Spaces of cultural democracy
A transdisciplinary research project for the development of experimental learning spaces with regard to climate change and sustainability
Zur Projektwebsite
Gefördert vom Land Salzburg von 1.12.2019 bis 30.11.2023
Why does the research project exist?
According to Uwe Schneidewind (of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy), in order to meet the requirements of sustainable development, we need “transformative universities” that “make major social challenges the starting point for their research and teaching and shape change processes together with social actors” (Schneidewind 2014). The “co-production” of knowledge with civil society plays a particularly important role here.
This university research project aims to make a contribution to this in the context of sustainable development. In the research project “Spaces of Cultural Democracy”, we work with participatory and transdisciplinary research approaches and are currently taking central social challenges of climate change and sustainability as the focal point of our analysis.
What does the research project want to investigate?
We are researching exemplary existing mediation projects and, on this basis, developing and designing experimental and process-oriented spaces with the participation of different people. In doing so, we will explore the question of how the creation of such mediation spaces enables participation, co-creation and cultural participation in the sense of cultural democracy. In doing so, we are addressing the current social challenges of climate change and sustainable development. The research project combines practical and theoretical fields of mediation, critical cultural work and cultural education, including the digital space.
Why is such a research project needed?
Many institutions in the field of art and culture create outreach programs based on concepts of “audience development” in order to address a larger, more diverse and new audience. This institutional, often offer-oriented practice is frequently based on knowledge transfer by experts that builds on existing content and cultural collections and operates within the institutional framework.
In the research project, however, we want to encourage a change of perspective. Through a transformative and participatory process with social actors involved, new formats and mediation materials are being created in relation to the current topics of climate change and sustainable development. These open up opportunities for self-representation, empowerment and further development in the sense of a dynamic process.
What are the theoretical points of reference for the research project?
The starting point for the basic research is the cultural concept of “cultural studies”. This understands culture as a dynamic and conflictual practice that finds expression in people’s everyday actions. This goes hand in hand with the realization that people can intervene in the production of cultural meaning and power relations by becoming active cultural producers and cultural mediators themselves. This concept of culture is embedded in the overarching political goal of achieving social change in the sense of democracy, inclusion and emancipation of all people.
We work with the “cultural democracy” approach, in which people actively participate in shaping society, have access and resources and engage in local and digital cultural practices.
Another basis of the project is cultural mediation as a critical and participatory practice that takes up current and relevant topics from society and deals with them in a reflective way.
If we start from the concepts of cultural democracy and people’s everyday cultural practices, we believe that new formats and methods of mediation can develop and open up opportunities for social participation. We would like to take a look at the new spaces that emerge in the sense of experimental spaces and think ahead. Social and socio-critical topics are considered and taken as a starting point in connection with living environments.
What is the course of the research project?
The two-year research project explores and develops experimental and cultural mediation spaces that are expressed in mobile, physical and digital spaces. It consists of 3 phases: (1) basic research, (2) participatory and transdisciplinary research and (3) the development and design of experimental mediation spaces.
People are actively invited to participate in a development process on several levels and through various offers. Further information, for example on invitations to the participation opportunities, will follow shortly in our digital spaces: Website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Who is part of the research project?
University of Salzburg: Elke Zobl as project manager, Sophia Reiterer as research assistant, Timna Pachner as student assistant (and Anita Thanhofer from 1.12.2019 to 30.6.2020 as research assistant, and Salzburg Museum: Sandra Kobel as head of cultural mediation at the Salzburg Museum.
References:
Uwe Schneidewind (2014): Von der nachhaltigen zur transformativen Hochschule: Perspektiven einer „True University Sustainability“. In: Umweltwirtschaftsforum, Jg. 22, Nr. 4, S. 221-225. Die finale Publikation ist verfügbar unter Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00550-014-0314-7
