By José Gandue @Gandour Photo @simonamalaika
Let's be clear: From the capital's and Colombian state authorities, there is still The music sector is often thought of as a marginal expression of partying and revelry, and the contribution it makes, both economically and socially, is not fully understood. Furthermore, music is discussed only as a source of entertainment and folk tradition, and not as an activity that provides direct and indirect employment, nor as a contribution to the communities where its activities take place and expand. nor of its significance as a necessary symbol of peace in a country that is still struggling to emerge from all its wars.
It is precisely in the worst of times that public institutions related to culture have least understood that These are not exactly the most appropriate days to abandon and leave unprotected the actors in this industry., And we cannot allow its foundations to crumble in the calamitous way we are witnessing right now. The music sector may be one of the most fragile in the city., due to its self-managed nature and the independence of its participants, of the number of uncontrollable factors that affect their performances and, why not say it bluntly, of extreme contempt disguised as paternalism with which its members are received in public and private settings.
I won't dwell too long on that naive and vague platform launched by the current national government talking about «"Orange economy"» to refer to cultural activities, mixed up with other sectors that have little or nothing to do with their development, since, as we have seen, It was a simple demagogic demonstration that tried to charmingly deceive some celebrities and now only brings disappointment and ridicule. I will instead focus on Bogotá and talk specifically about District Institute of the Arts (Idartes) ,an entity within the Bogotá Mayor's Office that manages a large part of the cultural events that take place in the Colombian capital.
The first mistake I observe in Idartes originates in its founding principles. Instead of creating an Institute of Cultural Industries, in constant pursuit of the growth and protection of the city's artistic heritage, A permanent program of shows was established to fulfill an entertainment schedule for the citizens, without interfering with the stability of the scene and its support plans. In musical matters, the focus is primarily on organizing concerts with some regularity, without ever connecting with the musicians' meeting places, that is, rehearsal spaces and recording studios. Except in specific cases, where Idartes partners with certain media outlets to be allies for specific concerts, This public entity does not provide financial support to specialized journalism. Furthermore, the possibility of creating a mass-reach radio station or its own space on television to promote local talent was never considered by the institution. His job is to complete a schedule of competitions, period.
Now, in times of pandemic, park festivals and other large-scale events have been suspended, quite logically. These circumstances represent a significant budget saving., several billion pesos. While obviously regretting that these events cannot be celebrated, The plans presented by Idartes this week to counteract these eventualities do not correctly calculate the effect that the quarantine has on the city's music scene. And it simply proposes a series of virtual activities with which they intend to fill the calendar and, incidentally, with very little money, meet the needs of the artists selected for these performances. Idartes has not understood what is really happening., having only pocket money available and its officials putting on their best Santa Claus face, as if it were an act of charity.
One of the major problems that arises with this type of decision is that It is noticeable that there is a high tendency towards improvisation (It has to be said, this situation caught us all off guard) and, incidentally, a disdain for the concept of true cultural development. It gives the impression that members of the art scene, and specifically the music movement, are considered simply as a mob of dreamers who are not part of the city's economic growth possibilities. The Mayor's office has failed to understand who is affected by a cultural crisis and has made no effort to protect what has been achieved so far. There is neither courage nor consistency in the role Idartes should assume in the face of everything that is happening. If musicians cannot practice their profession, nor can the staff who surround them accompany them in their work, the businesses that participate in these activities will not be able to provide their services, and The crisis will deeply harm thousands of people and their families for a long time to come. This cannot be solved with online concerts, especially not in such a small quantity, a level that provokes more anger than pity due to its greed. If Idartes doesn't understand the type of recession we are experiencing, in a few months Bogotá will go from being a city that has managed to set the artistic standard on the continent, to a city where it can be declared a wasteland due to the clumsiness of the policies adopted and the lack of courage in the conclusions.
Some will say that my position is catastrophic and overblown, But what we are experiencing cannot be overcome with half-measures or smiles on webcam. This only becomes normalized by assuming, in times of social distancing, a clear digital policy for promoting and supporting artists, The creation of a line of soft loans, and a real effort to support small and medium-sized businesses that have had to withstand all the pressure to keep their doors open. In short, It's time to take seriously the present and future of music professionals in Bogotá, with the corresponding public responsibility.
Friends of Idartes: Sit back down and redesign everything again. And count on the participation and opinions of the members of this musical world. You can still do so, if you adopt the right approach, in which we talk, now more than ever, about Cultural Industries, that is to say, of something much more serious than being entertainment promoters.