Participatory Practices in Art and Cultural Heritage: Learning Through and from Collaboration

This edited volume explores participatory practices in art and cultural heritage to determine what can be learned through collaboration across disciplinary borders. It highlights a shift from a focus on objects to audiences and emphasizes the importance of community engagement and participatory governance models. While participation is seen as a tool for implementing diversity policy, social disjunction, and cultural activism, there is a need for ethical frameworks and practical guidelines. The book offers a space for critically reflecting on participatory practices and aims to answer the question: How can we learn to better participate?

Format: Hardback
Length: 185 pages
Publication date: 26 August 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This edited volume delves into the realm of participatory practices in art and cultural heritage, seeking to unravel the insights and lessons that can be gained through collaborative endeavors across disciplinary boundaries. In recent years, there has been a notable shift in museology, museum policies, and practices, prioritizing community engagement over the traditional focus on collecting and preserving museum objects. Many museums have embraced a shift from a singular emphasis on artifacts to a broader perspective that encompasses the interests and needs of their audiences. Artistic practices across various disciplines, including visual arts, music, and theater, have also embraced participatory forms, allowing individuals to actively participate in the creative process.

In the realm of cultural heritage, there has been a growing trend towards participatory governance models that prioritize the expertise and knowledge of local communities over that of trained professionals. This shift reflects a recognition of the value of diverse perspectives and the importance of engaging communities in the preservation and interpretation of their cultural heritage. While participation is seen as a tool for implementing diversity policies, addressing social disjunction, and fostering cultural activism, it has also sparked intense debates on definitions, power dynamics, expertise distribution, agency, and representation.

While new forms of audience and community engagement are flourishing, there remains a critical need for robust ethical frameworks and practical guidelines to support these practices. Theoretical reflection and critical assessment of participatory practices are equally important to ensure that they are sustainable, inclusive, and equitable. This book serves as a valuable platform for critically reflecting on participatory practices, exploring emerging norms and forms of collaboration as participation, and drawing upon actual lessons learned from these experiences. By asking and answering the question, "How can we learn to better participate?" this book aims to contribute to the ongoing dialogue and advancement of participatory practices in art and cultural heritage.

Weight: 459g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031056932
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022