Arts and Culture: Policy and Politics
Full course description
What is art? What is good art? What is the value of art and culture? Why and how should the government support or not support the arts: which art, whose culture? How about cultural participation? These are the main questions of this interdisciplinary course which will provide the students with knowledge and analytical tools necessary for understanding the many different answers to the questions. The course combines an introduction in relevant literature and theories (art history, cultural history, cultural economics, sociology of culture) with real life case studies. Students will do some collective field work by preparing and conducting an interview with a professional in the arts and culture sector Instruction language. The approach is international and comparative.
Course objectives
Students know and understand:
- different approaches towards art and cultural policy;
- main arguments in favour and against more or less state support for arts and heritage;
- effects of different forms of supporting arts and heritage;
- influence of political, societal and cultural contexts on these themes.