Cultural Unlearning
Principle and values
Designing for what serves justice.
History
Notes authors Prianti and Suyadnya: “From the coloniser’s perspective, decolonising museums requires acknowledging the dark past of their nation’s history. In a postcolonial nation, decolonising museums requires challenging the status quo by acknowledging that their entire museum practices are embedded with colonial legacy.”
Noted Dr. Moana Jackson, Maori scholar: “Museums are dangerous places because they control the storytelling.” Are museums, by virtue of their history, “colonial archives,” notes Dr. Jackson?
Museums have long positioned themselves as neutral spaces that preserve humanity's cultural heritage. But their roots in colonialism, still shape how they control and hide truth.
Why art matters
A report from the European Union finds that participating in cultural activities increases likelihood to vote. It also increases positive feeling associated with civic and democratic values. These correlations are independent of socio-economic background or education level, but neither access to culture activities nor democratic process are equal for all residents.
This article explores the question of democracy in the arts and the role of institutions in embodying democracy where artists may not. It posits that art is about an individual vision imposed on the world — not majority consensus. We don't entirely agree.
The report analyzes over 900 publications in English and Russian to reveal that arts affects the social determinants of health — including supporting child development, and helping to prevent ill health — and helps people experiencing mental illness, including supporting people with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.
These studies explore whether engaging in arts and culture affect depression in adults. Every one of them found that engaging with arts decreased the odds of depression and/or supported social connectedness among the surveyed population.
Any amount of arts participation in the prior year is associated with a 4% point increase in the likelihood of engaging in civic activities on any given day, the equivalent of nearly 15 additional days with some civic activity across a year.
How art serves injustice today
2% of all cultural institutions receive nearly 60% of all contributed revenue, up ~5% points over a decade.
A 2021 Urban Institute study found that a greater share of small NPOs experienced donation decreases in 2020. From 2015-2019, a greater share of BIPOC-led organizations experienced declines in donations.