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The role of culture in the democratic experiment Print

Culture Action Europe is a strong advocate for the central role of the arts in contemporary society. At European level in particular, the members of our platform believe in the importance of preserving and nurturing artistic spaces, which participate in the achievement of key European values such as equality, inclusion or civil participation. The role of culture in the democratic experiment must remain at the heart of European debates. Birgitta Englin, Head of Riksteatern – the Swedish National Touring Theatre, offers us an inspirational perspective to continue feeding our reflection and advocacy work.


The best thing about democracy is that it is an ongoing experiment. What may be the optimal solution for one person often makes things worse for someone else. It is still a process of developing a system which has deficiencies as well as opportunities.
Democracy is thus not a separate apparatus within society and cannot be developed in isolation. Democracy is a vessel, a picture frame, whatever you like to call it, which we fill with content.

The best thing about culture is that it can influence all systems of power – including undemocratic ones. It can affect the pace of development of individuals as well as societies.
Whether you are performing a play in a flat in Minsk, painting a watercolour in Gdansk, dancing in pointe shoes in Nairobi or graffiti bombing a concrete wall in Gothenburg, this cultural expression makes our longing and need for something "different" visible. Something different from what we know and have known.

In addition to our theatres, concert halls, museums, galleries, cinemas or libraries, culture today consists of virtual communities, created by people on their own initiative. An autonomous cultural sphere, which is not awaiting approval from above, has been invented. The internet is the new grassroots level. It is a grassroots level where my 18 year-old daughter discusses the fanfic she wants to beta with an English university professor who is just as active in the fandom. Economic barriers, age barriers and geographical barriers present no obstacle to their cultural interaction or their creativity.

Culture is an interface between people who want to meet – in real life or in virtual dimensions.
Local points are linked with other local points on the globe, and culture operates glocally – locally and globally at the same time.
In this way, the culture developed in this new arena has rejected gatekeepers like myself, head of one of the largest theatre institutions in Sweden where I am responsible for setting the agenda and govern content.

The challenge for cultural policy today lies in developing people as a resource for the whole, glocal level. The challenge for traditional cultural arenas and institutions lies in linking together the individuals who populate these worlds. There is a desire to bring together the virtual and the real, the imagined and the tactile, and traditional arenas and institutions have a role to play.

It is not too late for traditional and institutional culture to take the opportunity to turn itself into a useful playground in which we could test new ideas unconditionally, easing us around the mental corners.

If the institutions are unable to open up to become this playground, the citizens lose an important connection to art and cultural heritages and they are denied the opportunity to reconstruct it. And reconstruct it we must. As long as the democratic experiment endures, we must constantly create and recreate art, rewrite history and add perspectives to the heritages.

The traditional culture sector could become one of these playgrounds for the future if it opens up and starts to work with those who have experimented, tested and now command the arenas for cultural and democratic interaction, arenas in which state-subsidised or institutional culture is still in its infancy. Bringing these worlds together is essential if the traditional culture sector want to stay as a vibrant and relevant part of our glocal society.

We, who work in this sector, have all the help we need if we just manage to reach out for it in an honest way. If we abandon our illusion that culture and art reflects society of today. Many people will take part and develop our sector if we abandon our belief that our art serves as a mirror – WE know what YOU are experiencing.

We do not need the audience to fill the seats, to mirror our interpretation of their lives. We need them to take part in developing that which is not yet created. The culture sector can change by opening up to several forms and levels of communication. We can move from a didactic attitude to one guided by participation and communication.

Today influence and participation are seen as development potential for attractive and relevant art. These are already political buzzwords. Participation. Influence. But the buzzwords are rarely put into real practice. Change we need! Even in the world of art and culture. Especially in the world of art and culture!

Since the 1950s IQ has increased by three points each decade worldwide! We have possible participants who are used to making their own choices. We have citizens in all ages, from different social and cultural backgrounds that are creative and innovative. Established culture has not kept pace with them.
New communication technology brings with it transparency and dialogue across a multitude of borders. It no longer goes without saying that culture will be created or consumed in the places designated for it. A do-it-yourself attitude combined with new technology furnishes people with culture which has no longer been sanctioned by any cultural gate-keeper.

Cultural policy must be prepared to meet the need and to test the will of the individual to take responsibility for a glocal future. Otherwise global development will be held back.

The best thing about democracy is that it is an ongoing experiment.
The best thing about culture is that it can influence all systems of power.

Article by Birgitta Englin, head of Riksteatern – the Swedish National Touring Theatre