The future of culture

The future of culture – between tradition and “eventisation”

An extended cultural term has now gained acceptance, not only among large numbers of scientists and researchers but in almost all areas of business. In addition to traditional (high-) culture activities such as opera, ballet or theatre performance, popular social activities such as street parties, sports events, pop music, cinemas and amusement parks are now also part of culture.

The level of presentation and “eventisation” is set to become more prevalent in future as this entertainment culture develops. This raises the question of the relationship between “authenticity” and “artificiality”.

One challenge facing society, which also manifests itself in the cultural sphere, is that of the “social divide”. Various studies conducted by the Foundation show that the proportion of formally “higher-educated” patrons attending all cultural events (not only high-culture events) is still significantly higher than the number of patrons with less formal education. In addition to different interests and understanding, the financial aspect is also a crucial factor. Culture is usually seen as an “extra”, and the first area where savings can be made. This applies not only in private households but also at State level: Almost one-third of German citizens consider that subsides for cultural activities represent an area in which savings could be made in the public finances.