Education and Research Session 2022
Chairs: David Edelman, Shenandoah Conservatory, United States, and Audrey Wong, LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore
Cultural networks can have a major impact on the cultural management and policy communities by enabling and promoting networking at European and international levels, thus facilitating connections across national borders. In the field of cultural management and policy education, cultural networks have proven to be vital for cross-national knowledge exchange among training and education programmes, contributing to the development of curricula and educational standards. Cultural networks are also fundamental in providing innovative and timely information on cultural management and policy developments in Europe, its regions and the world. They enable academics, researchers, students, creators and cultural professionals to access knowledge and information, international contacts, and high-level skills. Networks can also help individuals within the cultural sector to imagine, realise or re-invent their careers in other geographical areas.
On the other hand, in a globalized world and, particularly, in a post-pandemic context, cultural networks face challenges that are widely shared by actors across the cultural sector. For example, some cultural networks are seeking innovation in environmental responsibility, helping their members and communities develop the competencies and skills needed to meet the objectives set by international policies such as the European Green Deal. Another example can be found in the efforts made by cultural networks to be more inclusive and equitable in their membership, collaborations and partnerships. Building capacity in this critical arena will help the cultural sector become more inclusive, opening up to underrepresented communities and less heard voices. Furthermore, the pandemic has revived awareness of the precarity of cultural and creative workers, and networks could play a role in addressing this issue and finding innovative ways to ensure the long-term sustainability of careers in the sector.
According to the above, contributions – in the form of abstracts or teaching demonstrations – which deal with, but not limited to, the following topics are welcome within this track:
- Innovative ways in which cultural networks build communities of knowledge and practice.
- Cultural networks’ strategies to become more environmentally sustainable and their impact on the sector.
- Cultural networks’ strategies to become more inclusive and equitable and their impact on the sector.