Mapping cultural policy and governance
As an area of conscious policy, culture has never been more important to democratic states than it is today. Its importance grew throughout the 20th century as rapidly growing and changing mass media pushed governments to control or restrain its influence. In the past, patronage and repression had been crude but sufficient mechanisms for rulers to extend cultural influence. But in large, democratic, industrial societies, the complexity of cultural activity demanded more sophisticated responses. In Western Europe, where the ideological force of both politics and religion has declined greatly, culture has filled the vacuum, responding to people’s continuing need to find meaning and transcendence in their lives. Cultural policy now touches, in different ways and degrees, not just the obvious domains of art and heritage but also the economy, education, social cohesion, health care and many other fields. Indeed, so pervasive is culture in modern life and so complex is the operation of modern nation states, that important parts of cultural policy may not be recognised as such at all.
from ‘Approximate Projections’
This essay, written as a lecture for the University of Antwerp, and given on 26 March 2012, relates to British government structures and cultural policy as they were in 2012 based on data current at the time. To that extent, it’s a historical snapshot, which it is neither possible nor useful to update. The political crisis that has engulfed the UK since its decision in June 2016 to leave the European Union has destabilised everything, including the British government’s idea of culture. In seven years, there have been nine Secretaries of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, none of whom showed conspicuous interest in or understanding of their responsibilities. Two have been contestants in the reality TV programme, ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’, while still sitting as Members of Parliament. They say they want to humanise politicians, but simply help make the difference between government and entertainment meaningless to many, with dangerous consequences. The lecture is not concerned with cultural data as such, but with what it is imagined to be and represent.
Approximate Projections: Mapping Cultural Policy and Governance, v. 2 11/22, was originally given as a lecture at Antwerp University on 26 March 2012 and published This version was published on 2 December 2022 at https://miaaw.net
François Matarasso 