Plenary conference

Defining cultural mediation: issues of practice, issues of conceptualization

When we examine the fate of the paradigms that structure or are intended to structure public policies on culture, cultural mediation occupies a singular place. Historically, it is situated halfway between the major historical paradigms, from cultural action to the notional binomial of democratisation/democracy, and more recent paradigms that can be considered as emerging or alternative, such as participation or cultural rights. Its ambition is also situated halfway between institutional models and alternative models of cultural transmission. Has it even reached the level of a paradigm? The question can be asked in view of its relatively weak impact, both in intellectual terms and in terms of action regimes. On the other hand, its conceptual dimension is rich, diversified and still partly to be explored and constructed, and the questions it makes it possible to identify are still very topical today. In particular, it is necessary to question the relevance of a vision of mediation as a generic and transversal model for all cultural domains, and to replace it with a more sectorial and situated vision.

Biography

After a first professional career in cultural action at the Ministry of Culture, Marie-Christine Bordeaux turned to teaching and research from 2000 and has been working in Grenoble since 2007. University professor in science of information and communication, she devotes her research to cultural and scientific mediation, to conventional and emerging forms of democratization and cultural democracy, to current issues in scientific culture, to amateur practices and to education. artistic and cultural. She was deputy director, then director of ARC 5 (academic research community) “Cultures, sciences, mediations and societies”. She currently co-directs the interdisciplinary academic journal of museology Culture & Musées devoted to studies on cultural audiences and institutions. Member of the High Council for Artistic Education, of the Scientific Council of InsEAC – National Higher Institute for Artistic and Cultural Education, of the Strategic Council of the ENS Paris Saclay Research Stage, she is also involved in practice of cultural action as vice-president of the University of Grenoble Alpes in charge of culture and scientific culture and co-president of the Art+University+Culture network.

Marie-Christine Bordeaux