A 'nudgelbah' is an entity place, if anything at all, is in gestation and its destiny may well be that it might never come about as any kind of geographically located place albeit that it already exists as an 'idea, a mindset, a musing' in the lexicon. The concept of an enity known as a nudgelbah came about because the English language lacked a 'word, a noun,' that described its purpose for being.
Essentially it is a place where people may come together to do things, make things, achieve things together collaboratively. A nudgelbah is in one sense etherial yet it may well be found in a physical location – under a tree, in a shelter, almost anywhere – and in many ways they have come to be throughout human history and no doubt within many languages there are 'names' for them. At their very best museums as musingplaces are nudgelbahs and they may well be a component of one.
In itself it is unlikely to be in anyway 'miracle like' but it may well be a circumstance within which, or around which, some miraculous outcomes might come to be if fostered, if harboured, and worked on collaboratively and cooperatively – albeit in some subliminal cum subconscious way within daily living. If it is to be an 'operation cum entity' somewhat in the archaic sense – a commentary, treatise, or summary of principles – it should/could/might well be one of the 21st C – a CYBERplace/entity. Now, a nudgelbah comes about, locally and remotely, via the so-called new technologies that enable, and have enabled extraordinary and unanticipatable things to happen in unexpected ways where the tyranny of distance might well dis-enable anything like a nudgelbah.
In a 21st C context CYBERspace might well provide the REALestate that might be occupied by a networked nudgelbah with shared aspirations to promote and sustain 'place oriented' cultural production in the context of place, placemaking and placemarking and in turn, the context of new and evolving understandings.
Thus a 'nudgelbah' is most likely to be a 'network' somewhat 'fungus like' [link] and rhizomatic network of musers, makers, performers, investigators and research networks – individuals, institutions, museums, organisations, groups, cultural producers, galleries, publishers, collectors, et al – and one devised to be:
• ... A vehicle via which place oriented cultural landscaping, scholarship and endeavour can be acknowledged, interrogated, honoured and shared;
• ... An entity that celebrates and interrogates cultural sensibilities and sensitivities and cultural production in all its diversity and machinations;
• ... An agency through which research capital, data and understandings can be built upon and invested in;
• ... An investigative network via which the network's cultural and scholastic collateral related to 21st C understandings of 'culture and placedness' can be exploited, built upon and published to diverse and distinct communities;
• ... A entity through which new and inclusive understandings of cultural and social realities can be advanced;
• ... A research collective that facilitates and promotes scholarship and the publication of wide range of research outcomes, including cultural production, that belong to, and in, diverse cultural realities – monographs, novels, anthologies, essays pamphlets, performances, video, exhibitions, websites, podcasts, etc.
PURPOSE, GOALS & OBJECTIVES
A nudgelbah's Purpose for Being: A nudgelbah's – AKA say 'CULTUREsquad’ – purpose is to facilitate, an expansive critical conversation to do with 'place' and the dissemination of outcomes relevant to the development of more inclusive 21st C understandings and imaginings of current ‘cultural realities’ – and in many voices both harmonious and discordant.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Given that in a broad 21st C context there are evolving paradigms and new confluences that are bringing together de-siloed scientific, social and cultural discourses that can be variously seen as being at the interface between social innovation, cultural production and social aspirations – the sciences, technology and industry in other contexts – and all this aimed at fundamentally disrupting the ubiquitous nature of the status quo.
The emerging discourses related to 'cultural realities and placedness' often find themselves at the cutting edge of social development, cultural change and shifting social imperatives. Against this background, and given the concept of a nudgelbah is relatively ‘new’, albeit not novel, and likewise the acknowledgement of evolutionary change brings about a kind of 'newness', where there are needs for more cohesive networks of innovative makers, to projected goals and objectives and thus a nudgelbah might well find a 'place/space' to exist within:
• To engage a network of cultural producers in multifaceted and multidimensional critical discussions that explore the possibilities of the interfacing concepts that define and determine current and emerging cultural realities, a sense of place (placedness), in a real world 21st C context;
• To initiate and advocate innovative, sustainable inclusive understandings of ‘cultural realities’ within interdisciplinary understandings and especially so in relation to current and evolving communication technologies, social structures and cultural practice;
• To operate in collaboration, cooperation and alliance with like-minded individuals, institutions and groups and where appropriate under the auspices of one or more established groups that have symbiotic sets of goals and objectives;
• To investigate the ways in which social and cultural realities in regional contexts interface with current technologies, social structures and cultural production – local and international – can;
• ... Relate to changing, emerging and new understandings of place;
• ... Shape and/or reshape cultural and social realities in a 21st Century context; and
• ... Speak in many voices.
And to be proactive in the initiation of projects that engage makers, innovators and cultural producers – writers, design practitioners et al – with the wider community towards developing new understandings of ‘cultural placedness’ and the interfaces evolving in diverse cultural realities in a 21st C context;
• To facilitate the development of new interactive networks towards the promotion of new/pioneering technologies, innovative social structures, cultural outcomes and/or community cultural enterprises informed by current circumstances that define cultural realities;
• To be proactive in the publication and dissemination of the outcomes of individual, cooperative and collaborative research and cooperative community enterprises relevant to the institute’s raison d’être;
• To seek funding and in-kind support for experimental cultural production in a broad context plus projects, symposiums, seminars and education programs that advance the 'nudgebah vision' and that promotes more inclusive understandings of the layered ownerships and interests relative to place.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Against the background of a world that is in the throes of dynamic socio-political change and transformation driven by the evolution of innovative technologies and the spectre of global pandemics and environmental degradation, an entity such as a nudgebah should focus upon and be mindful of:
• A need to proactively embrace change while being engaged with cultural activists and cultural producers of all kinds, and the wider community, in critical discussions that explore the possibilities of shifting sensitivities, sensibilities and belief systems in the context of new technologies and changing ecologies and economies in a real world 21st C context.
• Albeit that many communities and cultural entities are not at a point that might be described as a post-consumerist mindset, plausibly many are on the cusp of it, and thus there is a need to proactively advocate for innovative and sustainable solutions, and more inclusive understandings/imaginings of 'placed cultural realities', that would fit the circumstances that lend credibility to entities such as a nudgelbah.
• Given the nature of, and the complexity of, the issues that are encompassed by the linked concepts of ‘place, cultural landscaping and socio-political change’, the most likely path to more inclusive outcomes are likely to be collaborative and cooperative.
• Furthermore, there are many 'corporatised' institutions – universities and museums et al – in place that are able make a contribution to the ‘discourse’ relative to emerging cultural realities albeit in new ways – and with the capacity to engage with groups and the wider community albeit in new ways.
• Rather than add yet another 'legal entity' such as a nudgebah, it would seem to be more productive to work collaboratively rather than cooperatively rather than engage with the 'law makers' to win some kind of political approval. Given this, it is arguably counterproductive to attempt to create yet another formal standalone organisation with its ‘own’ standalone 'legal' infrastructure given the constraints that come with 'legalising' any entity such as a nudgebah – and there being no necessity to do so in any event.
• Given the nature of, and the complexity of, the issues that are encompassed by the linked concepts of ‘place, cultural landscaping and socio-political change’, the most likely path to more inclusive outcomes are likely to be collaborative and cooperative. As Bertrand Russell told us ... "The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation."
• Many mainstream institutions/organisations have been established within a different paradigm to the one of dynamic change that is currently unfolding and is doing so globally. Consequently, these 'bodies' may well have a great deal more invested in holding their position – maintaining the status quo – than they may in adapting to, and participating in, 'change' let alone not being predisposed to being ‘change agents’.
Speculatively at least, and in a 21st C context, there is a need to be proactive and innovative in developing new understandings and imaginings of place, cultural diversity and sustainable cultural landscaping.
• What is understood to constitute relevant exploration, viable social networks and relevant cultural production in the context of current, and emerging, cultural and social realities is likely to be best determined collaboratively and cooperatively. Again, the only thing that is ever likely to redeem humanity is our ability to and our willingness to cooperate.
• In a 21st C context it is clear that what has been understood as the status quo is no longer an ongoing and sustainable option. As was the case in the context of the Industrial Revolution where the concept of the ‘division of labour’ came to the fore and that later evolved into business concepts such as ‘vertical integration’ . These things delivered outcomes that otherwise would not have been realisable.
Against this background 'corporate cum bureaucratic ownerships' have evolved and in ways that typically, and increasingly, have excluded many 'cognitive owners of place' from having a 'voice' in the ways 'their places' – places with shared and layered ownerships attached to them – are understood and managed. This is so despite the protagonists of this 'status quo ownership paradigm' is operating under the guise of 'democracy'. This is at the very least a contestable imagining! Indeed, a nudgelbah may well give the voiceless a voice in an multicultural cum multi-dimensional that is increasingly becoming even evident as time passes.
Moreover, as time passes new information technologies deliver new networking opportunities – social networks, cultural networking, financial networks etc. – towards potentially realising sustainable and inclusive outcomes within a ‘global’ context. Albeit that 'locally', on our doorsteps, is the place where our cultural realities are lived out.
Arguably, there is now a changed paradigm within which place and cultural realities can be and need to be reimagined.
The key element in the effective dissemination of ideas is the means of publication that is put to work. Until relatively recently ‘publishers’ – typically universities and museums – were the gatekeepers (power brokers cum mongers?), the keepers and self assessed curators of ‘knowledge and knowledge systems’ that helped keep the control ofv all that, and they largely controlled the flow of information and its manner of distribution – and at times the propagation of ideas. Prof. Brian Schmidt, Nobel Laureate, noted that universities and by extension, musingplaces, ceased being the 'knowledge keepers' around about the1980s. Knowledge and information is empowering and it demands to be free!
Indeed, that notion actually ceased to be a viable imagining from the late 20th C. The interfaces between the information economy and the digital economy allow individuals, groups and institutions to be more autonomous and proactive in the publication of ideas – thus circumventing the gatekeepers. Importantly, publication can take a greater range of interfacing formats ... print media, electronic media, digital media, exhibitions and dynamic interfaces between them – that can be initiated autonomously in ways that are not constrained by external gatekeeping and curatorship.
All this is important in regard to generating critical a discourse around contested and contentious ideas.
In the 21st Century the old saying ”publish or perish” has a new resonance albeit somewhat removed from exclusivity of academe’s cloisters. Indeed, all this is an indicator that at least at a subliminal level new understandings of 'ownership' are being embraced and tested – sometimes asserted.
Notwithstanding the notion that a cultural entity of the kind a nudgelbah is and is speculated upon here seeks to collaborate with kindred and networked individuals, groups, organisations and institutions, it needs to be acknowledged that it will be making demands, many times unplanned for demands, on 'budgets', access to infrastructure and the sharing of other resources.
Consequently, there will be a need to seek funding and sponsorship support for projects initiated by nudgelbahs as a part of their collaborative entity. Given that there are mutual benefits to the collaborators, and very often to the sponsors as well, it can be assumed, and with some safety, that funding agencies and sponsors who see advantages in supporting one collaborator will also see enhanced opportunities in supporting collaborative projects – and in turn nudgelbahs. Interestingly here, Wikipedea serves as a workable model for 'new paradigm thinking'. Currently it is virtually impossible to contemplate a viable 'world' without the likes of Wikipedea that in fact is an exemplar of a nudgelbah. Interestingly "Wikipedea" needed a new word to describe itself and that word along with "Google" it has become a part of the network of interconnected global lexicons.
STRATEGIES
Given the background and guiding principles against which ‘a nudgelbah‘ is being framed, it is anticipated that its goals and objectives may be realised:
• ... By capitalising upon the established networks’ memberships and other relationships relevant to key participating collaborators. And in doing so:
• ... Devise projects and programs – research, advocacy and other – that engage with a diversity of community social networks;
• ... Proactively establish an ‘entity cum identity’ that will enable a nudgelbah to pursue collaborative and action research exploration of past and current understandings relevant to social cum cultural realities linked to cultural PLACEscapes; and
• ... While doing these things – and in a real world 21st Century context – play an advocacy role for a broad spectrum of explorative networks and cultural producers engaged with the facilitation of:
- Emerging cultural realities;
- Cultural production and cultural landscaping;
- Placedness and placemaking.
• ... Establish an alliance of collaborative investigators – individuals, teams and networks – under the auspices of one or more established groups, organisations or institutions that have symbiotic sets of goals and objectives to those of the institute. By doing so, the coalition – and the teams/networks collectively – will be better placed to investigate the ways in which research, cultural production and emerging technologies can contribute to changing imperatives and shifting understandings within 21st Century cultural, social and economic realities.
• ... Fund and/or seek funding in collaboration with network members for infrastructure and facilities within a nudgelbahNETWORK that enhances or complements existing standalone infrastructures/operations/organisations. Moreover, do so in ways that enables the development of projects and programs in support of the/a nudgebah's raison d’être. Likewise, where appropriate, seek funding and sponsorships – cash and in-kind – for new infrastructure initiatives in collaboration/cooperation with networked members and associates.
• ... Establish a publicationNETWORK – hardcopy and digital – for the publication of the outcomes of individual, cooperative and collaborative research relevant to the nudgelbah's raison d’être. Primarily publications will be directed towards disseminating information about, and the outcomes of, projects, conferences, symposiums and seminars that advance the institute’s cause.
• ... Establish a curated 'virtual' studyCOLLECTION and libraryNETWORK facilitated by websites et al that identifies 'place oriented' cultural production in public and private collections, and/or in daily use in public and private situations, that demonstrate the cultural and social realities and histories linked to placescapes, placemaking and cultural landscapes and the CULTURALcapital invested in these things.
• ... Facilitate the awarding of scholarships, residencies and fellowships that advance the study of regionally relevant issues and/or investigations focused upon the layered ownerships to be found in, and defined by 'place'. These opportunities will be facilitated via the nudgelbahNETWORK and ideally complemented by funding opportunities from other sources – private, corporate, institutional, national, and possibly international.
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