"Wow. Culture is fun." - Alain Pineau

The workshop began with a round of introductions from the participants. The prevailing sentiment was that there would be few answers by the end of the day.

Frankly, this turned out to be a startlingly accurate premonition. Today’s discussion merely confirmed the slow and arduous nature of policy-making. Volumes of discussion took place before anything would actually happen. This included meticulously outlining direction, potential goals and how to reach the goals.

One of the problems that seemed to hinder progress seemed lie in the basic structure of the workshop. The workshop group was comprised of individuals who did not otherwise maintain ongoing contact with one another. This often resulted in clashes of opinion and mild debate. This kind of environment was not conducive to consensus.

Beyond all the jargon, it was markedly clear that there were many recurring problems and themes inherent in cultural policy today. Some of the more pressing failures include the misguided focus on the supply side of arts, rather than on the creators of art. Secondly, the relationship between education and arts had been degenerating over the years, creating a poor environment to sustain the arts. And finally, the stagnation of audience growth no longer accommodated the needs of a larger community. It was clear that none of these problems had easy solutions.

Meanwhile, after a contemporary policy vision is established, changes will hopefully follow.