It has been a ludicrously long time since my last blog post. There are a multitude of reasons for this but I won’t go into details. Instead I want to quickly update on what has been happening on my course to get me back into regular A-N blogging.
I had to complete two essays for mid January (one of the primary reasons for neglecting blogging) in my first blast of official deadlines on the course. The few months prior consisted of reading and intial writing, slowly building up to a last month push fuelled by ridiculously strong coffees, library trips and all day writing sessions. The first of these assignments was for Arts Management Principles module. This essay involved composing a literature review of a chosen aspect of either production or reception. I chose to look at the role of the curator in arts management practice arguing that contemporary curating is a strong socially connected example of contemporary arts management. For the review I focused on the institutional curator, of course you could write another essay on independent curating, and the hierarchies of management structures. I found the format of the review taxing mainly as I had only written traditionally structured essays previously and found a review rewarding but challenging.
My second and the larger piece of work of the two, was for my Cultural Policy module. I chose to examine the Big Society as a policy using the volunteer scheme at National Museums Liverpool as a case study of how it has impacted front line operations in cultural venues. I found myself reading many political texts and actively engaging with politics on a deeper level, possibly for the first time. It was a very interesting process. I acknowledged that voluntary work must be seen as viable model that could keep venues afloat in these harsh times. However I also questioned, in the face of excessive cuts that have seen entry level jobs dwindle, if volunteering is exploitative but also if it increases the chasm between free work and paid employment in arts institutions? I believe strongly in the matter having worked front of house for the past four years part time. Near the end of my time in Liverpool, a once healthy team of paid Information Assistants was literally down to a few contracted staff (original staff) and a band of 0 hour contracts. This wasn’t exclusive to the institution I worked in.
I am just about to start my new modules this week. The main module this term is Arts Business Strategies. Going to be an interesting one I think. Business plans are a lot further away than slowly pouring gloss paint on freshly sanded wood. I’ll be updating the blog again soon. In the meantime, check this out if you are in Liverpool on Friday. It is looking ace and can’t wait to see it:
