Welcome to Open Culture – a resource that is designed to allow anyone to engage in and create culture – whatever that is – rather than just have it done to them.
It is not perfect nor, I suspect, will it ever be, as one of the key roles, perhaps characteristics, of the term culture is to question. To challenge. To be disruptive in the way technological innovation is disruptive by changing the way things have always been done.
It should, at the same time be reassuring. Reinforcing both traditional cultural values while at the same time reaffirming the right to think differently. To depict the world in both recognisable ways but also taking new and different angles. Or should it?
The debate should be endless as it should be timeless, having been around as long as the first guttural sounds became language and cave paintings were open source. Use it how you wish. Comment and post as you wish. Suggest improvements. It's only a start.
There are no real rules, just principles. At the moment it is funded. In the future it needs to be self-sustaining. When is not clear. But in the cultural world, what else is new? For now, it is here and will be around through 2008 and designed as a legacy project. But what is that? Discuss?
The over-arching principle though is Open Culture. You can be as controversial, cutting or as critical as you wish while remembering two things. The law of the land and no pseudonyms. Who cares what Scottydog or Mysticman or whoever thinks? Be open. Be honest. Be prepared to be challenged. If you can’t, don’t. You’re missing the point. Start a blog.
So tell us what you think. What you want. What you don’t want. How it can help, or even how it can hinder. Open Culture should be a central resource that will point and redirect to other endeavours. It is not designed to displace but to facilitate. It is there for everyone to use as they wish, moderated only by its user community.
You can access as individuals or you can rent space as an organisation. It will show you how to set up your own site, or direct traffic to your existing site. You can come looking for information or you can post information. Look for something cultural to do, or promote your own event. You choose.
It's not perfect, but it’s a start. And it will grow and get better through 2008. It can be as big or as unused as its cultural community chooses. Working together.
Phil Redmond