Introduction to Cultural Democracy

This book considers the ramifications of the term 'cultural democracy' from a variety of perspectives. In recent years, the concept of cultural democracy has gained traction in cultural policy and academic discourse, while manifesting itself on a practical level in cultural practice, but has not been uniformly defined.

Definition and Scope

This book proposes that it is a system of production, participation, support and policy of the arts acknowledging the right for all citizens to produce, access, and experience culture. The book goes on to elaborate on how the fields of cultural policy and cultural production could be aware of and relate to the cultural life-world of people.

Traditional vs. Bottom-Up Approaches

This is in opposition to the traditional top-down approach of cultural policy, distribution and cultural education systems, which depart from the canonical value of artworks and the institutional power of producers and venues. Cultural Democracy advocates a fundamentally bottom-up approach towards organising, supporting and educating arts and culture.

Perspectives and Practices

It elaborates on perspectives that theoretically enrich the concept, while at the same time presenting artistic practices that are, while often not labelled as such, culturally democratic.