouncil.ie/en/publications/policy.aspx
Who knows why the question wasn’t taken up on the day – perhaps it was too ambitious a question to place in the middle of the agenda, perhaps it was because the content of the day was relatively new for most of the people in attendance – but to say that we don’t talk about policy simply isn’t accurate.
Thanks Annette,
And sorry to draw general conclusions from a single question at a single event. Glad to have links to the conversation launched under your guidance. And eager to read about what connections and conclusions the extended discussion inspired. It just felt odd for me to be the only one to respond to the question. As you suggest, it must have been the unique properties of that particular moment.
Also, thanks to you for coordinating such a fabulous conference!
I see what you mean about no one wanting to talk about policy. I have worked for a few art organizations, and while I am not that experienced with it yet, I have seen that trend show up on more then one occasion. No one wants to put boundaries on what they are doing, therefore they do not see the necessity of policies to stay on track.
I am speaking of very small time arts organizations, but I can imagine that the same personalities are involved with the larger picture of arts organizations, and why this would appear to be true.
I believe it is our creative sides that scream at us to not put anything in place that can hold us back, but as soon as one realizes that the policies are not in place to hold them back, but keep them on track, it will be easier for them to accept and create them.
Again, I am talking about the small time arts organizations.