A Practical Way to Support Cultural Diversity in Art Organisations and Projects

This article is based on the findings of the master’s thesis research of the author, an arts management alumna of the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki. The thesis draws from previous studies (i.e. Mandel 2019; Lahtinen et al. 2020; Glow et al. 2021) that consider audience development programmes of Finnish and international cultural institutions aimed at reflecting the increasing cultural diversity in society. Such programmes are not effective when they are not supported by wider organisational change that embraces cultural diversity in all areas of operation, not only in the most addressed areas of programming and outreach. The key challenge of implementing cultural diversity (here meaning diverse countries of origin and different languages) in organisation’s operations is getting the existing staff on-board. Promoting intrinsic motivation that stems from personal experience is an effective way to do so. Therefore, the thesis examined intercultural networking as a way to drive such change.      

 

In the context of this study, intercultural networking means facilitating an opportunity for artists and cultural professionals of local and foreign backgrounds working in the same country that have had none or very little contact yet to meet each other. It is thus different from internationalisation or mobility programmes of cultural institutions. There are many formats intercultural networking in the local context can take, hence the importance of tailoring the approach for the specific strategic and operational objectives of an organisation or a project.

 

Methodology 

 

The study followed a networking event organised by Dörren and Culture Kids teams for the Culture Kids’ actors in Helsinki, Finland, where staff of local art organisations could meet art and cultural professionals of foreign background. Dörren - a programme run by Luckan, the Finland-Swedish Information and Cultural Centre in Helsinki - creates meetings between newcomers to Finland ("participants”) and local professionals ("door openers”) in the same field. Culture Kids, Kummilapset in Finnish, works with 35 cultural institutions based in the Helsinki metropolitan area to create engaging artistic offerings for children and their families. If looked at from an art organisation’s perspective, it can be considered as an audience development programme. 

           

An instrumental case study approach, compatible with qualitative research, has been adapted to conduct the study. The choice was made to be able to take into account both the views of the participants of intercultural networking activity and the context. The data set included interviews with local cultural professionals who participated in the event, with a Dörren event coordinator, and with the Culture Kids team; observation notes from the networking event and organisational meetings between Dörren and Culture Kids; internal documents; and articles about Dörren and Culture Kids. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the intercultural networking event itself and all observations and interviews were conducted online. However, as all these activities run in real time, they were as close to in-person interactions as possible, and subject to very similar strengths and weaknesses as the in-person observations and interviews would have been.

 

     

Recent research in Finland (Lahtinen et al. 2020) points out the role of change in the implementation of cultural diversity in organisations. The resistance that new initiatives in institutions encounter thereby is often not directed towards cultural diversity itself but towards the changes it brings along. When considering any operational change, one of the key priorities to ensure successful implementation is taking the existing staff on board with the new direction. Coincidentally, the most frequent reason for cultural diversity programmes to fail is the lack of motivation among the existing staff (Dobbin & Kalev 2016).

 

While cultural policy, focused on the social benefits of art and culture, often approaches cultural diversity from a perspective of accessibility and non-discrimination, on an organisational or project level it is beneficial to explore an alternative perspective advocating equality and addressing structural racism. In accordance with the research by Ely and Thomas (2001), the study findings suggest that organisations willing to introduce intercultural networking for their teams in order to address these issues would benefit from adopting a strategic perspective that treats cultural diversity as a source of learning. It highlights the value cultural diversity brings on organisational level, treating cultural diversity not as something that has to be addressed as part of the inclusion or accessibility discourse but that brings new knowledge to an organisation or a project. It serves as a starting point of introducing change to the existing staff, of communicating and promoting cultural diversity as organisational rather than a societal value. This change in perspective is empowering, turning the implementation of cultural diversity into a practical action that is within the control of organisations. 

 

 

The analysis of the interviews with local cultural professionals about their experiences showed that participation in intercultural networking event promotes intrinsic motivation. Taking part in such events and one-on-one meetings with colleagues of foreign background empowers local professionals to be proactive in their support of cultural diversity. 

 

Another finding that surprisingly came up during the thematic analysis of the interviews with local cultural professionals is the value attributed to such interactions themselves. It is likely that art professionals of local and foreign background are members of very different networks. However, there is an interest and willingness to broaden these networks. The experience was perceived as inspiring by the local art field professionals. The feeling of reciprocity rose from whether the participants felt that there was something they could give professionally to their match and whether their colleague of a foreign background expressed interest. The idea that the interaction itself is a valuable element of intercultural networking contributes to the facilitation of change stemming from such activity, rather than from a top-down directive. 

 

Finally, an intercultural networking event offers a space where colleagues of different cultural backgrounds can meet as equals and discuss relevant concerns regardless of what their cultural background may be, i. e. about reaching out and serving the increasingly diverse audiences. The case event created an environment for art professionals of diverse backgrounds to address diversity in the context of audience development. This joint discussion served as a reminder that everyone operates in the same field and that the increasing diversity in society is a factor that influences everyone. Fostering a shared ecosystem where cultural diversity is accepted as a source of knowledge and development appeared in this case as one of the intercultural networking benefits. What is more, the case showed its capacity to strengthen the dialogue on cultural diversity between the representatives of the same culture.

 

 

Establishing a common ground between the participants should be taken extra care of when intercultural networking events are introduced in either an organisation or a project. Allowing sufficient time for networking itself, emphasising the clear goals, familiarising with guidelines for participation and preparation ahead of the event can offer individuals a degree of predictability. 

 

One of the common factors mentioned by the interviewees that affected their experience was the uncertainty of the situation. Art organisations should be aware of and try to address this challenge that intercultural networking can bring. Uncertainty tolerance can vary between individuals, so this parameter is likely to be common in many settings. That is why organisations should provide extra guidance and structure to intercultural networking, communicating clearly what to expect, explaining how a networking event is structured and what its goal is, emphasising the need to get acquainted with relevant information prior to networking taking place, etc. Mitigating uncertainty is something to be customised each time, as a degree of freedom is necessary to ensure that the interaction is live and open. As an option, art organisations may survey their staff (for example, see the survey by Hofhuis, van der Zee & Otten (2015)) to determine the attitude towards cultural diversity in general and use the results to decide on suitable communication and management of future intercultural networking events or any other activity aimed at the promotion and implementation of cultural diversity. 

     

 

In conclusion, to create a space for intercultural networking that enables the flow of ideas and open discussion between professionals of diverse backgrounds several ingredients are required: a strategic perspective that treats cultural diversity as a source of learning, appropriate communication, and a proper facilitation and structure of the networking events that mitigate uncertainty. As a result, by empowering a peer-to-peer connection between art professionals of diverse backgrounds, art organisations effectively create new links, called "weak ties” (Granovetter, 1973), with and between diverse groups in society. Thus, intercultural networking plays a role in how information is distributed not only between individuals but also between different networks, including information about the arts organisations themselves and their programmes and services. 

 

 

• Dobbin, F. & Kalev, A. (2016). Why diversity programmes fail. Harvard Business Review, July-August 2016. 
• Ely, R. J., & Thomas, D. A. (2001). Cultural diversity at work: the effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative science quarterly, 46(2), 229-273. 
• Glow, H., Kershaw, A., & Reason, M. (2021). Leading or avoiding change: The problem of audience diversification for arts organisations. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 27(1), 130-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2019.1709060
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• Hofhuis, J., van der Zee, K. I., & Otten, S. (2015). Measuring employee perception on the effects of cultural diversity at work: Development of the benefits and threats of diversity scale. Quality & Quantity, 49(1), 177-201.
• Lahtinen, E., Mäenpää, M., Karri, S. & Kurlin Niiniaho, A. (2020). Avaus: Opening, the status of foreign-born arts and culture professionals in Finland. Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore.
• Mandel, B. R. (2019). Can audience development promote social diversity in German public arts institutions? The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 49(2), 121-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2018.1517064