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Contemporary society of Lithuania experiences characteristic features of rapid changes in political, economic and social areas.
For that reason, it is important today for us to revaluate our cultural and industrial conceptual meanings.
At present, the industry of culture and creative industries present a fresh new connection between the economy and culture of a society, a connection that is dictated by global trends (even though up to recent times these two areas have been mostly separated). So, it is necessary to take a fresh new look at the interaction between the worlds of business and culture, business and creativity, and between business and art values, and to understand how cultural and economic development benefits from such interaction. Unfortunately, at present the purpose for setting up a cultural or creative industry policy in Lithuania is not clear.
There are no programs that bring together the worlds of business and culture; there isn’t enough support to promote creative business activities during this initial period of development and evolution; and there is a rather poor understanding of the economic benefits that can be generated from professional arts and festivals for the growth of the city. For a proper understanding of ourselves and of the significance of cultural industry in the modern world that we live in, there is a need for an up-to-date analysis of culture, based on the new research on changes in our social life.
Patricija Bielskienë
GENESIS AND GUIDELINES OF CULTURAL / CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
Patricija Bielskienë
Summary
In line with the analysis of the development of the conception of consumer society, the text reviews the negative critics of the cultural industry explicated by Th. W. Adorn, M. Horkheimer, H. Marcuse, the representatives of the Frankfurt School. The conception of a one-dimensional individual counteracting all his personal creative, revolutionary possibilities that results in his transformation into a passive consumption machine is also reviewed in the text.
The work analyzes cultural industry trends as described by Th. W. Adorn. Cultural industry is defined as manufacture of products that satisfy the consumer society. Furthermore, the functioning of the cultural industry is based on manufacturing and consumption as an integral process, while the authentic creative work and heritage remain beyond the cultural industry apparatus; the capitalist system is presented as an ideological one, thus the liberty value remains fictitious.
With regard to the significance of the cultural industry, T. Veblen’s “fribble class “ and the later emerged “abundance society “theories are being presented. Demonstrative consumption has become accessible because of the mass consumption, technology expansion and the world market competitiveness. Consumption is linked with dissimilarity and the individualization process.
The chapter “Production of Capital” analyzes the significance of the cultural capital theory for the cultural industries conception. The difference between the symbolic and cultural capital, highlighted by G. Mazeikis, is being invoked; thus he symbolic capital signifies the production of various meanings, names and degrees, as well the power of nominations. The cultural capital signifies the production, realization and accumulation of aesthetic values. Accumulation of the cultural capital first of all signifies the reproduction of structures, values and norms necessary for the social reality but it optionally refers to the unambiguous production nature. A consensus among the profit cultural capital, heritage investigations and education institutions creates a multiple production sapidity. Therefore, the terms of existence of the symbolic and cultural capital in the modern society are not unambiguous so far as they were presented in Th. W. Adorn’s critics.
Referring to the universal activities of “Disney” corporation, the positive economic, creative and artistic cultural industry powers in the modern society are being revealed.
The cultural industry deals not only with the fragmentary reproduction of works or production of standard works; it also deals with the reproduction of the authentic works and broadcasting. Elite art forms on the radio, posters, on-line and CDs can be accessible to a single individual. The cultural industry is a competitor of mass media and depends on different, not only popular phenomenon needs and consistent patterns. In general, it is impossible to outline the functioning of the cultural industry unambiguously because the reproduction possibility criticized by the Frankfurt School generates not only the profit but offers a large expansion field of the possibilities for individuals’ outlook.
Finally, the differences between the cultural and creative industries are being discussed. The creative industry shapes the product with the financial value. Meanwhile, the cultural industry’s activities cover symbolic and cultural capital creation possibilities.
Referring to the insights of the British expert Ch. Smith on the creative industry, the significance of creativity to the economic and cultural sector is being emphasized. The key feature of the creative sector is that the main condition of the economic growth is the humans and their capacities. Thus the concept of the creative industry points out to the activities that emerge from the individual’s creativity, capacity, talent and are able to generate material well-being and jobs through the creation and use of intellectual property.
According to Ch. Smith, the successful development of the creative industry is based on the following components: education and training, promotion of creative business centers, intellectual property, financial support for the creative business organizations and management of cultural and creative institutions.
CULTURAL POLICY OF LITHUANIA: DESIGN OF ANALYSES
Milda Lauţikaitë
Summary
Changes in global environment, restructuring processes of national economies in Europe, emergence of the new identity issues and other dynamic factors challenge to review the conceptions and strategies of cultural policies. The issue is especially relevant for Lithuania as cultural policy in this country is one of those least reformed during the transitional period.
The process approach suggests that the analysis be focused on the dynamic aspects of the policy. It is an alternative to the structural – functional approach and enables analyst to work on various aspects ranging from ideological and institutional conditions to conflicts of everyday political practices.
This paper aims to present the main concepts of political anthropology and cultural economy so as to form a theoretical background and then to analyse the structural dimension of Lithuanian cultural policy concentrating on its ideological and institutional aspects. The review of the development and main features of cultural policies in Western Europe and the USA is included here as a context of the Lithuanian situation.
Some general conclusions are reached as a result of the analysis. The concept of culture is highly politicised due to a long experience of imperialistic expansion when culture had been used as a means of ideological control. On the other hand, the Lithuanian culture at one time was perceived as the only way to maintain the continuity of the nation; this situation has become a tool for various manipulations in the hands of powerful interest groups.
On the institutional level, a misbalance can be seen between the dynamic and static trends of the process: the groups concerned with maintaining of the status quo are dominating. In the decision making process there is a lack of efficiency arguments and the value – based criteria are prevailing the economic ones (such as consumer sovereignty arguments). The key decision makers do not tend to determine the priorities and to make significant political decisions. As a result the process of cultural policy of Lithuania is basically driven by most powerful interest groups that have mostly generated their power on the base of the soviet legacies.
SPONTANEITY AS AN OPPOSITION AGAINST CULTURAL INDUSTRY
Jurgis Dieliautas
Summary
The article discusses the problem of spontaneity in the sphere of our everyday life. Spontaneity is understood as an opposition against unnaturally overborne cultural standards. These standards are created and manipulated by a powerful cultural industry. Fashion, rules, etiquette, posture in public - everything is permeated with cultural production. Spontaneity is natural to every individual. It is characteristic of every person to behave freely, to vary and improvise in different spheres of life. Human spontaneity is an ability to realize one’s freedom in everyday life.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: FROM REVOLUTION OF EVERYDAY LIFE TO THE WORKING FANTASY
Gintautas Maţeikis
Summary
The article presents history of origin of Creative industries in Great Britain and development of ideas of Creative industries in Lithuania. The Lithuanian case of Creative industries is more a process of mimesis of popular management forms of culture. After the restoration of independence of Lithuania culture stayed in the State sector and only small part of theatres, art galleries, museums and folk groups became private. On the other hand, the development of the creative sector – studies of architecture, design, advertising - were not interpreted as culture but as private entrepreneurship. Not enough attention was paid to the interrelation between non commercial art and professional or industrial forms of art. In this situation the development of creative industries in Lithuania is quite problematic because it presupposes a radical change in the subsidy policy and participation of some spheres of culture in the competitive processes of the free market.
Cultural policy and culture of economics in Lithuania are quite weak. There is hardy any research carried out in this field. On the other hand, commercial TV channels growth very fast and leisure industry becomes more and more influential every year. All these political, economical, public and media processes influence the necessity of development of Creative industries.
History of the development of Creative industries in Great Britain, especially in Newcastle, in the period of 1993–2005 is considered in the article. The problems of identification and analyses of Creative industries are discussed. For the purposes of analysis of creative industries, the methods of SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) and SOC (Standard Occupation Classification) analysis were used in the article. The next method for the analysis or creative industries was cluster analysis. Actually, clusters are the?? form of organization, interpenetration of local economy and method of analysis at the same time. Cluster organization and stimulation of local small and medium businesses are a new form of organization of local economical activity. However, creative industries give the energy and life for such clusters.
A very important topic for the discussions on the prospects of Arts Entrepreneurs is discussions about principles of creative destruction, paranoid competition and creativity, art and public space. J. Schumpetter’s ideas on creative industries and A. Groves’ “Only paranoid survive” are discussed in the article. However, art is a very public occupation and always has a political parameter. In this case the relation between creative industries and modern/post-modern politics looks quite problematic. The idea of protest laboratories is interpreted here. M. Horkheimer, Th. Adoerno, H. Marcuse, R. Vanengeim, G. Debord criticized cultural industries as a centre of ideological propaganda, as a manufactory of wrong consciousness, as industries of alienation. The situation is quite different in the case of the daughter of culture industries – creative industries. First of all, the growing creativity and diversity of society, free market and strong competition, development of small enterprises are the best instrument for social inclusion and elimination of social and personal alienation.
One of the most influential elements of development of creative industries is “Fantasy lands” and legends. Different cases of development of the most popular parks are analysed in the article. These are: Disneyland, Fantasy land, Euro land in different countries of the world. Managers of the project “Harry Potter” (by the novel of Rolings) and “Star Wars” (producer of movies Lucas) try to create analogous parks and artificial cities, castles, empire of toys and computer games. All of them support their business by legends and stories that are a basis for variety of toys, games, books, brands, and emblems.
LIFESTYLE AND CONSUMPTION
Jűratë Černevičiűtë
Summary
The term „lifestyle“ has been used in many different everyday situations. In sociology, lifestyle has been used as the main construction for a social stratification description and analyses. The term inculded taste in social sciences. In these sciences, lifestyle is defined in terms of shared values or tastes, which is reflected primarily in consumption patterns. A lifestyle might be defined over a given collectivity to the extent that the members are similar to one another and different from others in both the distribution of their disposable incomes and the motivations that underlie such distributions. In economic sense, lifestyle refers to a pattern of consumption reflecting a person‘s choice of how he spends time and money, but in many cases also the attitudes and values attached to these behavioral patterns. The lifestyle concept is one of the most widely used in modern marketing activities. It provides a way of understanding consumer‘s everyday needs and wants, and mechanism of allowing a product or service to be positioned in terms of how it will allow a person to pursue the desired lifestyle. In Lithuanian consumption patterns coexist with two value orientations: modernist and postmodernist. Both orientations are competing, and that is reflected in different taste patterns and new forms of habits.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEA FESTIVAL ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF KLAIPËDA CITY
Nijolë Lauţikienë
Summary
The Sea Festival is one of the famous town festivities in Lithuania, having the oldest traditions. The first Sea Festival, then called the Sea Day, was organized in 1934. Its aim was to cherish and develop sea traditions in Lithuania. Today the Sea Festival is one of the massive and colorful events, organized every year in Lithuania and the Baltics. Lately more than half a million of people attend the Festival from all over Lithuania. The Sea Festival is known for its carnival character and the variety of events as well as attractions. Nevertheless, it is viewed quite contradictory nowadays by both the town’s dwellers and the mass media. This was the reason to choose the Sea Festival for the analysis, searching for its culture policy strategy and influence on the town’s economical and social development. Moreover, there were no attempts to analyze the Sea Festival before. Theoretical and empiric methods of research were adopted in the paper.
First, experiences of the Sea Festival organization from a historical perspective as well as changes in its management were evaluated. Further, the influence of the Sea Festival on the development of Klaipëda and its significance for the town’s economic growth and social environment were analyzed. The aim of this work was to analyze the peculiarities of the organization of the Sea Festival and its influence on the social and economic expansion of the town, offering suggestions for the strategy of the Sea Festival organization in the future, striving for a better and more effective influence on the town’s social and economic development and image.
After generalization of the influence of the marketing of the Sea Festival on the town’s development, the following conclusions were arrived at:
• Festivals are significant elements of a town’s social, economic and cultural life, as well as an object of marketing, influencing the town’s development.
• Culture is separated from the economic trajectories in the general development strategy of the town. Politicians regard it as a worthless factor in terms of economic power.
• The Sea Festival, having old traditions, made a positive influence in formation of such senses as community and pride among Klaipëda dwellers. Moreover, it has influenced the town’s image. At the same time, however, the Sea Festival doesn’t exhaust possibilities given to it by the free market (for example, marketing of Festival’s services).
• Main sources of finances still remain sponsors’ support and advertising, motivated by inertia to support the Sea Festival rather than the principles of marketing.
• In the future the Sea Festival, seeking to remain the factor of the town’s economical and social life, has to change its goals: to develop collaboration among the Baltic countries, to influence expansion of tourism, to increase the Festival’s attractiveness to the foreign audiences, to become one of the organizers of the yachting regatta in the Baltics, etc. The Sea Festival has to prepare packages of services, geared towards the market of the new participants, and new strategy of service marketing, which would be well-founded upon laws of economy.
NOBROW: A NEW PERSONAGE IN THE SHADOW THEATRE
Jekaterina Lavrinec
Summary
The paper concentrates on the figure of the Nobrow that embodies tendencies and regularities of the nowadays cultural life. J. Seabrook in his book “Nobrow: the Culture of Marketing. The Marketing of Culture” (2ooo) represents the Nobrow as the paradigmatic hero of nowadays culture. His emergence indicates the cultural situation of abolition of the hierarchy of taste. As the boundaries between elite culture (highbrow) and mass culture (lowbrow) thaw, the Nobrow forms his own tastescape on the base of his emotional preferences and fancy tendencies – rather than on the ground of judgments about the cultural products’ correspondence with elite or mass culture.
At the same time he shows some anxiety about the authenticity of his own life. As S. Rapoport agues in his work “Vilnius Snobs”, this kind of anxiety is peculiar to some group of the representatives of intelligentsia. This is the trait that the Nobrow inherits in a modified form from his “ancestries”. The anxiety emerges from the reflection of his consumptive way of creating his own identity: being oriented on the lifestyle of various subcultures, the Nobrow mimicries and adopts some elements (that become part of mainstream with lightning speed), creating the individual collage.
The Nobrow is far from being a passive consumer: the conception of creation is extremely strong here. The idea of the accessibility of the creational act to everyone transforms the Nobrow’s relation with the everyday and his own experience – that are rated as the source of creative production. The personality of the creator, his biography (even if fabricated) becomes of the special importance in representation of the products of the Nobrow’s creativity: it turns to be clear that the figure of the Author (that has been proclaimed being “dead”) returns. As V. Savchuk put it, mass media produces the new type of the creator (whether the creator of art or intellectual production), the Cultural. He is the twin-brother of J. Seabrook’s Nobrow. The Cultural is of quick reactions; he works on the popular topics, and orients himself on the general public and success.
Here the role of specific media-rhetoric strategies and “fast-thinking” emerges. As the personage, Nobrow is keen to the actual events, he is oriented on the general public, could be the mutation of the intellectual that is full of the enlightenment pathos. The vivid example of the intellectual’s adventures on TV is P. Bourdieu’s biography. For intellectual, mass media is the analogy of agora; but at the same time it dictates certain rules of thinking, that brings TV-intellectual to the “fast-thinking”. That makes P. Bourdieu formulate the question, crucial for the academic public: “Am I going to speak in the way everyone could understand me?”
RELIGIOUS INDUSTRIES AS A PROGRAM OF SOCIAL REHABILITATION
Auridas Gajauskas
Summary
The main assumption of the article is that the security and self-realization of the subject, who lives in the “late modernity” (A. Giddens), is determined by an immediate convergence with “cultural industries” (T. W. Adorno). The more specific analogue of cultural industries is religious industries. This concept is signified by religious phenomena that were formed in the situation of modernity. The main goal of the article is to show that modern religious phenomena act as a guaranty of a stable social life. The last assumption is determined by the transformation of conception of sociability that appeared during the late modernity.
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