Multicultural Mandates of Exchange by Doina Popescu

Coming from Canada, a country that is officially multicultural, and having worked as Programme-Coordinator at the German Cultural Centre, the Goethe Institute, in Toronto for the past 11 years, I would like to share with you some general observations on multicultural arts programming. As the European Union becomes ever stronger, there are many aspects of multiculturalism that will have to be dealt with on a conscious level, whether the individual nations of the EU think of themselves as immigration societies or not. As Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Councillor for Multicultural Affairs for the City of Frankfurt, is quick to point out: "modern cities are multicultural or they are not modern" (Frankfurter Rundschau 6.6.1990). Europe is full of modern cities - Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Madrid, Athens and so on. The list is long. Claus Leggewie (Professor for Political Science at the University of Giessen) says in his book entitled MULTI-KULTI (Rotbuch 1990/93, p. XIV): "multiculturalism (in Europe) is not a utopian product of our imaginations for the coming millennium, but rather a topos of the real world." Each country in the union is in some respects multicultural and the union itself is so as well both by definition and extension. This does not, however, mean that it has become obsolete to engage in cultural programming on a regional, national or historic basis. Each region or nation has to deal with its own uniqueness in both historic and contemporary terms. Multiculturalism does not spare us the often painful task of historic introspection. However, isolation is no longer a possibility. Uniqueness is difference. What interests me within this context are the possibilities of communication between differences, the possibilities of multicultural interaction. In order to do this theme any justice at all, I will have to leave out discussions of many other kinds of arts programmes that may also be relevant within the new European context. However, I feel that the topic of multiculturalism may be the most significant, given the present European attempt to come together not only economically and politically, but also in one form or another culturally. Regarding the question of whether and how Europe can develop a European identity and what that means, I would reply that acknowledgement and conscious experience of multiculturalism would have to be a part of that process.

Our western societies are increasingly made up of more and more peoples trying to co-exist side by side and with one another. As far as the many cultural differences are concerned, I tend to view our societies as star shaped structures with many sections that fan out away from each other, but that also meet or even mix with one another in the centre. It is this area of overlap that is of concern, for only here can new forms of culture develop and new ideas and possibilities be formulated and tried out. In order for this to function to everyone's advantage we need to develop a new kind of openness toward the other, a readiness to articulate and discuss cultural differences and above all a readiness to recognise and experience cultural difference (be this within our own local communities or within the larger contexts of unions such as the EU). Our respective otherness is reflected in the issues which are important to the various groups in society but also in the manners in which these issues are approached. In order for communication to take place between the many groupings we not only need to refine our respective art of articulation and contribution but also our art of listening and reception with regard to our multicultural and interdisciplinary realities. Thus our individual scopes of perception would be broadened to the point of opening ourselves to perspectives we may not altogether feel comfortable with, precisely because they are other than the culture we come from, because they point to "an-other" scope of experience in time and space. By attempting to understand and experience other cultural entities we enter into a dynamic process that knows no (or that should in its ideal form know no) fixed hierarchies, but that develops according to or within the context of the input by its various parts. The question of how the necessary degree of curiosity, openness and respect can be achieved still remains. Certainly part of the answer lies in the response that Barbara John ("Auslaenderbeauftragte": member of the Berlin Senate representing foreigners and their concerns) gave when asked what a multicultural society is. She said that "it is a society for strong individuals. In such a society everyone is involved in a continuous learning process, everyone has to learn that his/her personal lifestyles, his/her preferences are constantly being put into question by the others, without in any way actually putting him or her in danger. This means: we need a lot of self-confidence in this society. Self-confident people are usually very peaceful and interesting contemporaries to live with. However, multicultural co-existence remains a challenge because many will not be able to deal with this questioning (of the status quo)." (MULTI KULTI, C. Leggewie, Rotbuch 1990/1993, p.140).

How can we better develop those strong, essentially democratic personalities that will allow for a constructive level of multicultural interaction among the often segregated groupings in our societies? In my opinion one of the keys lies in the area of cultural activity, i.e. in the area of experience through cultural exchange and not alone in the admittedly important areas of goodwill and theory. The practical approach will inevitably lead to the discovery of much common ground as well as to a better understanding of differences on the artistic, philosophical and socio-political levels. Only when this process is underway can we hope for the development of new forms of multicultural co-existence, of new uses of language and new structures in society that better reflect its reality.

The term culture, as I am using it here, incorporates many interrelated dimensions - economic culture, political culture, social culture, artistic culture and so on. Culture is linked to traditions and histories, it offers us an ever evolving means of relating to reality and of formulating and dealing with future plans. It is through the examination of culture that we can both define and understand difference. It is within this context that I would like now to speak more about multicultural programming in practical terms, for which I will draw from my own area of expertise, namely international cultural exchange in the arts, social and natural sciences, and increasingly in the area of new media, programming that is geared toward a conscious development of organisational partnership and individual openness. In order to illustrate some of the points made above, let us examine some of the key components that need to be considered when developing a multicultural event:

a. Purpose, Goal or Mandate

b. Planning Committee

c. Thematic Developments

d. Selection of Participants

e. Reception: Audience, Press, Evaluation

a. The Purpose, Goal or Mandate of a multicultural programme must (among other things) be to further intercultural understanding and experience through exchange and communication, i.e. to approach a given theme from multiple perspectives. This can function on a local, national or international level, depending on the theme, the organisations and the individuals involved. However, the programmers need to keep in mind that the evolving understanding and experience of otherness which we are talking of can only take place on the most basic level, i.e. on the individual level. If the event is not merely to end in the self-congratulatory signing of an agreement between various organisations, it has to be developed with extreme sensitivity to the respective local reality, to the needs and queries of people, not only of policy and organisations. Through true multicultural programming we can open cultural discussion and consciousness to levels that they have not been previously known. For example, in one of our last projects involving contemporary writers and thinkers from Germany we purposely invited authors of a variety of backgrounds (e.g. Gino Chiellino of Italian origin, Zafer Senocak and Aysel Ozakin of Turkish origin, Ota Filip of Czech origin, and Adel Karasholi of Syrian origin). Of course, the structure of an event and the guests need to suit the topic, which was in this instance "identity in a Foreign Place". Because the world in general and in this case Canada in particular do not think of Germany, for example, in terms of multiculturalism, an event of this nature was quite an eye opener to many and a truly significant experience. It goes without saying that the effect of having the writers present as opposed to discussing their existence on a theoretical level is what lets a fact become an experience, it is what in this particular case may for some have set a whole new way of thinking about Germany in motion. Of course, these sorts of events, which in this case were centred on personal experiences as well as on aesthetic and literary questions, lead to important further discussions that involve the socio-political and legal status of minority members of society, other members of society, other members of a federation etc.

b. Planning Committee. It is my experience that a multicultural programme can often best be planned by a committee, by a group of individuals who are suited to work on a particular theme together. As a truly multicultural event which should be a non-hierarchical event, the steering committee must reflect a broad base of expertise including persons directly affected by the topic. Sometimes it is not possible to form such a committee and in such cases a broad base of consultation partners seems to work the best. It is only through a broad basis of open dialogue that the full range of cultural possibilities related to a given theme will find its way into the respective cultural event, be this an event where various cultural works of art are presented or where key topics are discussed at a a symposium or round-table. This is also a means of trying to avoid the sole signature of one cultural group, organisation, national representative or individual, unless, of course, this is what is desired.

c. Thematic Development. Given the changing border situations in our world, i.e. new forms of regionalism and new forms of national and international federalism, it has been our experience that multicultural programming must (via the themes chosen and the participants invited) simultaneously reflect these seemingly opposing tends if it is to contribute in any significant way to the necessary dialogue around contemporary issues. At the Goethe institute it remains an ongoing challenge to strike the proper balance between regional and national representations, bi-lateral exchanges with the host country, and truly multinational or supranational programmes. Within one project we often find ourselves working on a variety of planes: on the one hand within the consciousness of the particular historic backgrounds of the individual persons, regions or countries involved; on the other hand within the framework of an increasingly interdependent world (that goes well beyond the EU or NAFTA - something we all too readily overlook); and finally within the context of a world that has gone somewhat generic, that seems to be in danger of losing sight of specifics and of important local differences. Within the context of this most difficult of balancing acts we must then ask the question of cultural identity, of how the individual fits into this multilayered maze of politics, economics and culture. In contemporary societies that are characterised more by difference than by sameness, multicultural programming themes must attempt to work in the most constructive way possible to mediate between the tensions that will inevitably arise between these planes. Identity proves no longer to be "a given", for example by birth in a particular place, but rather something that each thinking individual will have to work at achieving on his or her own within the multiple contexts of their lives. Identity itself may become a multilayered experience, as it is for many immigrants who feel ties to several traditions, several localities, several families etc.. There is no doubt that multicultural realities and thus multicultural themes will seem threatening to some people and here the need for cultural mediation will be at its greatest, the need to help individuals find themselves in a new multistructured world. Multicultural programmes themselves contribute to this by continually exposing audiences to these complexities.

d. Selection of Participants. If the presentation of multicultural themes means also the living portrayal of some of the tensions between the many layers of experience in contemporary societies, then we must ask ourselves, which individuals might best be suited to deal with such issues. In searching for an answer to this question, I would like to adopt two terms that Odo Marquard (Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Guidelines of Science at the University of Giessen) uses: "Doppeldenker" - double thinkers - and "Mehrfachdenker" - multiple thinkers. Speaking of the contemporary generation of young immigrants within this context, Marquard explains that they are "the born simultaneous translators, the builders of bridges, who - I want to avoid the term integration, which brings too strong identities into play - are predestined in a multicultural society to bring cultures together, to bring them into conversation, into communication with one another, without destroying their respective uniqueness" (MULTI KULTI, C. Leggewie, Rotbuch 1990/93, p.119). Professor Marquard's "Doppel-" and "Mehrfachdenker" need not only be persons with multiple ethnic backgrounds or persons who have been moved around physically by fate to the extent that they no longer know one single homeland or "Heimat" (a term and experience linked in part to the past history of nation states). The reality of thinking and living on the margins and borders of our societies is one that is shared by many artists and intellectuals or by anyone involved in interdisciplinary forms of creativity. By the sheer fact of not subscribing to one clearly defined identity, by being prepared to live within the ambiguities of our societies, an individual demonstrates a willingness to grow and come to terms with the many difficulties involved. It goes without saying that individuals with these experiences and an expertise in a given area make ideal project participants. They are living proof of our abilities to perceive things from multiple perspectives as one and the same time, which is essential if we have any hope of getting a handle on our futures.

I would like to make one final remark about the selection of participants for a multicultural event. Without wishing here to enter in on a debate about political correctness, we as programmers must ask ourselves at all times, who is being given a "voice" when presenting certain art forms or discussing particular issues. Of course, the criteria of expertise and quality are of utmost importance, however, I have attended too many cultural events (admittedly, some of our own included) where well informed experts and thinkers discussed the problems of others (e.g. former West Germans about the problems of East Germans within the expanded Federal Republic or about the problems faced by Turkish residents, - white Canadians about Native issues etc....). If we are serious about the possibility of communication between different groupings within society, if we are serious about facing the reality of multi-ethnicity, multiple religions and multiple languages et...in our modern societies, then these need to be given "voices" as well at any relevant cultural event.

In these ways we can break old hierarchies and open up new horizons. By being prepared to expand upon our own co-ordinates of knowledge and orientation, i.e. by allowing others to bring theirs into play, we stand to learn from each other and thus to depart from old ways of national argumentation that serve only to perpetuate an assimilated status quo that is designed to exclude otherness.

e. Reception: Audience, Press, Evaluation. In a world of economic cutbacks, of the reduction or closure of many cultural venues and institutions, of increasing apathy and information overload, in a world that seems to have subscribed wholeheartedly to the values of the consumer marketplace, it is essential that artists, thinkers, cultural programmes, their audiences and the press remain critical parts of the dynamic exchanges involved in discovering, reflecting upon and even creating the many dimensions of non-pre-fab culture. The audience and press need to be as much a part of this process as the artists and thinkers. The vital relationships between these groups and the points of their interactions, be these on an emotional or an analytical level, are among the very experiences that can help the individual grow and develop the understanding and strong personality we spoke of above. These sorts of relationships are what heighten our perceptive abilities to see and understand things in new and different ways, they are what allows us to include new insights into our own creative developments and contributions toward society. A project that manages to mediate constructively between these and other multiple border areas can, in my opinion, be termed a success.

Some of the areas of cultural life within which the complex processes I have described above can best be situated are the classical arts or the "classical public sphere" as Alexander Kluge calls it (INDUSTRIALISIERUNG DES BEWUSSTSEINS, A. Kluge et al., Series Piper 1985, p. 125). Included in this definition are major or minor public events that may take place at festivals, in arts institutions, educational institutions or on the street, events that involve visual art, literature, film, music, theatre, dance, discussions etc... In contrast to the sterile segregation of the so-called areas of culture that most television channels aspire to present, namely "information, education, entertainment" (Kluge, p. 88), the classical arts represent a non-industrialised mode of cultural production involving, as again defined by Kluge, "skill, imagination and content that can be experienced" (Kluge, p. 88), a process oriented (i.e. non-segregated) pluralism that explores the seams between various segments of society, that exposes questions in a creative manner (namely linked to imagination and experience), which prefabricated, elegantly packaged, uniform images cannot. Of course, as I already mentioned above, cultural events can be consciously programmed to deal more or to deal less directly with multicultural experience and multicultural exchange, depending on the range of persons involved, the themes chosen, the films shown etc...

On the cultural front, we must fight to hold onto and further develop our regional, local and individual images, i.e. to have some say over image production, over arms-length arts funding (i.e. independent of direct influence by politicians) etc.;;; thus the ever so important Gatt battle over the control for television and film rights. Without our own images and words, without a true diversity of images and words, we stand to lose all ability to communicate with one another within a larger context. This means that projects on all levels need to be officially supported, i.e. regional, interregional and international projects.

What I have discussed up until this point is the basis for my understanding of how multiculturalism can work within society and, for example, in particular within the area of classical arts. However, it is important to keep in mind that a large segment of the population in any country does not frequent or indulge in the classical arts.

We must, therefore, also ask the question of how popular culture affects our thinking, what kinds of relationships it offers with regard to multiculturalism. How is this relationship different than the one described above? What kind of an intellectual and emotional process do these cultural fields set in motion? Can popular culture and the classical arts compliment each other with regard to the development of multicultural consciousness etc....? For reasons of time and space I have in these pages neglected to discuss the following important areas of popular culture: snows; musicals; sporting events; commercial television, radio and film vs. non-commercial television, radio and film; youth culture from the mainstream to Hip Hop; advertising. I did not mean to insinuate that these areas of culture do not contribute to the multicultural societies. However, it would be important to analyse each one of these areas as to their real and potential contribution to the differentiated and individual experiences we need to make in order to become mature and responsible members of multicultural communities, regions, nations and international communities.

I will close with one final quote from the American art critic Robert Hughes in whose statement about the future of America, Claus Leggewie has substituted the word "European" for the word "American":

"The future of the European elites - in a world economy without Cold War - will lie with persons who are prepared to think and act in an informed fashion beyond the constraints of ethnic, cultural and linguistic borders. A first step toward developing such personalities lies in the recognition of the fact that Europeans are not a single large family and will probably never be one, that the differences between races, nations and cultures and their differing stories have as much longevity as their similarities, and that these differences are not deviations from a.....norm, but rather that they are structures that need to be acknowledged for their own self-worth. He or she who cannot come to terms with differences will be lost in the world of the future." (MULTI KULTI, C. Leggewie, Rotbuch 1990/93, p. XV/XVI)

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Multicultural Mandates of Exchange by Doina Popescu