Performing Policy How Contemporary Politics and Cultural Programs Redefined U.S. Artists for the Twenty-First Century

Performing Policy explains how a movement in cultural policy that began in the 1990s redefined US artists' roles in society and enhanced their prospects for the twenty-first century. In the first years of the century, a series of landmark reports appeared, significantly expanding the nation's understanding of the relevance of arts to everyday life. Broadly, these reports covered issues of changing tastes and consumption habits, the relevance of culture to economic and social stability in communities, and the challenges facing artists and arts organizations in the new economy. Their publication coincided with a number of national initiatives that proposed and modelled new methods of artistic practice and sustainability. Analyzing the political origins and practical applications of recent advancements in arts policy, this book demonstrates how the redefining of artists took place and to what ends. At the same time, Performing Policy proposes a new definition through which artists might be productively acknowledged as co-creators of the nation's arts infrastructure.

Paul Bonin-Rodriguez is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of Texas, Austin, USA. As a writer and performer, he researches the political origins and effects of contemporary arts and cultural policies and programs. His articles appear in Artivate: a Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, Theatre Topics, and a forthcoming anthology on New WORLD Theater. His plays have been published in The Color of Theatre, Jump-Start Playworks, and Text and Performance Quarterly.

Prologue
Acknowledgements
1.Introduction: Performing Policy
2.A Politic of Purpose: 'The Arts and the Public Purpose' (1997)
3.New Work Now!: The Austin News Theatre Community (2013)
4.Accounting for Capital: The Creative Capital Foundation (1999)
5.A Survey Course: Teaching Artists and/as Producers
6.Linking Creative Investments: Investing in Creativity (2003 and Leveraging Investments in Creativity (2003-2013)
7.Proposing Place: 'Creative Placemaking' (2010-2014)
8.Conclusion: Power and Capital
Bibliography
Index