Accomplishing Cultural policy in Europe

Résumé 0

This is a review of the book "Accomplishing Cultural policy in Europe" co-edited by Christopher Mathieu and Victoria D. Alexander. The choice of the word 'accomplishing' in the title is interesting. In the abstract we can read that this concept means: "from policy formulation and administration, artistic and cultural production activities to institutional governance". The recognition of the "hyper-instrumentalisation" of arts and culture, as well as market-driven objectives, is interesting; and the conclusion, taken from Hadley and Gray (2017), is very provocative: "cultural policy is seen as having become non-cultural policy, that is, cultural objectives are sublimated to other priorities". I agree with the authors that cultural policies are increasingly conceived with an instrumental vision, in particular to solve urgent social problems such as the inclusion of marginalised populations or the reception of migrants, or as instruments of well-being and happiness, "using the arts as therapeutic tools to improve their lives" (p.9).