Encouraging intercultural knowledge exchange

The virtual gathering of the Brokering Intercultural Exchange Network (BIE) was held on January 13 and chaired by one of the network’s founders, Raphaela Henze (Heilbronn University). It brought together more than 120 attendees from 24 countries. 

 

The gathering provided an opportunity for cultural managers and academics to converge in a virtual space to discuss the creative and cultural sector and the impacts of 2020: tackling working during and post Covid-19; embedding stronger inclusive practices; and acknowledging racial inequities.  

 

BIE was established through an Arts and Humanities Research Council Network Grant. The network aims to strengthen intercultural dialogue on the role of arts and cultural managers through discussions on globalisation, internationalism, and migration. 

 

 

Supporting the gathering was a dedicated team of Master students from Heilbronn University’s programme in Economic, Culture, Leisure and Sports Management and students from the University of Michigan. The students masterfully kept the sessions moving in a timely fashion, assisted with the technical issues and notated sessions, allowing for a seamless refection of the discussions’ key points to be shared with the full group. 

 

Central to the success of the gathering was the embedded diversity: diversity of people (gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, age, etc.); diversity of employment and art forms, and diversity of thought. Through diverse world viewpoints and experiences the sessions promoted intercultural understanding and encouraged dialogue that recognised and appreciated varied viewpoints. Most welcomed was the attendees grace and ability to share the virtual space, allowing a multitude of voices to be heard and acknowledged. I appreciated the pace and structure of the six-hour gathering, moving from a roundtable discussion, to breakout sessions, group discussions and reflections. I also had the pleasure of presenting a five minute ‘elevator pitch’ as part of the gathering’s last session dedicated to presentations followed question and answers for five PhD candidates.

 

Finding your place at the table can be difficult as an early career researcher and as it was my first experience with a BIE network event, I approached the gathering with my usual enthusiasm to learn, speckled with a solid dose of trepidation. I often question where I fit into discussions, asking myself what do I bring to the conversation that presents a new dimension and encourages collegiate debate? 

 

 

The gathering began with a welcome and roundtable discussion with speakers reflecting on chapters written for the book Managing Culture: Reflecting on Exchange in Global Times (Durrer, V. & Henze, R. (ed), 2020). The Covid-19 pandemic has altered our thinking and it was interesting to hear the reflections of some of the authors on their own chapters regarding the changes caused by the pandemic, noting hardships faced in some programmes, barriers that have been addressed, commonalties and differences in approaches. 

 

Among them, Victoria Durrer’s reflection on higher education cultural management programmes and implications of internationalism in particular resonated with me as I navigate my own pedagogy and best practice when working with students who are facing uncertain career futures. She questioned current pedagogy and how best to support students entering a sector that has been ravaged by the current situation. She posited that the systems put in place in one country may be of little value in another, and asked attendees to consider our place in translating culture and equity in these situations. 

 

Throughout these and subsequent discussions, attendees were encouraged to question existing structures and pedagogies that underpin creative and cultural strategy and programmes. 

 

Two breakout sessions followed the opening roundtable, one addressing an international perspective to fostering networks and partnerships of aspiring arts managers, and one looking at the existing and potential long-term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic through the lens of creative and cultural organisations and their audiences. 

 

I took part in the latter session which began with the four panellists Matina Magkou (Greece), Anna Steinkamp (Germany), Avril Joffe (South Africa) and Cristina Farinha providing a snapshot of current experiences within their own roles in the creative industries, cultural policy, and management. Speaking from their areas of expertise and from different geographical locations, I was struck by the similarities of their and other contributors experiences as we negotiate our way through this pandemic. Strategic planning during crisis can be difficult, yet at the heart of everyone’s contribution was the drive and will to push through and emerge from it with the arts accessible and ready for audiences. 

 

This discussion was then followed by a presentation by Natasha Padilha and Bruna Castra on their newly formed venture, The Duna Project. The Duna Project provides a platform for artists to share practices and poetics seeing to build a network that supports and nurtures artists in regions adversely impacted by the pandemic. Padilha and Castra reminded me of the numerous creative outputs that have arisen through collaboration during prolonged periods of lockdown. 

 

A further hour-long breakout session followed, split into three discussion groups: one exploring the use of digitisation in creative and cultural organisations during the current crisis; one delving into building strong networks to help practitioners through Covid-19 and lockdown situations; and a third addressing how cultural and creative institutions address racial inequities and the creation of inclusive as opposed to exclusive practices. 

 

Dr. Antonio C. Cuyler opened the latter session with a presentation exploring the lack of diversity and pathways to creative justice among executive opera managers. This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Brea M. Heidelberg and her current research on ‘The Intellectual Green Book: Tracking self- and community preservation tactics among Black women and Black non-binary individuals in the non-profit arts sector’. Heidelberg’s research aims to use survey and interviews to develop understanding of issues surrounding diversity and equity within organisational structures. Both presentations reminded me of the need to allow for the plurality of voices within my own research and addressing the nuances of research design. 

 

 

Following brief reporting from each session and closing remarks, attendees were invited to stay on for a PhD session chaired by Prof. Dr. Milena Dragicevic Sesic (University of the Arts, Belgrade) and Dr. David Teevan (University College Dublin), featuring five PhD candidates at varied points in their research. Remarkably, even though it was late in the day, the session was well attended, a testament to the networks’s commitment to intercultural exchange and strengthening relationships between higher education and the sector. 

 

My fellow PhD researchers Danielle Lynch (TU Dublin, Ireland), Lea Jakob (Heilbronn University, Germany), James Lucky (University of Maiduguri, Nigeria) and Gideon A. Danja (University of Maiduguri, Nigeria) presented with grace, ownership of their research, and with an openness to listen and respond to provocations put forward. Research ranged from the connections between festivals and cultural geography in Ireland; exploring artists experiences within Cuba’s transformation process; digital storytelling in Nigeria; the archiving of music and sound educational purposes in Borno State, Nigeria; and my own research surrounding the impact of participatory arts programmes for marginalised young people in London. This session came at a perfect time for me, as I work to adjust and refocus my research due to Covid-19 restrictions. Dr. Dragicevic Sesic had many thought provoking questions that have encouraged me to consider how I frame my research and the terminology used throughout, and Dr. Teevan opened another line of enquiry I have now pursued to support my research. 

 

 

Overall, the virtual nature of the event provided opportunity for attendees who may not have been able to attend at place to join in the diverse dialogue surrounding intercultural exchange. Throughout the gathering, I felt supported and encouraged to take part within the constructs of the day’s proceedings and in future events. 

 

Whilst the virtual environment cannot fully recreate the conversations and experiences of in-person events, this gathering left me with a sense of comradery and acceptance within a friendly and engaged network. The BIE network gathering has challenged me to consider antiquated systems, demand more of my own pedagogy and to consider alternative modes of exchange. It provided opportunity for me to stretch my thinking and consider intercultural programming, strategies, and methodologies from global perspectives. Through the gathering’s sessions, I left the day armed with further reading and ideas to consider.