Abstract
In established processes of governance and related literature, arts and culture have been largely neglected, but work is currently being produced suggesting the importance of arts and culture to processes of good governance and the sustainability transition. A style of governance that fully integrates cultural considerations and understands cultural implications of policy is desirable to address the integrated aims of sustainability and to guide the transition to a sustainable future. The impact of arts and culture on communities and social perceptions is difficult to assess and to anticipate; similarly, the influence of culture on governance and policy is equally difficult to measure, though culture permeates every aspect of social and political life. This article suggests that taking cues from the processes of arts and culture to inform new styles of governance supports an open, adaptive, participatory, and creative governance model that responds to a diversity of voices and alternative modes of communication. It argues that a governance style that integrates cultural knowledge is better able to build equity across present and future generations, and is better suited to support a sustainable future. Empirical examples of arts engagement with two communities practicing sustainable behaviours demonstrate the power of arts and culture to build social capital and to potentially contribute to an inclusive and innovative style of governance.
Highlights
Sustainability has been described as a multi-legged stool that stands strong only when the economic, ecological, social, and cultural dimensions are weighted and meaningfully integrated
This article will demonstrate the power of arts and culture to build social capital and to contribute to a style of governance that is inclusive, participatory, equitable, and sustainable
In the Otesha example of art as the practice of sustainability, tour members gained social cohesion, self-empowerment, and the opportunity to creatively experiment with identity
Summary
Sustainability has been described as a multi-legged stool that stands strong only when the economic, ecological, social, and cultural dimensions are weighted and meaningfully integrated. The importance of culture and the arts to a sustainable future will be described, and potential impacts on governance of integrating cultural approaches will be explored.
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