Classical Music Networks: Creative industry, community and the arts in Australia

This thesis investigates classical music in Australia through the field of cultural policy. This involves a re-appraisal of the field of classical music, one that attends more closely to the cultural and creative networks of the art world of classical musicians. Cultural policy has historically had an important influence on the art world of Australian classical music. A combination of programs of statutory patronage and decentralised patronage, and policy concepts of the democratisation of culture, cultural democracy, community cultural development, and cultural industry development have shaped the field throughout the twentieth century and continue to do so. Central to the argument of this thesis are contrasting approaches to cultural policy studies: one based upon an “externalist attention” that views cultural policy and the arts amongst a wide array of governmental strategies; the other an “internalist attention” that focuses on the organizations and social structures within the cultural field of classical music. In order to reconcile these two approaches this thesis investigates the creative networks of the classical music sector. A series of case studies demonstrate aspects of the classical music art world describing the links among individual musicians, their work practices and the institutions of classical music. The thesis is organised into three parts. The first part–chapters one to three–introduces the subject of the thesis, defines “classical music” and situates it within the field of Australian cultural policy studies. The second part–chapters four to six–investigates the creative industries approach to classical music. Part three–chapters seven to ten–introduces a series of case studies that utilise value chains, value webs and affiliation networks to illustrate the ecology of classical music and take the thesis to its conclusion. The thesis reveals the diversity of the classical music art world, the varied roles that musicians take within live performance, education and community settings, and the range of organizations in which they work. The promise of creative industries policy making, which has so far been elusive, is seen as one that could, with appropriate adjustments, bring to light the most exciting and vibrant aspects of classical music today–its community cultures, entrepreneurial performers, and its intersections with other musical and artistic genres. But to fulfil this promise such policy making would need to attend to the creative networks of the ecology of classical music–and those of other genres too. Such an approach not only draws attention to the constantly evolving and shifting borders of the art form but also demonstrates an understanding that “classical music”–far from being static or moribund–continues to be negotiated between musicians and their audiences in the twenty-first century