Last month marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Leaving aside all the fundamental rights that many around the world are still waiting for (equal pay, freedom of assembly, the right to seek asylum, and freedom from arbitrary detention to name a few), the declaration enshrines everyone's right to participate in the cultural life of the community and to enjoy the arts.
The anniversary coincided with the publication of Democratic Culture, a new report by the thinktank Demos, which questions how much access the public has to cultural provision and makes some suggestions for what could be done to broaden it. It's a useful discussion about culture, audiences and professionals.
The author, John Holden, argues that some existing audiences and professionals act as "gatekeepers" for culture, preventing "the mob" getting in, and says there is a thin line between excellence and exclusivity. Holden also calls for legislation to make local authority arts provision a statutory obligation, and says arts and culture should be a part of primary education.
And it is refreshing not to have a repeat of the increasingly common post-McMaster refrain: "We've cracked access, let's concentrate on being excellent." Holden also has an interesting take on transparency and governance. He says deciding what is excellent shouldn't be left to peer review and that there should be much more opacity in funding decisions.
Boards, instead of the usual suspects - "the self-perpetuating oligarchies", as Holden calls them - should be more representative. I couldn't agree more: people who don't look or think like the dominant group should be actively sought by progressive institutions.
None of this need undermine the role of the expert - letting other people in at planning, programming and policy level can add to an organisation's depth of understanding.
Universal access to culture has not been achieved. We shouldn't stop trying to break down the barriers until most people feel no more intimidated at the thought of going into a museum than they would an out-of-town shopping centre.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation.org
The anniversary coincided with the publication of Democratic Culture, a new report by the thinktank Demos, which questions how much access the public has to cultural provision and makes some suggestions for what could be done to broaden it. It's a useful discussion about culture, audiences and professionals.
The author, John Holden, argues that some existing audiences and professionals act as "gatekeepers" for culture, preventing "the mob" getting in, and says there is a thin line between excellence and exclusivity. Holden also calls for legislation to make local authority arts provision a statutory obligation, and says arts and culture should be a part of primary education.
And it is refreshing not to have a repeat of the increasingly common post-McMaster refrain: "We've cracked access, let's concentrate on being excellent." Holden also has an interesting take on transparency and governance. He says deciding what is excellent shouldn't be left to peer review and that there should be much more opacity in funding decisions.
Boards, instead of the usual suspects - "the self-perpetuating oligarchies", as Holden calls them - should be more representative. I couldn't agree more: people who don't look or think like the dominant group should be actively sought by progressive institutions.
None of this need undermine the role of the expert - letting other people in at planning, programming and policy level can add to an organisation's depth of understanding.
Universal access to culture has not been achieved. We shouldn't stop trying to break down the barriers until most people feel no more intimidated at the thought of going into a museum than they would an out-of-town shopping centre.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation.org
