“Defensive instrumentalism” and the legacy of New Labour's cultural policies

Belfiore, Eleonora

doi:10.1080/09548963.2012.674750

Cited by 117 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…On account of persistent structural and competitive disadvantages faced by the indigenous production sector in the UK and in other European countries and beyond, creating a 'commercially sustainable' production industry is not realistically within the power of any public support body for film. The fact that the Film Council was initially steered strongly towards industrial sustainability is consistent with a 'defensive instrumentalism' which some have argued is characteristic of New Labour's general approach to policies of support for culture (Belfiore, 2012). A prioritisation of economic goals for film support chimed with New Labour's broader strategy of supporting growth in 'creative industries' but failed to address the complexities surrounding excessive reliance on inward investment from Hollywood (Dickinson and Harvey, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Film Support and the Challenge of ‘Sustainability’: On Wing Design, Wax and Feathers, and Bolts from the Blue

Doyle¹

2014

Journal of British Cinema and Television

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Doyle, G. (2014) Film support and the challenge of 'sustainability': on wing design, wax and feathers, and bolts from the blue. Journal of British Cinema and Television, AbstractIn recognition of the importance of film in generating both economic and cultural value, the UK Labour Government set up a new agency -the UKFC -in 2000 with a remit to build a sustainable film industry. But, reflecting a plethora of differing expectations in relation to the purposes behind public support for film, the UKFC's agenda shifted and broadened over the organisation's lifetime (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011). Apparently unconvinced by the UKFC's achievements, the coalition Government which came to power in May 2010 announced the Council's abolition and reassigned its responsibilities as part of a general cost-cutting strategy. Based on original empirical research, this paper examines how the UKFC's sense of strategic direction was determined, how and why the balance of objectives it pursued changed over time and what these shifts tell us about the nature of film policy and the challenges facing bodies that are charged with enacting it in the 21 st century.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Film Support and the Challenge of ‘Sustainability’: On Wing Design, Wax and Feathers, and Bolts from the Blue

Doyle¹

2014

Journal of British Cinema and Television

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“…Some argued that this was because participation targets encourage easy wins to increase numbers, and ignore the fact that reaching new people is much slower, and engages smaller numbers. As such policy interventions may lead to a "defensive instrumentalism" (Belfiore, 2012) where the arts feel obliged to justify how they are addressing policy without adopting the values which underpin it.…”

Section: Because Everybody's Interpretation Of What It Is…is Differmentioning

confidence: 99%

The participation myth

Jancovich

2015

International Journal of Cultural Policy

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Policy rhetoric around strategies to and the value of increasing participation in the arts has been well documented internationally over more than a decade. But in the UK, which is the focus for this article, targets to increase participation have been consistently missed and there remains a direct correlation between those taking part in cultural activity and their socio-economic status.The starting point for this article is to examine the barriers to increasing participation in the arts and question the way that such policy has been implemented within the English context, which may have relevance for policy making in other countries. What is demonstrated is that policy implementation is influenced by vested interest of those in receipt of funding and that a narrow range of voices, from a powerful cultural elite, are involved in the decision making in the arts. The article makes a case for widening the range of voices heard in decision making in order to support both artistic practice and public engagement.

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“…A shift in the relationship between government and the 'cultural sector' occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s when what has been come to be labelled 'instrumental' justifications of state support came to the fore (Belfiore 2012;Gray 2007;Selwood 2002). 'Instrumental' benefits are usually characterised as those which are ancillary to culture, such as economic and social benefits.…”

Section: Case Study 31: Measuring the Value Of Archaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Key Concepts in Public Archaeology

2017

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This publication was made possible by funding from Jisc as part of the 'Institution as e-textbook publisher' project: https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/institution-as-e-textbook-publisher.This book is dedicated to Tim Schadla-Hall who has led the teaching and study of public archaeology at UCL for two decades, and inspired and supported a generation of public archaeologists. vii AcknowledgementsThis book has been a long time in the making, and I must first express my thanks to everybody involved for their formidable patience. The collection of papers originates in the MA Public Archaeology at UCL, devised and taught over many years by Tim Schadla-Hall and others. Most of the contributors to this volume have taught on the MA course and several are graduates, while others carried out doctoral research within what is becoming known as the 'London school' of public archaeology. This is the appropriate place to acknowledge the leadership and vision of the late Peter Ucko, whose understanding of archaeology as a politically engaged practice entangled in everyday life gave rise to the teaching programme in public archaeology at UCL Institute of Archaeology at both undergraduate and graduate level, as well as the creation of the journal Public Archaeology, still hosted in that department. The Ucko tradition of public archaeology as both scholarship and practice has been maintained over the last two decades by Tim SchadlaHall, Neal Ascherson, Nick Merriman, Ulrike Sommer, Andrew Reid and many others in the Institute of Archaeology, and continues to this day. The publication of this volume has been guided with great patience and vision by Lara Speicher of UCL Press and her colleagues and I am grateful for their faith in the project. Public archaeology is founded upon the belief in breaking down divisions between professionals or academics and the wider world: UCL Press' commitment to Open Access publishing is a beacon in this broader campaign to share knowledge freely beyond the pay-walls and prohibitive prices of traditional elite academic publishing. Finally, my thanks to Maria Phelan and my family who have endured my moaning about this book for too long.

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“Defensive instrumentalism” and the legacy of New Labour's cultural policies

Cited by 117 publications

References 17 publications

Film Support and the Challenge of ‘Sustainability’: On Wing Design, Wax and Feathers, and Bolts from the Blue

Film Support and the Challenge of ‘Sustainability’: On Wing Design, Wax and Feathers, and Bolts from the Blue

The participation myth

Key Concepts in Public Archaeology

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