The recently published OECD report How's Life? 2024: Prosperity and Resilience in Times of Crisis provides a comprehensive analysis of well-being in OECD member states. However, amidst its meticulous exploration of economic, social and environmental indicators, the report omits a vital element: the role of art and culture in shaping social and individual well-being. Art and culture are not absent from the report but are instead woven into broader categories such as social connections, civic engagement, and subjective well-being. These dimensions implicitly reflect the influence of cultural participation, yet the absence of explicit acknowledgement limits the report’s scope. This omission raises a critical question: how can policymakers fully understand and enhance societal resilience without recognizing the transformative power of cultural engagement?
Art and culture are not exactly absent from the exhibition, but are instead intertwined with broader categories such as social relations, civic engagement and subjective well-being. These dimensions implicitly reflect the influence of cultural participation, yet the absence of explicit recognition limits the scope of the study.
Can policymakers fully understand and enhance social resilience without acknowledging the transformative power of cultural participation?
The OECD framework assesses well-being through 11 dimensions, including material conditions, quality of life and community relations. Cultural activities - whether attending a concert, visiting a museum, or participating in local or community arts or community events - intersect with these dimensions.
At the individual level, art, and culture contribute to subjective well-being. Studies have shown that engaging in creative activities can alleviate mental health challenges, enhance a sense of purpose, and improve overall life satisfaction. These benefits align closely with the focus of the report on addressing widespread feelings of sadness and anxiety.
The report also examines the resources that sustain well-being for future generations, which are categorized under 'social capital'. While social capital emphasises trust, cooperation and institutional legitimacy, it omits the concept of cultural capital - the shared heritage, creative production and artistic expression that enrich societies and enhance their resilience during crises.
But shared artistic experiences also strengthen social bonds, reduce loneliness and enhance community cohesion. Cultural institutions, from theatres to public libraries, often act as anchors of community resilience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many quickly adapted to provide virtual experiences, ensuring continued access to artistic and cultural engagement. Such initiatives not only maintained a sense of normalcy but also supported mental wellbeing, highlighting the essential role of cultural capital in crisis response.
Cultural life is not a luxury. Art and culture are not just ornaments; they are pillars of identity, sources of innovation and foundations of resilience. Metrics such as attendance at cultural events, participation in community arts programmes or public funding of cultural initiatives could reveal important trends. From promoting environmental awareness through the arts to fostering participation in public spaces, the cultural life of OECD citizens could provide actionable insights.
For example, Eurostat data on cultural participation suggest that cultural engagement is not just a leisure activity, but a complex social indicator that reflects and potentially perpetuates economic and educational inequalities between European countries. The study found that in 19 out of 26 European countries, cultural participation among people with higher education is twice as high as among those with the lowest level of education. In extreme cases, such as Romania and Bulgaria, less than 10% of people with lower secondary education participate in cultural activities.
The Eurostat report highlights the systemic barriers arising from these inequalities, including limited access to cultural experiences, reduced opportunities for social engagement, potential barriers to personal development and reinforcement of existing socio-economic inequalities, to name a few.
A similar trend can be observed in Europe, according to the State of Culture report recently compiled by Elena Polivtseva for Culture Action Europe. One of the main findings of the report highlights the excessive instrumentalisation of culture for various political goals or social needs. However, artistic and cultural autonomy is more than a mere indicator of material well-being, as it directly reflects freedom of expression and democracy as a culture. What is life without freedom of expression and democratic culture that reflects all aspects of social and political life? This is a rhetorical question.--
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