Emerging Arts Leaders

The “informal arts” are chock full of agency, which is described as the capacity people have to act or make an impact on their community.  Secretly, we all want to be important in affecting our world.  Whether it be the through the mere want of fame like a movie star or the ability to change the rules like a government official; that drive to make a difference is inside everyone.  Ever since I came across the concept of informal arts I’ve been intrigued with these ideas.  Is the arts industry still stuck in the past, when attending a theatrical performance was perceived as the cutting edge of society?  Are these types of “passive” art experiences pedestrian to the 21^st century?  Are more participatory, or “informal” art events, connecting audience members to content in a more meaningful way?

To answer this let’s take into consideration the Seattle arts community.  With so many non-profit theatres closing one has to wonder if audiences are still happy “attending” performances.  At the theater I’m on the Board of, the “choose your own adventure” show has sold more tickets than anything else all season.  Successful marketing techniques for events now include myspace pages, photosharing and blogs.  The importance of the user’s ability to actively share and manage their own content has increased since the days when media focused on the individual as a mere consumer of content. 

It’s strange to think that the advent of social technologies/media could have such an influence on the “innovative” arts community in Seattle.  This region has always been ahead of the curve in arts and technology with Percents for Public Art and the leading software company in the world.  Why then are city’s art ordinances still limited to capital improvement expenditures like sculptures, or funding programs narrowed to non-profit organizations with antiquated business models?

I would love to again participate in the arts actively through “Foxtrot Fridays in the Park” or “the Around the World Refrigerator Magnet Wall.”  There is civic engagement and renewal in those encounters.  People become animated with making a place better or with the perception of becoming a better person.  It’s hard to see how audience members are benefiting from sitting back in their cushy, velvet chairs.  It is the meaningful discussions over pie after the movie, or the wine and cheese mingling at the reception, that connects us.  By socializing and sharing ideas we “animate democracy,” and move from a passive consumer and into an engaged active participant.  If the informal arts are a forum for this, we must insist that it be included in our arts toolbox. 

The one element that currently drives my inspiration is my participation in the Emerging Arts Leaders’ Creative Conversations.  At the “Taking Stock” meeting on October 10th we’ll hear what ideas make the Seattle arts community participate in the arts.  My sincerest hopes that you’ll come out and join us.