Culture's Role in Development

The Role of Culture in Development Cooperation
Goethe-Institut Alumniportal

4 December 2012, 17:00 – 18:00 (MEZ)
Webinar Presentation by Dr. Cornelia Dümcke
Culture Concepts, Berlin, Germany
Contact: info@cultureconcepts.de

INTRODUCTION – Why is this presentation a challenge for me?

The overarching theme: culture and development

• Many ways to reflect the intersections between culture and
development
• Culture influences development processes. This idea is by no
means new
• Nevertheless, the role of culture in development cooperation
is still a subject matter of a controversial debate

See Bibliographie

© Dr. Cornelia Dümcke | www.cultureconcepts.de | 04.12.2012 | The Role of Culture in Development Cooperation Seite 2

INTRODUCTION – Why is this presentation a challenge for me?

In my work, three questions were of particular relevance

• Why do we need culture and the arts and their respective
actors in the context of development processes of today’s
societies?
• How do these issues concern regions where arts and culture
are currently not a priority in terms of national policy making
and public support?
• And, how can we confirm and give an evidence base for
arguments that the money spent on cultural projects is a
legitimate and valuable investment, also in the development
cooperation?

CONTENT

1 Clarifying the terms
2 Brief review of policy declarations
3 ‘Mapping’ the field
4 What culture and creative industries can provide
5 Funding and resources: Is money an issue?
6 Evaluation and measurement: A matter of concern?
7 Lessons learned: What might be ‘good practice’?
8 Outlook: What more do we need now?


1. Clarifying the terms

The problem with defining and understanding
‘Culture’ and ‘Development’ and it’s intersections

• ‚Culture’ and ‘Development’, these are words that can
mean different things to different people and in different
contexts
• Even the term of ‘Progress’ in today’s societies is
understood differently

See Bibliographie



Culture can be defined in many ways
• In my presentation, the word is understood in the same
meaning as used by the UNESCO:
“The set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features of society or a social group. It encompasses, in addition to art
and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions
and beliefs.” Source: UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001)

• Art is the highest manifestation of culture. It encompasses a
diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression,
including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings; and may
include tangible and intangible manifestations



Defining ‘development’ in today’s world is even more
challenging
• According to one view, development is a process of
economic growth, a rapid and sustained expansion of
production, productivity and income per head
• According to the other, development is seen as a process
that enhances the freedom of the people involved to pursue
whatever they have reason to value. This view of human
development (in contrast to narrowly economic development)
is a culturally conditioned view of economic and social
progress
• I am in favour of the latter concept


Culture and development cooperation are linked in a
number of different ways
• Interventions of development cooperation are an enormous
field that can involve, for example, the global fight against
poverty and hunger, economic development, environment,
education, conflict resolution, institutional capacity building,
governance, issues of gender and youth etc.
• Culture is not an explicit priority in development cooperation
• Later in my presentation, I will demonstrate how culture and
development cooperation could be linked

See Bibliographie


2. Brief review of policy declarations

Since the 1970’s,
• the cultural dimensions of development have been under
focus from several global players such as the UNESCO,
United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World
Bank, the Commonwealth, the EU and others
• In recent years, there was much renewed attention given to
the theme of culture and development, or ‘the cultural
dimension of development’
• See Bibliographie



The UNESCO Convention (2005) is of particular relevance
• The Convention contains the request for the integration of
culture in development policies and development cooperation
• In particular article 13 - Integration of culture in sustainable
development – states:

“Parties shall endeavour to integrate culture in their development policies at all
levels for the creation of conditions conducive to sustainable development and,
within this framework, foster aspects relating to the protection and promotion of
the diversity of cultural expressions.”
(UNESCO Convention 2005: 8)
See Bibliographie



Recent Policy Declarations

• The previous ‘triangle model’ of development included the
economic, the social inclusion and environment agendas
• Today, there is a stronger basis for claiming that culture
becomes the ‘fourth pillar’ of development
• A recent recognition is of the key roles that the creative
industries can play for creativity and innovation in terms of
economic and social development processes

See Bibliographie



It remains to be seen to what extent political declarations
and theory are translated into the practice of
development cooperation

• Against this background, actors of both the development and
the cultural arena seem to share a (more or less) common
understanding that the issue is not whether culture matters
in developmental processes
• The real issue, rather, is how culture matters


3. ‚Mapping‘ the field

What is the place of culture and creative industries in
development cooperation?
• The practice and definition of cultural activities varies according
to the definition used and the institutional, economic and social,
geographical and other context
• See ‚Mapping‘ the field, page 14
There is a certain degree of simplification in the ‘Mapping’ which must be
acknowledged. I emphasize that the entire range of all cultural activities possible
can not be reduced to simple diagrams. But it reminds us of how broad the field is



‘Mapping’ the field of cultural activities and sectors
Arts/ Performing arts
Culture Music
Literature
Museums, Archives, Libraries
Visual Arts
etc.

Creative industries Film and Media
Music industry
Publishing
Design
Fashion
Craft
etc.
Cross-cutting Cultural tourism
sectors / themes Heritage tourism
Cultural infrastructure
Urban development
Regional development
etc.



A ‘Tool’ we have used in our work: HOW culture matters
With reference to Could and Marsh (2004), the different levels are identified on
which culture plays a role in development contexts

CULTURE
matters as …
CONTEXT The need to understand the social, political, cultural and economic environment within which
a development is taking place.

CONTENT How local practices, traditions, languages or objects can be used for development (e.g.
Theatre for HIV/Aids prevention).

METHOD This focuses on the forms or medium of communication used in a development programme
to achieve its aims. They include using radio, film, song, photography, writing as well as how
they are disseminated, such as through exhibitions or participatory events.

EXPRESSION Being able to express is a fundamental part of self-determination, community engagement
and the capacity to imagine a future. Development processes that encourage people to
express themselves have far scope for being successful and sustaining. Poverty is more
than lack of income: it includes the inability to lead a full creative life by being excluded from
participating in decisions that affect you that in turn lead to a poverty of aspiration,
motivation and will.



Today, we can identify a rich field of intervention of
culture and the creative industries in countries in
transition which could be used in development
cooperation See step 4 of this presentation

• The scene is fragmented, and therefore it is not sure, to which extent
development organisations are open or hesitant to include culture and
creative industries in their policies and actions
• Several programmes and projects of development agencies are not
been reviewed under a ‘cultural lens’
• The challenge is to make such projects or programmes of development
agencies for example in the heritage and tourism sector, recently also in
the sector of the creative industries, more visible and transparent
through a cultural ‘lens’


4. What culture and creative industries can provide

Intersections between culture and development cooperation

• There are complex ethical, economic and political issues
involved in identifying the ways in which culture and the arts
may or may not influence development
• Generally, situating both culture and the arts within a
development context is not easy
• Finding a common language is a major part of this difficulty



In my visits to a wide selection of projects, direct
questions were put to partners to gain their responses on
the topic
• Most confirmed difficulties in properly analysing these aspects but felt
that broadly, culture was a significant part of development
• Some partners valued culture in a narrower sense - mostly as a means
for and/or method within development
• Others spoke of the economic benefits through the creation of
employment or the income generation potential of the creative industries
• Many grappled to express the more intangible and intrinsic values of
culture and the arts, but nevertheless felt it was a crucial aspect that
should not be overlooked



A ‘Tool’ we used – What culture can provide
The tool is a means to clarifying links between the culture agendas on the one hand, and the
development agenda on the other.

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
Over arching developmental objectives:
Poverty Reduction, HIV/AIDS, Governance, Natural Resource Management etc.

ART, CULTURE and CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
How arts, culture and creative industries contribute to developmental objectives
Main interconnected levels of interventions, benefits and impacts:

Human rights development Social development Economic development
& identity related issues
- access to culture as a human right (Article 27 of the Bill of - social cohesion, defined as a set of shared norms, and values - direct economic impacts of the creative industries
Human Rights) for society which encompasses the diversity of different - direct economic benefits and impacts (e.g. job creation, culture
- enabling cultural actors as agents of change backgrounds ensuring similar positive life opportunities for all and art as content producer for the emerging cultural industry,
- culture and arts contribution to identity finding debates - incorporating economically, engendered or ethnically part direct economic effects on tourism industry)
- artists and cultural practitioners as critical observers marginalised communities - indirect economic benefits and impacts (endogenous effects for
- dialogue and exchange - local and regional regeneration city and regional development, through city branding; cultural
- community based regeneration of cities, city quarters and tourism, etc. )
regions
- exposure and information dissemination
- education opportunities
Source: Dümcke, Cornelia / du Plessis, Nicolette 2010



The following list demonstrates possible fields of
collaboration in development cooperation
See the Bibliographie with references to concrete projects

• Education: This is a field rich in creative collaborations
• Health: Arts programmes have demonstrably therapeutic and medical
benefits
• Environment: This is a rapidly growing sector that has engaged artists
in awareness-raising campaigns on climate change, recycling, alternative
energy sources etc.



collaborations in development cooperation

• Social cohesion/inclusion: Arts and culture offer new tools for
professionals to work with vulnerable groups (e.g. children; young
people; people with disabilities; elderly; women; ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities; and displaced/immigrants)
• Social transformation and change: Projects seek a change in the
society through interventions
• Community development: Artists and culture professionals can have a
vital role in the revitalisation of a community, increasing safety and
security


collaborations in development cooperation

• Human rights, democracy and citizenship: These are sectors where
artists can give voice to many issues
• Conflict resolution: Artists can offer creative working methods and an
effective means of dialogue. Arts and culture do not resolve conflicts but
where there is a cultural centre, violence decreases
• Creative industries: The role of the creative industries is of high
relevance for economic development and job creation


5. Funding and resources: Is money an issue?

Funding is a relevant factor when we discuss the role
of culture in development cooperation
• Government budgets are currently being cut in many
countries
• In countries where arts and culture are currently not a priority
in terms of public support and national policy making, the art
and culture sector is even more vulnerable
• Artists are forced to constantly adjusting their applications to
the shifting needs and agenda’s of funders



Main funding/financing-related problems
• Arts and culture have to compete with other sectors
(education, creative industries)
• Funding bodies value the role of arts and culture but do not
want to pay for it
• The changing priorities and paradigms of international donors
• When artists work in other roles (e.g. as a social worker), the
work should be funded from budgets other than those
earmarked as arts/cultural



How can development cooperation respond?
• Opening of the programmes of development cooperation for
the establishment of art and culture programmes and for the
creative industries (‘best practice’ should be transferred)
• Access of artists and creative practitioners to already existing
‘technical development’ programmes (e.g. poverty reduction,
health, urban development, cross-cutting theme gender)
• Establishment of new cooperation agreements
• Establishment of new technical assistance programmes with a
specific focus on culture and the creative industries


6. Evaluation and measurement

A matter of concern?
• Both is a matter of concern, in the cultural sector as well in
the sector of development cooperation
• We live in a world of measurement

”Not everything that counts can be counted, and not
everything that can be counted counts.” Albert Einstein



Own findings (Evaluation and strategy development of Art and Culture
Programmes of SDC in 3 world regions)

• The artistic and cultural sector faces the challenge of proving
its value in a way that can be understood by decision makers
(which is not an easy task)
• Each evaluation design occurs under specific cultural,
economic and political settings (important to clarify the
starting point: what kind of value should be measured and in
which specific settings is it done)
• As important as measurement is, the problem is how to
develop convincing indicators. Conventional indicators are not
working in ‘blurring’ settings



Other findings (see Bibliographie)
• Impact assessment is difficult but necessary. Evidence-based
evaluation is important for the cultural and creative sector
• Lack of evaluations, measurements, indicators etc. is
considered a fundamental problem
• Due to the lack of indicators and measurements it is difficult to
develop convincing arguments for funders
• This situation highlights the need to produce new types of
indicators, research methods and instruments
• The cultural sector itself is not in favour of using indicators.
Arts practitioners have a resistance to use parameters

7. Lessons learned?

What might be ‘good practice’ …
between the actors in the sector of culture and creative
industries and those of the development cooperation?


7. Lessons learned?

Learning from failures
• Not knowing the local situation
• Not involving the local partners
• Instrumentalize arts and artists
• Support of projects without an ‘exit strategy’
• To recognise: What happens when the protection provided
under a donor country project ends?
• To prevent: ‘We bring a solution to you’
• No clear objectives


7. Lessons learned?

Learning from ‘good practice’
• If possible, meet on equal footing
• Identification of cultural and creative initiatives
• Support of local initiatives before ‘bringing in’ own concepts
• Capacity building
• Participation
• Giving a voice
• Open, creative forums without a predefined approach
• Facilitate structures without shaping content


7. Lessons learned?

Learning from ‘good practice’
• Create spaces in which cultural actors, scientists and ‘agents
of change’ can freely develop their ideas; without the patrons,
the governments and authorities exerting influence on the
general direction in terms of content
• Support various forms of cooperation:
with local partners and partners among each other (also intraregional and
transnational)

the implementing organizations among each other: more
coordination of individual projects

more cooperation between international donors


8. Outlook

What more do we need now?

• Putting theory into praxis
• In terms of future actions, my main
message is that art and culture and the
potential of the creative industries should
have a more central role in the society


8. Outlook

Artists and cultural professionals are seismographs
and actors of change
• Art and culture not only entertain and inspire, but cultural
projects and art productions can unfold their specific
effects in a variety of spheres in society
• For this, they need resources as well as intelligent and
effective organizational and conceptual support


8. Outlook

What should be done by cultural actors?
• Building visibility and communication about the power and
value of culture and creative industries
• Generate more evidence and research on the role of
culture in other areas (education, health, civic wellbeing,
environment etc.) See Bibliographie
• To learn to tell (and ‘translate’) their actions and stories in
other languages and to different stakeholders (such as
actors of development cooperation)
• Stronger capacity-building within the cultural and creative
sector


8. Outlook

What should be done by actors of development cooperation?
• Better understand the role of culture in societal and economic
transformation processes
• Test new models and institutional frameworks to co-operate on
specific projects (broader funding opportunities!)
• Be open to support more evidence-based research for the
cultural and creative sectors
• Support for the creative industries is important, but there is also
a need for ‘Seed Funds’ for independent artists and cultural
actors
• Moving the emphasis from the ‘result’ to the ‘process’ itself


8. Outlook

Apply ‘culture’ as a ‘lens’ to all policy areas

The most constructive use of the term of ‘culture’ is the concept
that ‘culture’ is a ‘lens’ that should be applied to the
development and evaluation of all policy fields, including the
policy and practice of development cooperation


Outlook
In the words of Eduardo Galeano, writer and social activist from Uruguay:

Utopia lies at the horizon.
When I draw nearer by two steps,
it retreats two steps.
If I proceed ten steps forward,
it swiftly slips ten steps ahead.
No matter how far I go, I can never reach it.
What, then, is the purpose of utopia?
It is to cause us to advance.

Culture's Role in Development

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