Towards Cultural Democracy: Live at the Barbican

Dr Nick Wilson and Dr Jonathan Gross presented a new report at the Barbican Centre this week as part of their Towards Cultural Democracy project, King’s fourth cultural enquiry.



Commissioned by London creative and cultural education agency A New Direction (AND), the report explores how cultural learning happens and how it can best be supported. Focusing on young people within the London Borough of Harrow, it shows how issues related to space, place and mobility, relationships and institutions, knowledge production and cultural agency impact on their learning.

Noting young people’s particular interest in spaces that support ‘creativity’ and ‘freedom’, Wilson and Gross highlight the need for ‘supported autonomy’, and suggest that people’s cultural learning is characterised by the principles of care (including attentiveness, responsibility, competence and responsiveness).

Visit the project webpage to find out more about Towards Cultural Democracy and download a copy of the full report.