I wrote in May about a convening at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, focusing on trends in leisure time and their implications for cultural organizations. In addition to the weblog conversation spinning off from the convening, the event hosts (Getty Leadership Institute and National Arts Strategies) have just posted a summary of the event (which I wrote, with their review and input).
Here’s a teaser from the report (available for download in PDF format):
Within these facts, trends, and insights, the conference participants narrowed their focus to the nonprofit and public “cultural industries” – a small but significant sector intended to foster, produce, present, and preserve the expressive and interpretive lives of human society. They defined an industry infrastructure often heavy on the “hardware” of cultural experience — facilities, objects, technical production spaces — but thin on the human and financial resources required to make full and adaptive use of that hardware. They expressed a general sense of growing disconnect between professional, established cultural organizations and the lives of their communities. And many wondered out loud whether our perceptions of decline in cultural participation were due to a flawed boundary to our analysis.
Read the rest at your leisure (if you have any).
“Read the rest at your leisure (if you have any)”
I do and I will!
Thank you
Anthony
This study presents a disturbing trend in American (and Canadian) life. People despite changes in technology no longer seem to have reasonable “off” time to pursue cherished personal goals and cultural activities. This will have serious repercussions in the Cultural Community in the future. I don’t believe the Getty Center study is flawed…it is accurate. Just look around you if you are in the middle class.
I think Vincent makes an excellent point- we’re all working much too hard to keep a roof over our heads.
At the same time – those of us who are creative people and crazily passionate about what we do – we’re working at what we love.
Though we may have little time (or $) to attend someone ELSE’S event, we make the time for our own projects.
Sleep, food, social obligations- all take a back seat when you’re approaching the deadline of a gallery show or event.
Honestly, would we really have it any other way?
I agree that I wouldn’t have it any other way as a creative artist. What worries me is that I want others to have the TIME and the INCLINATION to listen to a performance, hopefully a good one. I enjoy my work but I want others to enjoy it too !!