Presentation by Victoria Durrer (Lecturer in Arts Management and Cultural Policy, Queen’s University Belfast) for Spaces to Belong to: young people’s perspectives on culture, identity and cultural participation on the island of Ireland today, organised by Cultural Policy Observatory Ireland and Queen's University Belfast. Curated by Molly Goyer Gorman. More info at www.culturalpolicyireland.org

1. What Counts as Culture? Valuing Young People’s Views
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
Dr. Victoria Durrer
v.durrer@qub.ac.uk
Victoria
Durrer,
Grace
Kelly,
Mar2na
McKnight,
Dirk
Schubotz

2. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
• Inspiring Prospects: Arts Council Strategic
Review 2014
• Making Great Art Work: Leading the development
of arts in Ireland, Arts Council Strategy, 2016 -
2025.
• Culture2025: A framework policy to 2025,
Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs (2016)
• Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022,
Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs (2017)
• Arts in Education Charter, Department of
Education and Skills / Department of Arts,
Heritage & the Gaeltacht (2013)
• Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, The National
Policy Framework for Children & Young People
2014-2020, Department for Children & Youth
Affairs, (2014)
• National Strategy on Children & Young People's
Participation in Decision-making, 2015-2020,
Department for Children & Youth Affairs, (2015)
NORTHERN IRELAND
• Programme for Government 2011-2015
• Together: Building a united community,
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First
Minster, (2013)
• Statutory Guidance for the Operation of
Community Planning, Department of
Environment, (2015)
• Programme for Government 2016–2021
• Strategy for culture and arts, 2016–2026,
Consultation document, Department of
Culture, Arts and Leisure, (2015)
• Children and Young People's Strategy 2017
– 2027, Department of Education, (2016)
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

3. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
• Inspiring Prospects: Arts Council Strategic
Review 2014
• Making Great Art Work: Leading the development
of arts in Ireland, Arts Council Strategy, 2016 -
2025.
• Culture2025: A framework policy to 2025,
Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs (2016)
• Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022,
Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs (2017)
• Arts in Education Charter, Department of
Education and Skills / Department of Arts,
Heritage & the Gaeltacht (2013)
• Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, The National
Policy Framework for Children & Young People
2014-2020, Department for Children & Youth
Affairs, (2014)
• National Strategy on Children & Young People's
Participation in Decision-making, 2015-2020,
Department for Children & Youth Affairs, (2015)
NORTHERN IRELAND
• Programme for Government 2011-2015
• Programme for Government 2016–2021
• Strategy for culture and arts, 2016–2026,
Consultation document, Department of
Culture, Arts and Leisure, (2015)
• Children and Young People's Strategy 2017
– 2027, Department of Education, (2016)
• Statutory Guidance for the Operation of
Community Planning, Department of
Environment, (2015)
• Together: Building a united community,
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First
Minster, (2013).
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
What
counts
as
culture?
How
what
counts,
is
counted.

4. WHAT COUNTS AS CULTURE:
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

5. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
An Taoiseach Enda Kennhy at the launch
of the Creative Ireland Programme, The
National Gallery.
• Priority: “enable the creativity of
every child”
• School setting
• “access to tuition and
participation in art, music, drama
and coding”
“Active engagement with arts and
culture:
• Has “transformational potential”
• Can “bring communities
together”
• “strengthen a sense of identity”
• Foster economic success and
wellbeing

6. NORTHERN IRELAND
• Aims to foster a “united community
based on equality of opportunity…
where cultural expression is
celebrated and embraced”
• Priorities:
– children and young people,
– open, accessible and safe
communities,
– cultural expression
• Young people: improve attitudes,
active role in building good
relations
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
Office of the First Minister and Deputy
First Minster, (2013)

7. WHAT COUNTS AS CULTURE:
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

8. WHAT COUNTS AS CULTURE:
Northern Ireland
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

9. WHAT COUNTS AS CULTURE / HOW CULTURE IS COUNTED:
Northern Ireland
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

10. • Young People: Creative action and social change, National Youth Council
Ireland, Anna Keogh, (2008)
• Centre Stage + 10: A report on youth theatre in Ireland, National
Association of Youth Drama, Rhona Dunnett (2009)
• Art-Youth-Culture: FYI, Arts Council Ireland, (2010)
• Arts and Cultural Participation among Children and Young People:
Insights from the Growing Up in Ireland Study, Emer Smyth (2016)
• Youth Arts Strategy, 2013 – 2017, Arts Council Northern Ireland, (2013)
• Engagement in culture, arts and leisure by young people in Northern
Ireland, Dept of Culture, Arts and Leisure (2015)
• Engagement in culture, arts and leisure by young people in Northern
Ireland, Dept for Communities (2017)
HOW IT’S COUNTED
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

11. HOW IT’S COUNTED
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
• Consumption—what young people
attend and take part in
• What young people make / create
• Social, personal, educational and
health benefits of participation
• Relationship of engagement to
personal background: family,
school, wealth
• Building a case for support and
financial investment in particular
forms of culture.
• Young People: Creative action and social change,
National Youth Council Ireland, Anna Keogh,
(2008)
• Centre Stage + 10: A report on youth theatre in
Ireland, National Association of Youth Drama,
Rhona Dunnett (2009)
• Art-Youth-Culture: FYI, Arts Council Ireland,
(2010)
• Arts and Cultural Participation among Children
and Young People: Insights from the Growing Up
in Ireland Study, Emer Smyth (2016)
• Youth Arts Strategy, 2013 – 2017, Arts Council
Northern Ireland, (2013)
• Engagement in culture, arts and leisure by young
people in Northern Ireland, Dept of Culture, Arts
and Leisure (2015)
• Engagement in culture, arts and leisure by young
people in Northern Ireland, Dept for Communities
(2017)

13. RESEARCH
• Young Life and Times survey, completed by 1,009 16-year
olds
• 5 focus groups: Ballymena, Newry, Belfast, Derry in NI
and Letterkenny in Republic of Ireland
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

14. Table 1: Do you think you express your culture in any of the
following ways?
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

15. Tradition. Doing what you’re used to doing with
your family and stuff.
(Female, Newry group)
It’s family. What your family’s culture is, is going
to be your culture isn’t it? You can’t really break
away from it. It’s what you were born into. You
don’t become part of a culture, you never hear
of that happening. Whatever you’re born into is
your culture.
(Female, Belfast group)
Focus
group
response
to
‘When
you
hear
the
word
'culture'
what
sort
of
ac7vi7es
does
this
make
you
think
of?’
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages

16. IMPORTANT
• ‘attending family events
such as birthdays,
weddings, christenings and
funerals’,
• ‘celebrating a religious
festival’,
• ‘commemorating a historical
event’,
• ‘learning about your
country’s history’,
• ‘practicing your faith’
LESS IMPORTANT
• ‘going online’,
• ‘going to the cinema’,
• ‘going to the theatre’, and
• ‘photography’ and
‘shopping’.
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
WHAT COUNTS AS A CULTURAL ACTIVITY?

17. SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
• ‘attending family events
such as birthdays,
weddings, christenings and
funerals’,
• ‘celebrating a religious
festival’,
• ‘commemorating a historical
event’,
• ‘learning about your
country’s history’,
• ‘practicing your faith’
• ‘going online’,
• ‘going to the cinema’,
• ‘going to the theatre’, and
• ‘photography’ and
‘shopping’.
IMPORTANT LESS IMPORTANT
WHAT COUNTS AS A CULTURAL ACTIVITY?

18. SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
• ‘attending family events
such as birthdays,
weddings, christenings and
funerals’,
• ‘celebrating a religious
festival’,
• ‘commemorating a historical
event’,
• ‘learning about your
country’s history’,
• ‘practicing your faith’
• ‘going online’,
• ‘going to the cinema’,
• ‘going to the theatre’, and
• ‘photography’ and
‘shopping’.
IMPORTANT LESS IMPORTANT
WHAT COUNTS AS A CULTURAL ACTIVITY?

19. • ‘attending family events
such as birthdays,
weddings, christenings and
funerals’,
• ‘celebrating a religious
festival’,
• ‘commemorating a historical
event’,
• ‘learning about your
country’s history’,
• ‘practicing your faith’
• ‘going online’,
• ‘going to the cinema’,
• ‘going to the theatre’, and
• ‘photography’ and
‘shopping’.
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
LESS PERSONALLY IMPORTANT PERSONALLY IMPORTANT
CULTURALLY IMPORTANT CULTURALLY LESS IMPORTANT

20. • Relevance of tradition and family customs
• Impression that the daily activities in which young
people engage, are not cultural
• Context of setting, history
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
WHAT COUNTS AS CULTURE?
What did we learn?

21. What Counts as Culture? Valuing Young People’s Views
SCHOOL OF
Arts, English and Languages
Dr. Victoria Durrer
v.durrer@qub.ac.uk
Victoria
Durrer,
Grace
Kelly,
Mar2na
McKnight,
Dirk
Schubotz