Omni-work and Overproduction in Culture. Pandemic-induced Reflections as by-products of the Scientific Explorations in the Poznan Cultural Milieu

Bartek Lis and Jakub Walczyk discuss the phenomenon of omni-work and overproduction in the field of culture, taking into account the changes brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Omni-work, i.e. being constantly at work and involved in many parallel initiatives using mobile media, is a phenomenon common to various types of activity. On the other hand, overproduction in culture involves preparation of events, implementation of activities, and creation of programmes to an outsized extent. Although both concepts have existed for a long time, they have particularly intensified during the pandemic and acquired new, clear exemplifications. The authors explore them in a section affecting individuals and groups engaged in organisational, curatorial, artistic, and social activities in the area of culture. It is the specific nature of employment typical for culture professionals that particularly often evokes the terms discussed in this work. Among other things, by drawing on the analysis of identified data, the authors describe the notions of omni-work and overproduction and the context in which the new ‘pandemic’ reality affects the specificity of the field, reinforcing and exacerbating the long-standing problems, divisions, and disparities.

* Badania „Przyszłość kultury. Badanie poznańskiego sektora” realizowane pod kierownictwem Katarzyny Chajbos oraz Bartka Lisa przez Centrum Praktyk Edukacyjnych w Centrum Kultury ZAMEK na zlecenie Wydziału Kultury Urzędu Miasta Poznania w okresie pierwszego lockdownu (maj–czerwiec 2020). Raport jest dostępny na stronie www.cpe.poznan.pl [odczyt: 15.12.2020].

Bartek Lis and Jakub Walczyk discuss the phenomenon of omni-work and overproduction in the field of culture, taking into account the changes brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Omni-work, i.e. being constantly at work and involved in many parallel initiatives using mobile media, is a phenomenon common to various types of activity. On the other hand, overproduction in culture involves preparation of events, implementation of activities, and creation of programmes to an outsized extent. Although both concepts have existed for a long time, they have particularly intensified during the pandemic and acquired new, clear exemplifications. The authors explore them in a section affecting individuals and groups engaged in organisational, curatorial, artistic, and social activities in the area of culture. It is the specific nature of employment typical for culture professionals that particularly often evokes the terms discussed in this work. Among other things, by drawing on the analysis of identified data, the authors describe the notions of omni-work and overproduction and the context in which the new ‘pandemic’ reality affects the specificity of the field, reinforcing and exacerbating the long-standing problems, divisions, and disparities.

* Badania „Przyszłość kultury. Badanie poznańskiego sektora” realizowane pod kierownictwem Katarzyny Chajbos oraz Bartka Lisa przez Centrum Praktyk Edukacyjnych w Centrum Kultury ZAMEK na zlecenie Wydziału Kultury Urzędu Miasta Poznania w okresie pierwszego lockdownu (maj–czerwiec 2020). Raport jest dostępny na stronie www.cpe.poznan.pl [odczyt: 15.12.2020].