Global Cultural Futures

Building on the relationship with Helmut Anheier (UCLA, LSE and Heidelberg) and Raj Isar (American University of Paris) established through the first stage project Cultural Economy, Global Cultural Futures (GCF) is a new international project to be launched in the framework of the Cultures and Globalization Series. Envisioned as a versatile, information-rich and user-friendly website with various components, GCF is designed to replace the printed volumes in the Series, the fifth and final volume of which will be published in 2012.

Progress in 2010
Further conceptual development has been undertaken on the project in 2010, but progress is currently on hold as our international partners seek to secure continuing funding sources for the project and seek to establish the wider institutional framework within which the project will operate.
There is potential for partnerships with Bloomsbury Academic and the European Cultural Foundation (specifically its LabforCulture initiative, headed by Katherine Watson), and these organisations may be able to support some of the development and operations costs of the envisaged Global Cultural Futures website, but this remains subject to further clarification. Alternative costings for the development by CCI itself of the GCF website have been obtained from Amanda Lawrence at the CCI’s Swinburne University node.

Plans for 2011
GCF will build on but go beyond the book series in two ways: first, by adding a survey of cultural experts; and second, by hosting a blog on current debates and developments. In addition to these added components, GCF will be multi-media (text, graphs, pictures, audio, video etc) and dynamic by allowing for user interaction.

These are the components envisioned to make up GCF, each with dedicated lead institutions and editors:
• Essays on issues or topics selected by the editors, published in web form, and linked to the indicator suites, the blogs section and the expert survey.
• Indicators on the major facets of the relationship between culture and globalization. The data needed for the indicators will be generated by a team at Heidelberg University, whereas the information graphics and visualization will come from UCLA’s School of Art and Architecture, in collaboration with CCI.
• The Global Cultures Blog is envisioned as a platform for debate and exchange among experts, designed to serve as ‘listening posts’ or ‘sensors’ on key developments at the culture and globalization interface. The blog will be managed by CCI, and in collaboration with other blogging sites and websites that would be of interest to enhance content and visibility. The blog component will be the most active part of GCF.

The GCF website itself may be managed and maintained through the CCI if budget and management issues are able to be resolved.