“It’s Fun at First”. Cultural Blogging – Between Late Capitalism and Non-Work

Capitalism in its contemporary, late form does not break away from its constitutive principles – that is the actions aimed at accumulating resources – but significantly changes nature of the key capital. No longer land or labour, but knowledge, information or technology become the elements determining the position of a person on the market. Under these circumstances, the notion of “non-work” emerges, which includes activities seemingly unrelated to capitalist priorities, but still not in the direct opposition to them. One of the areas of such non-work phenomena was the Polish cultural blogosphere. Its representatives are an example of how people operating in the field of culture – especially on the Internet – combined instrumental and existential values in their activities. For this combination to be effective, it requires the collection and interpretation of relevant data that enables us to measure the achievement level of the goals set. In the case of the surveyed bloggers – also due to the specificity of their work – these measures were often not used properly.

To Measure the Carbon Footprint of a Culture. A Case Study of a Theatrical Project

The article presents the results of carbon footprint measurements of a theatre project. For the purpose of the research, data from a survey and in-depth interviews with representatives of Polish theatres were used. Based on this data, a “model” was created, encompassing different variations of theatrical performances, including production, promotion, as well as online and on-site operations during guest performances. The analysis covers both direct emissions related to electricity consumption, transportation, and set design, as well as indirect emissions resulting from the supply chain and possible audience behaviour. The results clearly indicate that the greatest challenge in terms of the carbon footprint of a theatre project faced by cultural managers is mobility and the use of air travel for transporting theatre ensembles and set designs over long distances. Moreover, the transportation needs of the theatre ensembles and set designs for long distance travels pose a challenge. Additionally, the use of individual car transportation by audiences – even for short distances, is problematic – which could be addressed through the implementation of local partnerships. Getting familiar with this analysis can help producers, cultural managers, artists, and those responsible for shaping cultural policies to identify aspects with the greatest environmental impact and take appropriate adaptive actions. Although most of these actions will involve a profound change in traditional project management practices in the theatre, paying attention to relevant indicators, consciously developing new habits, and sharing resources provides an opportunity to expedite adaptation based on knowledge and organizational learning. These types of activities are necessary due to the unrelenting projectification of the field of culture and beyond, which causes organizations to operate in a kind of “projectocene”.

Heritage and the Socio-Economic Development of Poland. A Proposal for Statistical Indicators

The article focuses on the issue of measuring the impact of cultural heritage on socio-economic development. The aim of the research, which this article was based on, was to develop proposals for statistical indicators to measure the impact of heritage on socio-economic development in Poland. In the course of the research, an attempt was made to answer the following research question: What statistical indicators can be used to measure the impact of heritage on the socio-economic development of Poland in the context of monument protection policy, society, economic situation and environmental aspects? The research was carried out using the analysis of existing data. The completed research allowed there author to establish the proposed set of statistic indicators that could be used to measure the impact of cultural heritage on socio-economic development in Poland in four areas: monument protection policy, society, economic situation and environment aspects.

Humanistic and Post-Humanistic Aspects of Managing Cultural Institution during a Pandemic. Level of Acceptance of Applied Solutions Among the Users of Municipal Public Library in Dąbrowa Tarnowska

The two years of the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a great challenge for the managerial practices of the private and the public institutions alike. In the uncertain world affected by a global health crisis as well as other types of crises; humanistic and post-humanistic management methods appear to provide a kinder, gentler alternative for directors, employees, and users of cultural institutions. Implementation of such practices was attempted and tested in the Dąbrowa Tarnowska (Małopolska region) Municipal Public Library, with a survey conducted among its users. The following paper describes the functioning of the municipal library during the pandemic, in which the government restrictions on the use of public spaces were enforced. It also analyses the users’ acceptance (in numbers and percentages) of the measures applied in this cultural institution to minimise effects of the pandemic on the local community. The paper lists the managerial efforts to ensure safety of employees and patrons in unprecedented time of the pandemic using a humanistic and post-humanistic approach in the management of a public institution.

* Artykuł powstał na podstawie pracy dyplomowej przygotowanej pod kierunkiem dra hab. Łukasza Gawła, prof. UJ z Instytutu Kultury na Wydziale Zarządzania i Komunikacji Społecznej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w ramach studiów podyplomowych z zarządzania kulturą.

Cultural Heritage as Social Research Area. Methodological Challenges on the Example of Selected Research Projects

The article attempts to partake in the debate on methodological challenges related to conducting research in the field of cultural heritage. The authors – based on the conducted research – present case studies and analyze the encountered problems as well as limitations in methodology and implementation of this research. At the same time, they share the adapted solutions and recommend what should be taken into account while conducting research in this field.