Musical arts education in Africa : differentiation, integration and disassociation

By discussing the future challenges to musical arts education in Africa in which local cultural practices are valued, the differences of those historically marginalised by virtue of gender, race, ethnicity, and class, are celebrated. In Africa, musical arts education and culture are regarded as an integral part of our life, which not only embraces the spiritual, material and intellectual aspects of our society, but also contributes greatly toward our emotional development. This affirms the integrity and importance of various forms of 'Art' including literature, technology, design, dance, drama, music, visual art, media and communication.

This paper will discuss the future of African musical arts education programmes through the dynamic cycle of differentiation, integration and disassociation. The authors will consider the concept of ‘differentiation’, ‘integration’ and ‘disassociation’ within musical arts practice. An analysis of selected international arts education programmes provides a globally differentiated perspective through a discipline-based approach. In the African context, arts education programmes are located within an integrated approach. The structure of a Music Action Research Team (MAT cell) in Southern African Developing Community (SADC) countries will be highlighted as a means to address disassociation through the active engagement of professional development programmes offered by the Centre for Indigenous African Instrumental Music and Dance (CIIMDA).

Dying in the arts: creativity as metaphor

The idea that organizations need to adopt structures and practices that facilitate 'creativity' has become a central theme in theories of managing organisational innovation and success. This idea has been deployed in organisational theory, HRM, marketing and other domains of organization studies. We argue, however, that in the process of being appropriated from the arts, the concept of creativity has been 'hollowed out' and refashioned to suit the structures of organization as institution, and its needs as a business organization (to make money and establish 'competitive advantage'). This devalued idea of creativity has, in turn, been imposed on arts organisatons, which are impelled to see themselves as 'creative businesses'. Creativity, has been defined as a set of imaginative practices intended to express original ideas, and is in need of defence.

Creative arts practice, creative industries : method and process as cultural capital

The value of artistic research is related not only to the products of creative arts practices, but also to methodological, material and social processes through which they operate.

This paper argues that although creative arts research methods – the use of personally situated, interdisciplinary and emergent approaches – contradict what is usually expected of research, such approaches underpin the innovative capacity of studio enquiry and its implication for extending practice-led research pedagogy across all research disciplines.

An exploration of the components of relational bonds to an arts festival brand

This research investigates the nature of the bonds that consumers form with a brand that provides highly uncertain outcomes, and is only available intermittently. The research model draws upon elements of Keller’s (2001) conceptualisation of brand resonance, and extends McAlexander, Kim, and Roberts’ (2003), and Muniz and O’Guinn’s (2001) brand community construct, testing these in an atypical service environment. Qualitative research suggested the need for a broader view of the bond formed in these circumstances, specifically one comprising measures of anticipation of usage, social attraction, commitment, loyalty, and trust. This paper reports on analysis undertaken to develop such a construct, which has been labelled “brand affinity”. Tests for discriminant validity suggest that the brand affinity construct is a distinct construct that can be used to measure consumer attitudes toward a highly uncertain, intermittently available product.

The new arts leader: the Australia Council and cultural policy change

One consequence of the development of cultural policy has been a demand for more creative leadership in arts organisations. This article provides a case study of how leadership of the Australia Council changed from the 1970s to the beginning of the 21st century. It argues that changes to the way in which Australia Council chairs approached their role was shaped by, and contributed to, the trend towards constructing the arts as an industry. Part of this change sees the Australia Council subjected to aspects of reform, which were widely endorsed by the Australian public sector. The article identifies three styles of leadership exhibited by the chairs over the period: visionary, statesman and reformer, in three phases of the Council's history. It examines the political and social imperatives shaping these leadership styles.

A creative twist: management theory, creativity and the arts

For many theorists and practitioners in the area of organizational theory, HRM, marketing and other domains of organization studies, organizational creativity is something to be distilled and managed as an element of organizational performance. The article argues, however, that this process of appropriation from the creative arts is subject to a number of problematic transitions. The article's starting point is the notion of creativity itself. Within the creative arts, the question of what constitutes creativity and its relationship to artistic practice is subject to considerable debate. This debate centers on the question of whether creativity represents an essentialist and inexplicable (even spiritual) component of artistic practice or whether creativity is a trait of work and cannot be attributed as a unique aspect of art. The mantra of creativity provides nothing more than a means to control individuals and provide them with a false hope that contributing to the success of business will provide a means to self fulfillment.

Turning Victoria into cultural capital: Victorian arts policy 1992-1999

Cultural developments in Victoria represent an example of the industry approach to the arts, which guides contemporary public cultural policy. This approach evolved many years back but it is clearly expressed in the Kennett government’s cultural policy document.

Geeks and Gods: ICT`s Debt to the Arts

With each new object and phenomena humankind discovers, develops or invents, a new set of words must be coined or adopted to describe them. Words are not neutral, carrying with them associations and connotations based on their previous applications and alliances, and augmented by their shapes, sounds, rhymes and rhythms. Many words which are now embedded in lCT's, retain and continue to be colored by these earlier meanings, some of which are drawn from myths.The method of vocabulary-building utilized by ICT's reflects its openness to new ideas and users.

Multiculturalism in arts education: engaging schools in effective and authentic pedagogies

Serious questions have been raised by arts educators and community members about the effectiveness of multiculturalism that is usually enacted in Australian school settings by multi-arts festivals and related classroom activities. By exploring resources available to teachers, snapshots can be created of school practices that purport to be multicultural. Often these are only thematically integrated interdisciplinary exercises that do not reflect the complexity and diversity of true multiculturalism. Australia has for some time positioned itself as part of the global community. How this has been enacted in schools' multi-arts practices demonstrates our changing understanding of multiculturalism. The recent Australian National Review of School Music Education (2005) exhorts us to recognise cultural diversity, encourage participation and engagement and form partnerships, connections and networks. To achieve this we need to demonstrate authentic practice. Tucker (1992) has created an authenticity checklist that argues that materials should be prepared with the involvement of someone within the culture and include cultural context. Without this, we risk stripping the arts of much of its meaning. The authors contend that it should be possible in 21st century Australia to create authentic, meaningful arts education practices in schools given the rich cultural mosaic that forms our contemporary society.

Managerialism and the arts : a complete and utter bloody waste of time

Managerialism has been adopted with alacrity by Australian government agencies across multiple sectors. Studies of managerialism in concept and practice have been undertaken in some public sectors but not from a critical management perspective. This position paper examines the contribution of organization theory to an understanding of managerialism. Here we challenge the appropriateness and effectiveness of new managerialism generally, and for the arts in particular, through an analysis of conflict between an Artistic Director, General Manager and Board in a key Australian community arts organization. We call for further research into the appropriateness of management theory and practice for the arts; and seek better ways of managing our cultural capital.

Using creativity to achieve an entrepreneurial future for arts marketing

The marketing concept fails to explain marketing behaviour of small firms. Similar comments are now being made of large firms. This gap between theory and practice is even more significant in non-profit and arts organisations where sector specific philosophies often determine how marketing is embraced, with its underlying notions of the customer and profitability. Many of these organisations must overcome severe resource constraints by thinking creatively. This paper investigates the relationship between art, marketing, entrepreneurship and creativity in order to reach a clearer understanding of how creativity can assist both the arts organisation and those involved in researching the sector. There have been increasing calls within the academic marketing community to instil a creative philosophy within the research process. This call has not resulted in much research on the phenomenon within marketing, and certainly not from a nonprofit perspective. This paper discusses creativity as a concept drawing on a diverse range of literatures outside the management discipline. The link between creativity, marketing, entrepreneurship and art is analysed. Justification of the incorporation of creativity in the research process is presented for practitioners and theorists in marketing and the arts, so that they can learn from each others' disciplines. Implications for future research are presented, where creativity is viewed as the centre of a non-linear, free thinking understanding of artistic truth.