Cultural Value in a Time of Crisis: Public Debates and Governmental Discourses in the G7 Nations.

This article explores responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to creative workforces, organisations and their audiences, and the structures underpinning the performing arts in each of the G7 countries our research compared. It investigates how these developments were shaped by and contributed...

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Published in:Contemporary Theatre Review Vol. 35; no. 2/3; pp. 107 - 129
Main Authors: Aebischer, Pascale Véronique, Gray, Karen Clare Rosanna, Antoniazzi, Luca, Demeyère, Caroline, Fuchs, Barbara, Jacobson, Kelsey, Koch, Ronja, Kojima, Hirotomo, Havet-Laurent, Stéphanie, Liedke, Heidi Lucja, Lindsay, Meghan, Salz, Jonah, Sharrah, Rhonda
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd May-Aug2025
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        atl: Cultural Value in a Time of Crisis: Public Debates and Governmental Discourses in the G7 Nations.
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        au:
          Aebischer, Pascale Véronique
          Gray, Karen Clare Rosanna
          Antoniazzi, Luca
          Demeyère, Caroline
          Fuchs, Barbara
          Jacobson, Kelsey
          Koch, Ronja
          Kojima, Hirotomo
          Havet-Laurent, Stéphanie
          Liedke, Heidi Lucja
          Lindsay, Meghan
          Salz, Jonah
          Sharrah, Rhonda
      su:
        Coronaviruses
        Performing arts
        Cultural industries
        Cultural values
        Theater management
        Germany
        United Kingdom
      sug:
        subj:
          Germany
          United Kingdom
          Coronaviruses
          Performing arts
          Cultural industries
          Cultural values
          Theater management
      keyword:
        Canada
        COVID-19
        creative industries
        crisis response
        cultural value
        France
        Italy
        Japan
        live performing arts
        pandemic
        policy
        theatre management
        UK
        USA
      ab: This article explores responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to creative workforces, organisations and their audiences, and the structures underpinning the performing arts in each of the G7 countries our research compared. It investigates how these developments were shaped by and contributed to shaping debates regarding 'cultural value': the contribution culture is argued to make to the economy, society, democracy, national or regional identity at home, political 'soft power' abroad, and population well-being. How these debates differed between countries reflects their respective historical understanding of the role of culture and the creative workforce in their national life. We examine the impact of public and policy discourse in relation to the 'essential' nature of culture for national identity, social cohesion, and well-being; how the pandemic catalysed questions regarding the 'viability' of creative jobs; the importance of cultural heritage in regard to tourism and 'soft power'; and the ways in which German arguments about the seminal role of culture and freedom of expression as tools for democratic engagement at times of crisis were echoed in other countries. Our comparative analysis reveals how in the English-speaking countries (United Kingdom, Canada, USA), those debates were enmeshed in the struggle for social justice that was fuelled by the dual forces of the pandemic, with its disproportionately negative impact on minoritised communities, and the murder of George Floyd. The comparison also reveals how overall, arguments for the intrinsic value of culture during COVID-19 made way for instrumentalist arguments that foregrounded the contribution of the creative industries to the economy and society.
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      doctype: Article
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    language: English
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      custom: Copyright of Contemporary Theatre Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
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