This post has no greater purpose than to reflect on the present and future of our profession in these times of such profound changes. 150 years ago, an unemployed soldier invented the traditional circus; 50 years later, the contemporary circus became a legitimized art and on equal terms with the other disciplines. Starting from these premises, I dare to describe the present and future of those who dedicate themselves to art.
Digital culture: The digitization of culture and the loss of purchasing power entail difficulty attracting new audiences. To this, we can add cultural endogamy on many artists who have disconnected from the reality with which they live.
Democratization of culture: Globalization has meant greater diversity and accessibility. More competition, without distances and with various options to develop work all over the world.
Alliances: The sector concentrates on saving expenses from cultural institutions, schools, or companies, which share producer, personnel, or rental fees. They tend to work for projects, in international groups, and with multipurpose roles.
Well-being: the actual crisis forces many artists to reorient their work in educational, social, and health services. Art is a tool to create well-being in a society of leisure and free time. A demanding public participates in a varied and highly specialized offer.
Scarcity economy: public aid has been reduced to an essential service, which protects and promotes minorities, communities, and politically correct art. Contemporary Artists who want to research and develop innovative projects will go to foundations and need to have a good network. The rest of the practitioners will be part of the entertainment, and voluntarily or economically precarious.
Finally, it would be essential to remember that culture, like education or health, is a right to be guaranteed. Greater awareness of cultural workers is necessary to protect what has taken many years to build and is now in danger. We must aspire to a critical culture that incorporates new narratives that reconnect with the citizens to whom they are addressed. All of this is the responsibility of each one of us.
What is clear is that art will continue without us, and new unemployed riders will appear to invent new forms of expression and provide solutions. For the moment I encourage you to apply to Taike
Pablo Alvarez,
Director of Marino Clown Company, and advisor to the Finnish national committee for multidisciplinary arts and diversity, TAIKE.