Rules for Cultural Radicals |
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Authors: | John Vail Robert Hollands |
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Institution: | 1. School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK;2. john.vail@ncl.ac.uk;3. robert.hollands@ncl.ac.uk |
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Abstract: | Abstract: This article explores the various forms of “social skill”, what we call “rules for cultural radicals”, that the Amber Film and Photography Collective (and primarily its founder and leading visionary, Murray Martin) used to create and sustain an egalitarian arts organization and oppositional cultural movement in the Northeast of England. The collective represented a radical challenge to the world of British filmmaking, featuring innovative practices of cultural work, non‐commodified forms of cultural economy and a commitment to a democratic culture. These “rules” constituted innovative forms of strategic action—visionary leadership, improvisation, risk taking, brokerage—that helped create a durable collective identity and networks of solidarity. We explore the extent to which Amber's “rules” are prefigurative of contemporary forms of cultural activism and radical artistic practice. |
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Keywords: | Amber collective cultural radical social skill oppositional arts activism |
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