Following a moving Welcome to Country, we had a powerful keynote from Professor John Holden of Demos, a UK based Think Tank that in John's words is "not politically aligned but very well politically connected" According to John, Demos aims to bring together people who wouldn't normally get together to look at issues, they undertake a lot of research and writing on a range of topics, including culture.
John's paper, titled Next generation Culture: Why culture, organisations and leadership are changing, looked at the tension between what he sees that the three spheres of culture- Art, popular culture and home made culture- and the huge shift that has occured in the last ten or so years in this relationship.
Through changes in technology including the advent of the internet, cheaper technology (including musical instruments, cameras and scanners) and the development of software, far more people are able to create their own art, blurring the lines between home made, popular culture and Art. John pointed out that not only are more people creating their own work but they have become curators of their own work both what we consume and what we make. He pointed out that technology such as ipods have become personally curated spaces where each individual selects the music, images and other material for inclusion.
John believes that not only has this changed the relationship between cultural institutions (such as galleries, museums and theate) and their audiences but has placed culture in a more central position within the community and political spheres. If everyone is engaged in culture, be it high end, popular or home made, then it is in his words the second ecosystem of humankind and a central part of everyone's life. John believes that there has been a real blurring between creator and audience in the last few years which is now being addressed in the way a number of cultural organisations are starting to operate. Visitors:
- Sometimes want to sit and listen (or look)
- Sometimes want a social experience
- Sometimes want to produce things for themselves (and may want help with this)
The blurring of the line between the audience and creator is certainly well recognised in Australia, but perhaps we haven't yet thought about the impact this has on the place of culture, and its three spheres upon the political landscape, certainly food for thought. John was interviewed on Art Works last Sunday, the audio of that interview can be found on the ABC's website.
