On Tuesday, September 9, internationally acclaimed cultural theorist and author Justin O’Connor visited Clublokaal to discuss his latest book, Culture is Not an Industry (2024) and to give his perspective on these questions.
In his book, O’Connor argues that artists must reposition themselves as public intellectuals and activist forces, and that culture should (once again) be understood as a domain of emancipation rather than consumption.
Following the talk, a panel discussion with local respondents explored what his ideas might mean for the role of art and culture in Breda today. How can the city’s diverse cultural and artistic communities (alongside activists, institutions, and civic players) form a coalition that sees culture as a shared resource and a force for the common good?
Justin O’Connor is Professor of Cultural Economy at Adelaide University, Visiting Professor at the School of Cultural Management, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Hallsworth Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester. Between 2012-18 he was a member of the UNESCO ‘Expert Facility’, supporting the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity.
Justin recently co-authored Red Creative: Culture and Modernity in China (2020, Intellect), Reset: Een Nieuw Begin voor Kunst en Cultuur (Starfish books
); and Culture is Not an Industry (2024), Manchester University Press. More information at https://justin-oconnor.com
The lecture took place on the ground floor of Clublokaal. Please note that there are a few thresholds which may make access by wheelchair difficult. Unfortunately, the building does not yet have an accessible toilet.
Paid parking is available directly across from the building. Clublokaal is also easily reachable by foot. It’s about a 10-minute walk from Breda Central Station.
Attendance is free of charge. The lecture and panel discussion will be held in English, but questions during the panel discussion can be asked in Dutch.
If you have specific questions about accessibility or other inquiries regarding the lecture, feel free to contact Clublokaal at: kloosterlaan138@gmail.com
Event information was also available on the website Explore Breda
This event was organised in collaboration with Clublokaal Breda
‘Our research group investigates the role artists, designers and cultural producers in general can play in developing the aesthetics and poetics of a desirable future.’
Sebastian Olma is professor Cultural and Creative Industries. He works for the Expertise Centre Art, Design and Technology.
The research group Cultural and Creative Industries investigates the role of artists and designers as creative innovators and drivers of social and economic change. Affiliated researchers analyse the cultural and creative industries from a critical point of view and examine the conditions under which timely forms of aesthetic expression and social connectedness can actually take place within the precarious reality of this field. What economic models are required by artists and designers to create a meaningful practice within the aesthetic, social, and economic intentions of the cultural and creative industries? What skills sets are required for those artists and designers who don’t just want to follow movements, but actually shape novel social and economic models of the future?
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