NETWORKING CULTURE: THE ROLE OF EUROPEAN CULTURAL NETWORKS
by Gudrun Pehn (Council of Europe, 1999 ISBN 9 2871 3925 3 £7.50 [£10.25
inc p&p*])
Is cultural policy stifling creativity? And can networks of creative practitioners and enterprises breathe new life into an over-regulated policy environment? Gudrun Pehn addresses these questions from a European perspective, and, in the process, critiques an approach to cultural sector development whose merits have ? perhaps too often ? been taken as read.
Pehn reviews the network concept as an economic, historical, philosophical, sociological and geographical phenomenon, collating definitions of the cultural network and the features that define it. She discusses the changing role of the individual, the organisation and the network, in relation to the shift from an industrial to knowledge-based economy. She outlines the value of cultural networks and the challenges involved in supporting and funding them, and finally, she explains the work of the Forum of European Cultural Networks.
Writing in 1999, Pehn describes cultural networks as being ?on the point of gaining legitimacy? in policy terms, having arisen as informal alliances of arts professionals. Four years on, the issues she highlights have become pertinent on a national and regional level, particularly for those engaged in the cluster-based approach to creative industries sector-development championed by the Regional Development Agencies.
Of particular interest to this audience is Pehn?s concern for the challenges in adopting and formalising a user-centred support mechanism that evolved outside ? and to some extent in opposition to ? the system. As the author notes, ?To formalise the functional rules of a network is, in a way, to destroy it.? No solutions are put forward but valuable questions are raised and some practical guidance offered to those choosing to work in this way. Here, the author is concerned with the effectiveness of the network, the equanimity with which it operates and the extent to which it meets the needs of members (as well as funders).
Basing her assertions on lessons learned in Europe, Pehn suggests paying careful attention to the way in which networks are initiated and managed, and to ensuring that any evaluation criteria reflect the time involved in set-up and stabilisation, before outputs can begin to be achieved.
Pehn?s analysis of the ?networked organisation? also makes interesting reading for those working to develop the creative industries sector. In order to collaborate effectively, Pehn argues, organisations must themselves become network-like in structure and culture, shifting away from rigid, power-based pyramids to become flexible webs of knowledge and expertise. What is striking to the reader, is the extent to which this ?networked approach? can already be seen in creative enterprises, with their collaborative, flexible approach to work, the high value they place on innovation, and their relative freedom from traditional industrial values. The dynamic between internal and external networks ? and the conditions and support mechanisms which can facilitate both ? would be an interesting area for further research.
Overall, this book will be of greatest relevance to those working in creative industries sector-development, but makes an interesting and stimulating read for anyone involved in developing cultural infrastructures.
Review by Karen Yair, Creative Industries Development Manager at Culture South West.
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