Training in cultural policy and management: international ... - Encatc

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Still, it must be emphasised that the roots of training for most cultural managers and administrators in
Central and Eastern Europe were in art schools and art and culture universities.
Within communist ideology, humanistic universities had developed a theoretical course, “Culturology”,
(general cultural studies) as a university discipline, creating several options (profiles) for students,
such as the organization of cultural activities, socio-cultural technologies 5 , etc.
The theoretical background of university courses aiming to prepare cultural development personnel in
Eastern and Central Europe – as well as in Russian Federation, Central Asia and Caucasus – evolved
with both the development of culture theory (culturology) and the development of sciences of
organization (scientific organization of work, theory of systems), and was applied to art production
within a given social context. The practical training aspect was neglected, and experience was only
gathered from the field through research or case study research.
On the other hand, art school departments, especially in the fields of theatre and film, were very
“process” oriented and put the technological components of film or theatre production at the heart of
the learning process 6 . Seeking to escape the constraints of socialist ideological pressure, art schools
tried to focus on the technological aspects of cultural and artistic productions, the economic aspects of
arts production, the most appropriate labor law for artists in cultural institutions, etc. They also tried
to incorporate into their curricula a wider cultural dimension through things like the study of festival
production, cultural tourism, and associations and amateur movements as forms of cultural action. In
this way, the profession of art producer was introduced and developed in the region.
The democratization of culture and ideological demands to spread culture among the masses – an idea
also imposed in the 1970s – prompted the rise of a new profession: socio-cultural worker, "cultural
officer (referent)," or the more European "animator" (Croatia, Poland).
But in today’s world, where cultural policies are oriented toward a free market economy, the basis for
these training programmes are often considered completely inadequate. In many schools,
departments have been shut down instead of reformed. In others, “technical” managerial training has
completely replaced the study of socio-cultural and socio-political issues. It is hard to find subjects
covering things like art for social change, community arts, theatre in education, cultural diversity and
even cultural tourism, because such topics are closely associated with previous ideological
instrumentalization of the arts. It is only now, 12 years after changes, that in some schools sociocultural
animation and community arts have started to be re-introduced, but with Western expertise
and know-how.
In spite of the fact that all of the schools had to change to respond to an environment with different
demands, the traditionally conservative university system resisted change more than art schools did.
Often separately, but even where they are part of universities, art schools have been much more open
to changes, being inherently more experienced with project work and practical tasks (vocational), and
less hierarchical.
5 Meaning applied cultural studies.
6 The Department for Organization of cultural activities at Faculty of Drama in Belgrade (emphasizing
the teaching of production in the field of theatre, film, radio and television, as well as cultural policy
and management) was created in 1960, and was followed by many similar departments at other
schools – like the department for Theatre Economy at the Leningrad Theatre School. Professors Jovic
and Ujes from the Belgrade school and Professor Jufit from the Leningrad school had been in close
cooperation and collaboration practically until the economic collapse of both states in the mid-80s,
when exchanges were no longer possible.
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