The Local Cultural Governance Network of South Africa 

  • Advocating for more sustainable, inclusive, generative and just South African cities through culture. 

  • Creating a safe and supportive collaborative space for practitioners (state, civil society) and academics to further the agenda in their own institutions.

  • Supporting the #culture2030goal programme internationally to use culture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with a South African response.

The Local Cultural Governance Network of South Africa (LCGN) is a voluntary, mutual support network of individuals establishing itself to work in a variety of disciplines and sectors of society. Its aim is to support policy makers and practitioners to further the use of culture towards more sustainable, inclusive, generative and just South African cities.

It is centered on the belief that all citizens should be able to exercise their cultural and human rights. Cultural practices convey forms of expression, creativity and identity building and as such form the core of human dignity. Cultural knowledge and resources can be important enablers of local development.

It recognises especially that cities are cultural constructs and therefore to improve cities, we need to engage with culture, understood as ways of being together in the world.

The Problem and our Response

There are numerous platforms engaging with support for arts groupings, artists, arts funding and creative industries. However there are none that a) understand culture as vital not just to those in the arts and heritage sector, also those working on other city issues such as: sustainable habitats (eg. housing activists), green issues, safety/security/peace, democratic governance, the built environment sector, gender and more and so b) recognize culture is part of and impacts all citizens and should respond to local contexts in its uniqueness. Every human has the right to a cultural life as they define it.

We recognise that the key problems existing in the country are several, including:

  • one of limited shared discourse on the issues resulting to the use of culture in the transformation of South African cities into sustainable, inclusive, just and generative places for all.

  • that ideas around culture are assumed as shared, but are often seen narrowly - usually around the support of the creative arts, or in instrumental uses by the state for youth development, city positioning/branding or unclear “social cohesion” events.

  • that there is a lack of a robust integrated urban cultural governance framework nationally, provincially and locally and a dearth of relevant policy at local levels.

  • research and education around these issues at an academic level is growing and improving, but not well drawn on by the state or cultural practitioners.

  • there are many individuals in the state, civil society and academia who are working with culture for improving lives in dynamic ways, but do not have sufficient support in their endeavours on the ground or others to learn from. Their practises and successes are not being shared. 

  • that effective practise at government and civil society level is as a result low.

  • there is a low level of collective and supportive action to bring about the changes to improve the system.


LCGN responds to the lack of shared discourse around a still nascent field of local cultural governance. It will aim to address this by bringing together individuals in a platform for networking, dialogue, research and advocacy, to further the use of culture in achieving more inclusive, sustainable, just and generative cities and towns in South Africa.

#Culture2030_ZA

#Culture2030_ZA is our response to the global movement to further the role of culture in furthering the SDGs international under the banner of #Culture2030Goal.


Inspirations

LCGN is inspired by such networks as the Indonesian Creative Cities Network, the Cultural Development Network of Australia, the Creative Cities Network of Canada and the European Cultural Network who are exploring similar issues.

LCGN aims to build a local network in South Africa to further the ends of advocating for the use of culture in building better, more inclusive, sustainable cities in South Africa. It will do so by drawing on local knowledge, concepts and responding to South Africa’s specific contexts, conditions and legislative frameworks.


The lead up to the establishment of the LCGN and #Culture2030_ZA

There issues being dealt with BY LCGN are not new and we cite one key inspiration as this key text by Edgar Pieterse, which explores ways collective action towards transformed cities can draw on collective action through learning communities. Our more recent journey since 2017 can be see in this set of curated articles.

There have also been three proto-LCGN sessions which have helped shape this initiative, since 2017, each of which held in partnership with Creative City South and the Wits School of Arts’ Cultural Policy and Management Department.

How to join the LCGN?

Interested individuals can become members by signing the MOU and TOR of the Network, which governs its roles and goals from October 2021 to January 2023, until a formal constitution is established.  It shows a commitment to the main concepts of the body and enables members to engage with others through national online dialogues, advocacy initiatives and projects.  Please see the draft documents below.

Documents for review: Establishing The LCGN

Interested in joining the LCGN? Review drafts of our founding documents in process to govern LCGN’s roles and goals from October 2021 to January 2023, until a formal constitution is established.  

Memorandum of Understanding

Terms of Reference

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