FOSTERING ARTS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

Arts education in the nation’s public schools is facing challenges despite strong public support and growing evidence of its wide-ranging benefits.

Arts partnerships have a long history of providing educational resources for schools, such as access to performances, student field trips to museums, student workshops, professional development for teachers, and artist-in-residence programs that place artists in schools for extended periods. Arts partnerships have been broadly defined as one of two types. In a simple-transaction partnership, arts organizations are providers of arts programming and schools are consumers. The school does not participate meaningfully in the design of the program, and the arts organization does little or no needs assessment for the school. This type of partnership is associated with one-time arts programs that provide students and teachers with merely exposure to the arts. In a joint-venture partnership, school staff and the arts organization work together to define educational goals and needs and collaboratively develop a program. Such collaboration is more likely to result in arts programs of greater educational value.


Partnership Goals
Schools and arts organizations shared a common goal of developing students, although both tended to express this goal in terms of exposing students to the arts rather than developing their knowledge of or skills in the arts. Schools and arts organizations also had some notably different goals for their partnerships. Schools emphasized providing professional development for teachers, a goal rarely mentioned by arts organizations. Promoting public awareness and appreciation of the arts was the goal most often mentioned by arts organizations; promoting their organizations was another frequently mentioned goal.

Partnership Interactions
Partnerships were usually simple transactions rather than joint ventures. The arts organizations developed programs without input from schools and offered them for a fee or sometimes for free. Schools selected from such programs, often using nothing more than promotional brochures. Communication between school staff and arts organizations tended to occur only after program selection and primarily to resolve logistical issues such as scheduling or transportation. Neither the arts organizations nor the schools conducted a needs assessment to inform program development, and programs were rarely linked or integrated with school curriculum. Although arts teachers can be liaison-facilitators between arts organizations and schools, arts organizations rarely consulted them and they did not advise schools on program selections.


Challenges and Facilitators of Partnerships.
Both schools and arts organizations indicated that insufficient funding and limited time for instruction and communication between teachers and organizations hindered even simple partnerships. Both cited challenges reflecting a lack of information and understanding about the others’ organizational needs and limitations. Grade-appropriate arts programs integrated with the school curriculum were the facilitator most commonly cited by schools. Arts organization directors did not cite this as a facilitator and indicated they rarely offer programs linked to school curriculum. Rather, they listed personal relationships with school staff and teacher commitment and enthusiasm as critical facilitators. School staff did not seem to be as interested in building relationships as they were in accessing individuals and information that would help them select and schedule programs.


FINDING A BETTER WAY

Given the pervasiveness of simple-transaction relationships, and the difficulties of developing more-complex interactions, schools and arts organizations should work to improve the educational value of simple transactions, even though more-sophisticated partnerships may have greater potential for educational impact.

Establish partnerships that address the goals of both schools and arts organizations.
Although the needs of students and schools have been emphasized as being central to the goals of arts education, the needs of arts organizations are of equal importance to a partnership’s growth and sustainability. The potential of arts education partnerships to establish the arts as a core subject will not be realized unless schools and organizations understand how their goals interconnect.

Focus on teachers.
Given their limited resources, schools and arts organizations should focus available resources on developing teachers. Teacher support is critical to the success of arts partnerships. Investing in teachers can also help disseminate program benefits widely to students, other teachers, members of the community, and potentially to other schools when teachers change jobs.

Use program selection to improve available programming.
As the consumers in a simple-transaction partnership, schools can shape available programming to better meet their needs through their choice of programs.

Provide comprehensive and user-friendly information.
Arts organizations require comprehensive information about schools’ needs, organizational structures and goals, curricula, and available funding in order to design educational programs. Schools require accessible and relevant information on arts organizations to select programs providing the best fit with school needs.

Enhance the “brokering” role of Liaison-Facilitators as arts advisors.
Both schools and arts organizations tend to be highly diverse and decentralized. The Liaison-Facilitators who act as promoters, as "friends of artists", who act as advisors to schools, have the potential to provide much-needed guidance to schools that are looking for ways to evaluate arts programs and to arts organizations that are working to develop programming that addresses schools’ needs.


IMPLICATIONS ON SCHOOL POLICY
The most significant implication we put forward in this article is that schools must assume responsibility for creating a coherent, standards-based arts curriculum and become better-informed consumers of arts programs. Even within the context of a well-designed and ambitious program, development of complex partnerships may be impractical and inefficient. Finding ways to make simple-transaction partnerships work more effectively may ultimately enable many schools and arts organizations struggling with limited resources to make a lasting impact on school reform.

THE FILIPINO ARTISTS: THE SOUL OF OUR NATION

We still celebrate the figurative works of great Filipino artists who inspired our senses for patriotism. The great Filipino artists still lives in our heart. Artistic paintings created by Filipinos began in the 17th century during Spanish colonial times and continued until the present, with such revered artists as Luna and Amorsolo. Other popular artists include Hugo C. Yunzon reflecting an earthy style that touches on indigenous Malay culture in pieces such as Early Risers, Nestor Leynes with Mag-ina Sa Banig, and Tam Austria with Mag-Anak.


Arts in our country has transformed the Philippine artscape. In the nearly 30 years, the arts in the Philippines have exploded. Our writers, dancers, musicians, actors, visual artists, photographers, animators, video and filmmakers have provided our country with wondrous creations, with an inspiring view of The Philippines.


In addition to what they contribute to society as a whole, the arts continues to enrich our lives. They inspire the Filipino youth and promote learning. They bring our communities and cities to life. They bring us together. They are part of us all. The current breed of Filipino artists nourishes our imaginations and our dreams.


As I have surveyed in cyberspace, and even here at Multiply, there more arts organization today. These organizations have sprouted to tap the rich potential of creative talent and to satisfy the desire of Filipino artists for their own art and their own stories. The rise of these organizations is a bold and visionary statement about the future --- a declaration of independence and an expression of confidence in the future of a rising cultural revolution in our country.


As social purpose organization, it is our un-shakeable belief that our Filipino artists are the soul this nation! They propagate culture and remind us of our cultural identity. They are our sole hope for protecting and changing our culture --- as they continue shape our cultural landscapes and hold the symbols of national identity.

We all know that culture can strengthen social cohesion, increase personal confidence, improve life skills, improve people’s mental and physical well-being and strengthen people’s ability to act as democratic citizens. Artists creates the spark to all of these and burn it within our souls.

The ultimate creative activity is the uplifting of the human spirit. It is our responsibility to bring art back into the hands of the people and to do so in an accessible manner.

The current differentiation between art, architecture, craft, and design is false, it is a false schism promoted by the art world. This unnatural taxonomy has crippled the artists and turned those who participate or attempt to participate into victims of fashion. There is no essential difference between the artist and the crafts-person. The artist is an exalted crafts-person. The conscious cooperation and collaboration of artists and craftspeople must be re-introduced to rise above the current constriction and strangulation extant in the art world.

This artistic differentiation and intolerance, based on prejudice and fear of commerce, must stop. We must take matters back into our own hands and return to the idealism of our youth. Art schools filled us with impossible dreams and gave us no concrete way of supporting ourselves except through teaching, working at odd or related jobs Or that most coveted and jealously desired possibility, hitting it big. It is time to take back the power inherent in our decision to become artists and to work at a grass roots level to create objects for use and contemplation that uplift the spirit. Participate in craft fairs. Great art at the right prices, if possible, at an achievable price for even the common mass citizen . Explore unexpected venues. Embrace commerce. The most important artists throughout history were adroit business people.

When Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity, he wanted to explain it so that a school child could understand it. Let our work become that clear. Our ideas can be
challenged and clarified by a direct experience with the public.


We believe in the superiority and excellence of our Filipino Artists. They make useful, beautiful, interesting, and or challenging objects. They have the talent and intelligence to educate an inquisitive public in a very unique way.

To our artists: make a living doing what you love to do. Be irreverent. Get up. Get going. There is a revolution going on in science, math, economics, sociology and psychology that is recognizing the parallel experiences of all the disciplines. Invite the public --- not just the rich or the middle class, but the ordinary "Juan". Stir their inspiration. Stir their souls.

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BUILDING THE RIGHT DREAM IS THE MAIN THING

Remember the movie "Field of Dreams" with famous whispering voice in the wind that said, "If You Build It, They Will Come!." I am not a baseball ball fanatic and don't recognize much of the characters there, but I like the motivational drift that the movie conveys. It's all about building a dream, something worthwhile that you have been deeply yearning for that you always wanted to achieve. And it well be what God has purposed you to achieve in your lifetime.

When I was an executive in an advertising agency that handled the Milo advertising account in the the 80's, we sparked a blue ocean of possibilities in youth sport development. We triggered Nestle Philippines to take some of its advertising budgets into supporting grassroots school for sports now known as the MILO Summer Sports Clinics. In my time during the 1970's we barely had clinics or workshops to attend to during summer. It was really boring and the only workshop available was the "devil's workshop". When we finished college, that frustration moved us to spark sports educators (P.E. teachers) to pursue a dream, to build mini-schools for a variety of sports activities outside of school. Our mantra was: Conceive. Believe. Achieve. We evangelized the dream and sold the idea like it was a franchise business. We built it, and they came. And it was never the same again. Only a few know how it all began, and to many it just seemed like an advertising campaign. But however way people perceive it to be, the one main thing is that children today enjoy many worthwhile activities every summer. And today, everybody seem to be doing the same thing. We didn't mind if new faces now run the the various clinics, and didn't remember how it all started. The important thing was it was running. We enjoyed the thought of knowing that it is possible.


We experimented with our mantra over and over again, beyond sports --- with the Bear Brand Kite Festivals that went nationwide, with the grassroots cultural activities like theater and music events, with livelihood programs among tricycle and jeepney drivers cooperatives --- and even with the 100th Independence Day in 1998 (that was a big historical thing). With the right dream, with the right goals, everything was possible! These 'experiments' has even brought us to even think that a peaceful cultural revolution is possible, and it could transform people and places.


But what made it possible? It was the unselfish sharing of the dream. The kind of dream that sparked hope among citizens who have been longing for change. It was by freely sharing the dream, at the same time creating advocates who could to create an ecosystem of transformation. People simply needed a springboard. Once they owned the dream... they will build it.


I cited in one of the post-message here in this cyber-site, that any dream worth living is worth sharing with others. The person who shares his dreams gets to watch it grow. The synergy of shared ideas often takes it to a whole new level. The dream becomes greater than the person launching it ever imagined it could be. And those who participate in it often adopt it as their own dream.

I believe that each of us has a dream placed in the heart. I'm not talking about wanting to win a lottery --- that kind of idea comes from a desire to escape our present circumstance, not to pursue a heartfelt dream. I'm talking about a vision deep inside that speaks to the very soul. It's the thing we were born to do. The one thing that draws on our talents and gifts. The one that appeals to our highest ideals. It sparks our feelings of destiny. It is inseparably linked to our purpose in life. The kind of dream starts us on the success journey.

A dream does many things for people:

- A dream gives us direction.

- A dream increases our potential.

- A dream helps us prioritize.

- A dream adds value to our work.

- A dream predicts our future.


Everybody has a dream. Everybody tries to move in closer to achieving that dream day by day. The great thing in this world is not so much where we are but in what direction we are moving.


This is also one of the great things about having a dream. You can pursue your dream no matter where you are today. And what happened in the past isn't as important as what lies ahead in the future. As the saying goes, "No matter what a person's past may have been, his future is spotless."


You can begin pursuing that dream today. If you build it they will come... and later you'll wake us to celebrate your dream, with eyes wide open.

But remember, you can't build everything on your own: you have to share the dream. Don't be afraid to spread it. If you have the right kind of dream, "we are more than conquerors".

Neither be afraid about people "stealing" your ideas. Of course there will be times when you don't know if people around you are just 'posers'. I always keep in mind what Rudyard Kipling once said, "They copied all they could, but they couldn't steal our minds. So we left them sweating and stealing... a year and a half behind."


Dream on. And make it the right dream. If possible, one that you could even present to our great boss in heaven. If you do that, everything will work together for good!

The right kind of dream is one that can build our society. Spread it out. One day you'll be happy to wake up a better society. And see how beautiful it is too walk into places that has been transformed by people who shared your dream.

Until then... all this is but a dream. We have to work it out and build the right dream with our fellow citizens.


It's 12 midnight now. I'll sleep on it... Enter my dream... and there, visit it online. Tomorrow when I wake, I'll pray to my boss up there for things to go beyond reality. If He wills it to be... it will be done.

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ARTS --- For Learning

The arts and art education are important because they:

• have a creative interpretative, expressive function;

• help us to find out who we are and express who we are. Somehow they cut across all social barriers;

• are a very powerful way to express ourselves and to be understood;

• are important as a means of cultural understanding;

• educate the heart;

• are one of the most potent ways to create empathy;

• develop creativity; however there are dangers of talking about the arts in this way because they do not have a monopoly on developing creativity;

• are important because they have been part of civilisation for a long time; they provide a cultural background to understand the past;

• can help young people and adults learn about our collective histories;

• are a tool for social change because they educate people about important issues;

• teach individuals to become artists, helping them to “create” their lives by acquiring and using observational, analytical and technical skills.

• are integral to life.

Learning in, through and about the arts

• We must make an argument for using all three approaches: learning in, through and about the arts. We increase the level of the dialogue when we are inclusive rather then exclusive.

Let arts education incorporate all three forms.

• The three approaches need to be balanced. One approach should not be privileged over another: they must work together.

• The arts are used to teach other subjects or are integrated into other subjects. Arts education is about the ability to learn physically. A class of students learn more if they are engaged visually, auditorially and physically. Integrated learning, using the arts to teach, brings learning to a higher level. Arts education engages the mind, body, spirit and emotions.

• The arts can be infused into the curriculum in the same way a specific language can be, similar to immersion programs.

• For some the arts have more importance when they are integrated into other subjects because it makes them part of the whole curriculum

• The arts support learning, inquiry and critical study.

• It is important to define and teach the arts for their own sake.

• Arts are about the human condition and what we are. For example, a music piece can teach history, as can a painting.

• The arts are always about something. There is always a context. It is a bit superfluous to talk about integrating the arts because they do not occur in a vacuum.

• It is important to teach the arts for arts’ sake but they should be more socially and culturally based.

• The arts should be taught along with cultural studies. They should not be separated, nor should arts be subsumed under culture.

Challenges and Opportunities in Arts Education

Arts education faces many opportunities and challenges at all levels and contexts: in communities, governments, institutions, arts organizations, schools and school boards. The following comments were made in a recent survey conducted by the Magna Kultura Foundation, as follows:

1. Research to date is still not sufficient and focused enough to establish the full benefits of arts education in the school curriculum.

2. There is an erosion taking place in arts education, especially in arts programs from Grades 1 to Grade 6 --- and even worse in high school departments.

3. There is a problem in the way we organize arts education. We must change the way we manage arts education and the way we hire teachers. The arts should not be an add-on in the schools.

4. We need more time and money for the arts (Art materials and activities may be expensive but it's worth it. It builds the soul of people!)

5. Cultural and artistic expression is not sufficiently valued. The arts agenda is minute in the public’s eye and student-teacher ratios are considered more important than the arts.

6. Arts education is a bit subversive and this makes policy makers uneasy. (We cannot be 'leftists' or 'rightists'! ---- we are artists! If possible stay in the middle and artfully show all sides, and still, make people think!)

7. In many school boards there is a lack of qualified art teachers. (For some teachers --- it's just another job, right. That's not the way it should be)

8. Filipinos live in a bubble. They are not connected to what is going on in other communities and countries in the world and this has implications on the arts and arts education in our country.

9. Young activists are using art to change things and help communities in need. (This is all right, just don't turn them into rebels that would turn their children into orphans)

10. There is much talk about cultural exchanges but not enough support for it yet. Support for cultural exchange would help the arts. (if people can do it for basketball, why can't we dribble the same for for arts?)

11. It is important to maintain a very broad view of our concepts of art and the role of arts education. Some have a more romantic or western view of the arts. We can learn from cultures in which the arts are more about tradition, preservation and participation.

12. Assessment in the arts can be viewed as a problem. Children and adults like competitions but it depends on how it is done. There are many art practices in society that need assessment.

13. There is a question of ethics when it comes to corporate sponsorship. One must ask from where and from whom support is obtained. (arts should not be bastardized by people who don't really have a heart for art)

14. The Government never match corporate sponsorships and hardly contribute funding in the regions.

15. Some Arts organizations are often in the position of applying every year for funds in order to survive. Others don't even know where to get funds to make their organization live, to make their artwork reach the public.

16. Arts organizations are also in need of financial advisers when dealing with sponsors. It is important not to sell themselves too cheaply.

17. Traditional arts are evolving and transformations in materials and styles are taking place. It is important to evolve but traditional arts are based in oral history and this history must be preserved.

18. Another important challenge is equal access for all students in all areas. Regional and financial disparities still need to be addressed. These include Visayas and Mindanao, north and south Luzon, rural and urban, and differences even within urban areas. (Must it always be imperial Manila?)

19. Art programs and projects very often have limited spaces available to them. The message often received is that there is a scheduling problem but it is much greater than that.

20. Many school boards are now using space as a cost-recovery mechanism. Even buildings that are empty are not free. This can be a deterrent for arts groups with limited income.

21. There is a need to understand the importance of good, healthy artistic spaces to work in. It is also very important to integrate architectural design and functionality. Greater mobility and flexibility should be provided in classroom architecture in order to accommodate various activities.

* * * The Role of Artists, Specialists and Teachers In Arts Education * * *

We know how important art is in terms of contributing to learning and building national culture. Art can transform people, transform places. Art can inspire our countrymen towards a strong sense of national culture.

Unfortunately, our 'centers' for art in the country rarely reach our countrymen in the provinces. Art leaders in 'national shrines' and universities are reluctant and complacent with salaries that make them happy not to be 'starving artists' --- they have great minds, but have become technocrats happy with the status-quo.

But what about artists in the regions.... And much more, what about youth and adults who hunger to experience art to touch their life and their communities?

Let us briefly review the art scenario and programs that have been made over the last decade... and possibly, arrive at some recommendations.

Many art programs exist in every province that draw on artists to teach students. These programs exist both in and outside of the formal school structure. This situation gives rise to many questions and concerns. Some of these were expressed by participants as follows.

1. We need to explore, discuss and facilitate a better understanding of the role of the artist, the art specialist and the teacher in our school system.

2. Policies at the government and school board level and guidelines within teacher associations have not explored the full implications or possibilities of using artists in the schools. This situation often causes tension.

3. Inviting artists into the schools is not a fix for inadequate funding of arts education programs in the school system.

4. There are many issues to be addressed which include accreditation, salaries and legal aspects.

5. There is a need for a conceptual change in the way we view the artist, the art specialist and the teacher. We should celebrate the value and power of having all three.

6. The artist and teacher often have a similar role but they have different responsibilities and are accountable for different things.

7. Art teachers and generalist teachers do not have expertise in all areas of the arts. Experts in the field should be allowed to come in and teach.

8. The artist can be a role model for students. We must find ways of encouraging young artists to work with young people.

9. Arts specialists are a separate breed and their role is to make the connection between the student and the artist. They need to know how to teach and more specifically how to teach art. The arts specialist is well equipped to teach in and about the arts.

10. Art specialists exist at the secondary level but are rare at the elementary level.

11. Many great teachers were not certified teachers.

12. Organizing summer institutes for artists, art specialists and teachers would be beneficial.

13. There is a need for support services for artists who want to work within the school system. A mentor-ship program could be useful.

14. When teachers and artists work together, it is a “win-win” situation.

15. We need to focus on the role of the artist within the context of our programs and on the importance of building capacity within the arts community.

Bottom-line: There is so much to fix in Philippines with regards arts and artists. We cannot just sit down and brood over inspiration then let our art rot in dust. People can learn from arts. We cannot wait for art leaders in the "metro shrines" and "centers" to think for us while they service on a few. Many citizens, knowingly or unknowingly , are waiting to be blessed and touched by arts. Arts can touch people, build communities, and transform a way of life for communities. We cannot wait for art technocrats whose plans never arrive at the grassroots. Let's start the fire!

What is Required for Effective Change

What is required for effective change is continuity of sincere effort to release and let go of inefficient thought patterns from the past... Sincerity means a deeper heart commitment to the task.

Every step you take, is a step away from where you used to be.

PANAWAGAN SA NAIS MAG-BOLUNTARYO SA PROHIEKTONG LARONG PINOY

Nananawagan ang Magna Kultura sa mga nais mag-boluntaryong magturo ng Larong Pinoy. Ilulunsad ng Larong Pinoy sa sa mga mababang paaralang ng ka-Maynilaan at sa mga probinsya ng Luzon mula sa buwan ng Agosto 2008 hanggang Pebrero 2009. Ang mga nais mag-boluntaryo ay bibigyan ng pagsasanay sa pamamaraan ng pagtuturo ng bawat laro. Bawat boluntaryong matagumpay na makakapagtapos ng pagsasanay sa ilalim ng Magna Kultura ay magiging kabilang sa mga gurong ipapadala sa mga paaralan at magkakaroon din ng sahod at panustos.

Matapos ang matagumpay pagpapalaganap ng Larong Pinoy sa mga Barangay sa ka-Maynilaan at ilang bayan sa Luzon noong nakaraang bakasyon, ngayon nama'y ilulunsad ang mga laro sa mga mababang paaralan bilang regular na pagtuturo ng edukasyong pampalakasan (P.E. subjects). Sa kasalukuyan ay nauugnayan ang Magna Kultura at Kagawaran ng Edukasyon sa palatuntunang gaganapin sa mga paaralan at pinaplano ang listahan ng mga paaralang dadaanan ng programa.

Sa programang Larong Pinoy ng Magna Kultura, itinuturo sa mga kabataan ang mga detalye ng paglalaro ng bawat larong Pinoy, gaya ng Tumbang Preso, Patintero, Piko, Sipa, Luksong Tinik, Holen, at iba pang mga paburitong laro. Masusing itinuro sa mga kabataan ang pamamaraan ng paglaro, mula sa pag-guhit ng palaruan hanggang sa mga tamang hakbang at posisyon, pati ang mga paraan kung paanong manalo sa laro.



Bukod sa normal na paraan ng paglalaro (game mechanics), inilunsad ng Magna Kultura ang istilong "Eskwe-Laro" sa pagtuturo ng mga laro, kung saan ginagabayan ang mga bata ng mga masusing pagsasanay bawat laro. Ang mga detalyadong pagsasanay (systematic drills) ay ibinibigay sa mga kabataan bago maglaro. Halimbawa na lamang ay sa pagtuturo ng Piko: may mga pagsasanay tungkol sa tamang pagbato ng pamato, tungkol sa pagbalanse habang humahakbang, at pati sa pagpulot ng pitsa.

Gayun din sa Tumbang preso o sa Patintero; itinuturo ang mga tamang paghakbang, posisyon ng mga kamay at katawan. At masaya namang naghahagikgikan ang mga bata habang itinuturo ang mga ito. Ang mga magulang naman ay namamangha dahil talagang sayentipiko rin daw ang pagtuturo ng mga laro.

Ang Larong Pinoy ay itinataguyod ng Magna Kultura sa mga kabataan sa panahong ito upang:

Una: Malaman ng mga kabataan ang kasiyahan ng mga larong kinagisnan ng kanilang mga magulang at ninuno;

Ikalawa: Upang magkaroon sila ng larong magbibigay buhay at lakas sa kanilang mga katawan

Ikatlo: Upang magkaroon ng sila ng karanasan sa mga laro na magiging daan ng pakikipagtalastasan sa kanilang mga magulang, pati na sa kanilang mga lolo at lola;

Ikaapat: Upang magkaroon sila ng kanilang mga kababata ng magagandang alala na minsan din ay nilaro nila ang mga larong katutubo;

Ikalima: Upang muling bigyang buhay ang kapit-bahayan sa kasiyahan ng batang naglalaro sa lansangan.

Maraming bagay ang maidudulot ng Larong Pinoy, ngunit ang pinakamahalaga sa lahat ay binubuhay natin sa mga kabataan ang pagtangkilik sa mga bagay na maka-Pilipino, ang mahalin ang saring atin. Ang pagtuturo ng Larong Pinoy sa mga kabataan ay isang paraan upang ipamahagi sa mga kabataan ang pagmamahal sa diwang Pilipino.

Sa gitna ng modernisasyon, ipinamamahagi ng Magna Kultura sa mga kabataan ang pagtangkilik sa mga Laro bilang pagsariwa sa mga pamana ng ating lahi at pagpapaalala na tayo'y mga Pilipino na may mga kalinangang maipagmamalaki. Sa ganitong paraan, kahit man lamang sa Larong Pinoy, ay naihahanda natin ang mga kabataan na maging tunay na mga Pilipino.


Buhayin natin ang mga laro ng ating lahi sa ating mga kumunidad, turuan ang mga kabataan na mahalin ang saling atin!

____________________________________________________


Para sa mga nais maging boluntaryo sa Larong Pinoy na ilulunsad sa mga paaralan ngayong Agosto 2008 (hanggang Pebrero 2009), makipagugnay lamang sa tanggapan

Magna Kultura Foundation:

(a) Sumulat sa magnakultura.admin@gmail.com

(b) Tumawag sa numero ng teleponong 721-7763

(c) Tumawag o mag-text sa numero ng celphone na 0917-8990025

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ARE THERE CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE PHILIPPINES?

There is a character that we are seeking in the world of art. A type of person we need in a world not very open for economic themes. The character is rare breed --- only a few exists in our country, as of yet. Sociologists and economists have cited this character, even politicians and people involved in the world of the arts have talked about it. It is the Cultural Entrepreneur we are referring to. The character is not to be confused with event organizers, festival producers or mere producers of arts or cultural activities --- although practicing professionals and the like contribute well to the cultural and entertainment scenes.

A real cultural entrepreneur is a rare breed; one that has real fervor (and not mere fascination) for the arts, and applies the skills of a seasoned marketing professional. A cultural entrepreneur looks at art and culture as if it were a "brand" that should be thoroughly developed with high sense of ideals to stimulate an audience. It takes a deep look at an art or cultural product as something that should be well "positioned", to give the creators (i.e., the artists) value, and the art given its relative impact to lay inspiration and meaning to the soul of the nation --- before it is relegated to a wall (such as paintings) or to a library (for books, poems and plays).

A cultural entrepreneur does not only look at profit potentials but with the cultivation and transformation of citizens as well. He does not see art merely as a business venture, nor use it as a new business vehicle. As a cultural 'brand manager', he has his own sense of R&D, seriously talking to artists during the development stage, assessing the potential impact of the material, and ultimately creates a 'blue ocean' for activating citizens to turn their heads into devouring that which was created.

This is not to say that the character of the cultural entrepreneur features in the writings of cultural economists. The character promotes the arts world, spurs artists and their representatives, to be more market oriented and more active in selling the art. For the cultural entrepreneur to be a distinct character it needs to be distinguished from characters like the arts manager, the dealer, the seller or tradesman, the gatekeeper, a broker, a ticket seller and so on.

First of all, its connection with the entrepreneur has to be made clear. And then we need to figure out what the adjective “cultural” does for this character. An artist is active in maintaining an extensive network. He goes to many occasions and speaks with many people to interest them in his art. He sells well. Does that make him a cultural entrepreneur? Or does that make him a (good) salesman? And what difference does it make to call anyone a cultural entrepreneur? Will we understand the art world differently if we spot the cultural entrepreneurs and register, record and analyze their activities? How do we see entrepreneurs in our country? What are the type of business and activities they embark on? What has culture to do with entrepreneurship? Does it make sense to celebrate artists to become sellers on markets, for cultural organizations to deal with commercial ones? Or should cultural entrepreneurship be about something else. What makes a good cultural entrepreneur?

A cultural entrepreneur may be the kind of person who combines two faculties: 1st, one that should have a knowledge of and sensitivity towards the arts and creative processes, possibly combined with the ability to spot creative talents; and 2nd, knowledge and comprehension of the potential public and marketing techniques. While this may sound like something you've heard in the past, this is something that the art world sometimes neglect, especially he 2nd one.

What then is the characteristics of a good cultural entrepreneur? Good cultural entrepreneurs should have the following characteristics:
1) They are alert to opportunities --- possible having an eye for what some would call a "blue ocean" of opportunity
2) They are creative in terms of the artistic content but also of the way in organizing the conversation and arranging the finances
3) The artistic content is their passion and commitment; everything else, including the economics, is subsidiary
4) They are persuasive in the sense that are able to convince good artists to work with them, bring about interest in the art, get people involved (e.g. volunteers), and are able to generate the necessary funds, including donations and the like.
5) They have vision, courage, hope and faith.

Whether people qualify as cultural entrepreneurs always depends on the circumstances in which they operate. Cultural conditions matter. The goal of the cultural entrepreneur is not thoroughly to sell or to market the arts, the objective is to stimulate business skills in artists and artistic organizations. From an 'economists" stand-point, what is expected is to see more demand driven production of the arts rather than supply driven production. The cultural entrepreneur should work on the bridging the gap between the arts and the market. Most especially nowadays that majority of the people devour more of the movies, television, cyberspace and other more entertaining forms of art. We need true-blue cultural entrepreneurs to create some sort of renaissance in the 'traditional' art forms like theater plays, painting, poetry and literature and other forms that seem to be dying amidst modernization and technology-based entertainment forms.

So what does that character imply? The cultural entrepreneur combines artistic qualities with business sense; he or she is able to attract customers for the arts without compromising the artistic mission and artistic integrity. The cultural entrepreneur he champions can be an enterprising artist, a producer, or an organization commissioning a work of art. They all exemplify his wish for more economic sense in the world of the arts, for a less protective and conservative atmosphere and less reliance on the government for financial support.

The question is whether the arts manager who is bringing in a sponsor deal qualifies. Is a marketing person in a cultural organization by definition a cultural entrepreneur? It can compromise the cultural entrepreneur when the values of the market crowd out those of the cultural field. To be clear, we are working on a moral picture here and try to figure out what makes a good cultural entrepreneur. Someone who sees in cultural trade a way of adding profit, becomes suspect as culture is his instrument and not his mission. He is rather a businessman. That does not make him a bad character but he is miscast as a cultural entrepreneur. The market will be an instrument for the cultural entrepreneur, but not much more than that. After all, the real challenge for the cultural entrepreneur will be to contribute to the common good that art is.

A cultural good or an artistic process has cultural value because it is common property in some sense. A cultural good needs to function in the art conversation in order to qualify as art. People can compose music in their private dwellings, but if nobody else hears it, when nobody else bothers to pay it attention, the music does not circulate as such.

Because of the commonness of art, cultural entrepreneurship has to involve more than marketing skills and sensitivity to the artistic process; it also involves the persuasive power to induce a candidate for art into the appropriate conversation and to realize it as a common good. Filling a theatre with people may do the trick, but if they are not the people involved in the right conversation, the whole exercise is fruitless except for the money it may have generated. Selling a painting to anyone who is willing the price is bad entrepreneurship if the objective is to realize the artistic value of that painting. Donating it to a major museum, and persuading the museum director to accept it, may be than the better strategy.

Part of the realization of the values of art is the financing of it. An artist has to make a living and a theatre group needs money to survive. The ability to acquire the right finances in a proper way is one of the attributes of a good cultural entrepreneur. Amidst the dried-up coffers of government and with corporations looking at the more commercial mass media for more eye-balls for their advertising funds, the art world calls for that character with more entrepreneurial skills to sell the traditional art forms, which we believe is more fulfilling and full of soul.

In the end, a good cultural entrepreneur should be a champion for the arts and for artists. And above all, it seeks to revive art and culture as something that can revive the spirit citizens, and the soul of the nation. A good cultural entrepreneur should also be a "brand manager" for arts --- each discipline managed as some sort of 'product category' with brand development stage and life cycles. A good cultural entrepreneur should identify the blue ocean of opportunities for promoting the arts and the materials that artists create --- and not march into the market using a salesman's techniques in bloody red oceans in the market. A good cultural entrepreneur knows what art is, and in himself , should be a passionate fellow for the arts.

There are a few of them who exists in our country. They are recognized in our country as real evangelists for arts and culture, and artists know them as real individuals with passion for helping Filipino talents excel and let their works be known to many. We need more of them.


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In the next blog-post, I will be discussing about Brand Management Principles applied in Arts and Culture. We will look at how certain art disciplines and cultural activities could be organized and managed the way multinational professionals manage product brands, product lines, or product categories; how arts and culture can be promoted in a more disciplined and cunningly systematic process the way product marketing professionals promote their brands into to temptingly desired lifestyle commodities. We'll see if the shoe fits... for art's sake.

DO WE HAVE CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE PHILIPPINES?

There is a character that we are seeking in the world of art. A type of person we need in a world not very open for economic themes. The character is rare breed --- in fact maybe none exixtent, as of yet. Sociologists and economists have cited this character, even politicians and people involved in the world of the arts have talked about it. It is the Cultural Entrepreneur we are referring to. The character is not to be confused with event organizers, festival producers or mere producers of arts or cultural activities --- although practicing professionals and the like contribute well to the cultural and entertainment scenes.

A real cultural entrepreneur is a rare breed; one that has real fervor (and not mere fascination) for the arts, and applies the skills of a seasoned marketing professional. A cultural entrepreneur looks at art and culture as if it were a "brand" that should be thoroughly developed with high sense of ideals to stimulate an audience. It takes a deep look at an art or cultural product as something that should be well "positioned", to give the creators (i.e., the artists) value, and the art given its relative impact to lay inspiration and meaning to the soul of the nation --- before it is relegated to a wall (such as paintings) or to a library (for books, poems and plays).

A cultural entrepreneur does not only look at profit potentials but with the cultivation and transformation of citizens as well. He does not see art merely as a business venture, nor use it as a new business vehicle. As a cultural 'brand manager', he has his own sense of R&D, seriously talking to artists during the development stage, assessing the potential impact of the material, and ultimately creates a 'blue ocean' for activating citizens to turn their heads into devouring that which was created.

This is not to say that the character of the cultural entrepreneur features in the writings of cultural economists. The character promotes the arts world, spurs artists and their representatives, to be more market oriented and more active in selling the art. For the cultural entrepreneur to be a distinct character it needs to be distinguished from characters like the arts manager, the dealer, the seller or tradesman, the gatekeeper, a broker, a ticket seller and so on.

First of all, its connection with the entrepreneur has to be made clear. And then we need to figure out what the adjective “cultural” does for this character. An artist is active in maintaining an extensive network. He goes to many occasions and speaks with many people to interest them in his art. He sells well. Does that make him a cultural entrepreneur? Or does that make him a (good) salesman? And what difference does it make to call anyone a cultural entrepreneur? Will we understand the art world differently if we spot the cultural entrepreneurs and register, record and analyze their activities? How do we see entrepreneurs in our country? What are the type of business and activities they embark on? What has culture to do with entrepreneurship? Does it make sense to celebrate artists to become sellers on markets, for cultural organizations to deal with commercial ones? Or should cultural entrepreneurship be about something else. What makes a good cultural entrepreneur?

A cultural entrepreneur may be the kind of person who combines two faculties: 1st, one that should have a knowledge of and sensitivity towards the arts and creative processes, possibly combined with the ability to spot creative talents; and 2nd, knowledge and comprehension of the potential public and marketing techniques. While this may sound like something you've heard in the past, this is something that the art world sometimes neglect, especially he 2nd one.

What then is the characteristics of a good cultural entrepreneur? Good cultural entrepreneurs should have the following characteristics:
1) They are alert to opportunities --- possible having an eye for what some would call a "blue ocean" of opportunity
2) They are creative in terms of the artistic content but also of the way in organizing the conversation and arranging the finances
3) The artistic content is their passion and commitment; everything else, including the economics, is subsidiary
4) They are persuasive in the sense that are able to convince good artists to work with them, bring about interest in the art, get people involved (e.g. volunteers), and are able to generate the necessary funds, including donations and the like.
5) They have vision, courage, hope and faith.

Whether people qualify as cultural entrepreneurs always depends on the circumstances in which they operate. Cultural conditions matter. The goal of the cultural entrepreneur is not thoroughly to sell or to market the arts, the objective is to stimulate business skills in artists and artistic organizations. From an 'economists" stand-point, what is expected is to see more demand driven production of the arts rather than supply driven production. The cultural entrepreneur should work on the bridging the gap between the arts and the market. Most especially nowadays that majority of the people devour more of the movies, television, cyberspace and other more entertaining forms of art. We need true-blue cultural entrepreneurs to create some sort of renaissance in the 'traditional' art forms like theater plays, painting, poetry and literature and other forms that seem to be dying amidst modernization and technology-based entertainment forms.

So what does that character imply? The cultural entrepreneur combines artistic qualities with business sense; he or she is able to attract customers for the arts without compromising the artistic mission and artistic integrity. The cultural entrepreneur he champions can be an enterprising artist, a producer, or an organization commissioning a work of art. They all exemplify his wish for more economic sense in the world of the arts, for a less protective and conservative atmosphere and less reliance on the government for financial support.

The question is whether the arts manager who is bringing in a sponsor deal qualifies. Is a marketing person in a cultural organization by definition a cultural entrepreneur? It can compromise the cultural entrepreneur when the values of the market crowd out those of the cultural field. To be clear, we are working on a moral picture here and try to figure out what makes a good cultural entrepreneur. Someone who sees in cultural trade a way of adding profit, becomes suspect as culture is his instrument and not his mission. He is rather a businessman. That does not make him a bad character but he is miscast as a cultural entrepreneur. The market will be an instrument for the cultural entrepreneur, but not much more than that. After all, the real challenge for the cultural entrepreneur will be to contribute to the common good that art is.

A cultural good or an artistic process has cultural value because it is common property in some sense. A cultural good needs to function in the art conversation in order to qualify as art. People can compose music in their private dwellings, but if nobody else hears it, when nobody else bothers to pay it attention, the music does not circulate as such.

Because of the commonness of art, cultural entrepreneurship has to involve more than marketing skills and sensitivity to the artistic process; it also involves the persuasive power to induce a candidate for art into the appropriate conversation and to realize it as a common good. Filling a theatre with people may do the trick, but if they are not the people involved in the right conversation, the whole exercise is fruitless except for the money it may have generated. Selling a painting to anyone who is willing the price is bad entrepreneurship if the objective is to realize the artistic value of that painting. Donating it to a major museum, and persuading the museum director to accept it, may be than the better strategy.

Part of the realization of the values of art is the financing of it. An artist has to make a living and a theatre group needs money to survive. The ability to acquire the right finances in a proper way is one of the attributes of a good cultural entrepreneur. Amidst the dried-up coffers of government and with corporations looking at the more commercial mass media for more eye-balls for their advertising funds, the art world calls for that character with more entrepreneurial skills to sell the traditional art forms, which we believe is more fulfilling and full of soul.

In the end, a good cultural entrepreneur should be a champion for the arts and for artists. And above all, it seeks to revive art and culture as something that can revive the spirit citizens, and the soul of the nation. A good cultural entrepreneur should also be a "brand manager" for arts --- each discipline managed as some sort of 'product category' with brand development stage and life cycles. A good cultural entrepreneur should identify the blue ocean of opportunities for promoting the arts and the materials that artists create --- and not march into the market using a salesman's techniques in bloody red oceans in the market. A good cultural entrepreneur knows what art is and is in himself a passionate fellow for the arts.

We need than man or woman. Where do we find such character? If that character exists, let him come to the fore and bring salvation to our art scene.

__________________________________________________________________________________

In my next blog, I will be discussing about Brand Management Principles applied in Arts and Culture. We will look at how certain art disciplines and cultural activities could be organized and managed the way multinational professionals manage certain product brands, product lines, or product categories; how arts and culture can be promoted in a more disciplined and cunningly systematic process the way product marketing professionals promote their brands into to temptingly desired lifestyle commodities.

Let's see if the shoe fits for art's sake.