AMATEURISM
Despite coming in and out of fashion within the dominant policy discourse, amateurism has been present since the early days of cultural policy. Amateurs are those who enjoy and practice a certain skill or activity without being remunerated for it and often without being formally educated about it. In many instances, amateurs open new artistic and cultural disciplines before they become professionalised. Early radio amateurs and computer amateurs played an important role in science and technology, and the same holds true for amateurs in sports. In the cultural field, early photographers were also amateurs; early amateur theatre clubs served as the ground for the first theatrical institutions; owners of Wunderkammers and early heritage collectors were amateurs; even early cultural managers were amateurs in the sense that they were practicing their skills without formal qualifications and without financial interests. Hence, the importance of amateurs in the arts and culture is immense.
However, their recognition and understanding within cultural policies have been changing over time. Typically, in the early days of national cultural policies, amateurs played an important role. Those were the times when the leadership of new nation states across Europe understood the importance of institutionalising cultural practices for the creation of social cohesion and national identity. Amateur clubs, associations, and individuals were recognised and invited to contribute to the formation of the first national cultural institutions. In different countries, these developments took place at different times, spanning from the second half of the 19th century to the first decades of the 20th. What follows often is a period of professionalisation and a heightened focus of policymakers on the creation of professional frameworks – academies, licenses, and other institutions.
During the late 1960s and 1970s, professionalisation was brought into question, and calls for increased support for non-professional actors became much more prominent, like in the case of Michel de Certeau, who tried to steer the French cultural policy towards more mundane, everyday practices of ‘bricoleurs’. However, with the rise of neoliberal cultural policies in the late 1980s and 1990s, amateurs again lost their significance while creative professionals gained centre stage. Knowing that cultural policies emphasising the role of creative industries are most concerned with the economic impact of cultural activities, it is no wonder that amateurs played no role in their discourse. Finally, in recent times, it is apparent that amateurs are returning to cultural policymakers' focus with heightened interest in cultural participation, audiences, and the non-economic impacts of culture.
There are many good reasons why cultural policymakers should maintain their interest in ways to support amateur culture and the arts. First, practising cultural activity in a non-professional manner is a basic ground for cultural democracy and the backbone of active participation in cultural life. Second, with the rise of free time in certain segments of society and increased access to knowledge and technology, amateurs can reach high levels of artistic quality and become a springboard for new professionalism. Third, in many niche fields of arts and heritage, amateurs are the only ones who have the interest and resources to practise cultural activity or protect local cultural heritage. Finally, amateurs are often devoted audience members, supporters, and financial backers of cultural institutions and professional organisations. (GT, VK)
See also: Cultural democracy; Participatory arts