Sigrid Røyseng

YOUNG ARTISTS AND THE CHARISMATIC MYTH

This article focuses on artist identities in contemporary culture. In particular, the authors have studied how young Norwegian artists identify with the term “artist” in general and the charismatic myth of the artist in particular. It is argued that it is fruitful to treat the charismatic myth of the artist as a discourse that must be analysed in relation to specific social and cultural contexts and potentially under continuous reconstruction. The analysis concludes that even if the contexts for artistic work have changed substantially over the last decades, the charismatic myth of the artist still remains a core idea and an important reference point in the construction of the professional identities of young Norwegian artists. At the same time, the charismatic myth of the artist is challenged by contextual changes that eventually result in reinterpretations of the myths content.

Artists in an Iron Cage? Artists’ Work in Performing Arts Institutions

This article discusses artists’ work in performing arts institutions in Norway. Many scholars describe Nordic performing arts institutions as slow-moving and heavy “art factories,” where artistic creativity is almost suffocated within bureaucratic “prisons.” The general problem that we raise in the article is whether this pessimistic picture of the relation between state control, market influence, and artistic work is relevant for studying the performing arts today. The study is primarily based upon twenty-seven qualitative interviews with informants in an institutional theatre and a symphony orchestra. We conclude that the actors in the Theatre are trapped—not so much within “a bureaucratic iron cage”—but rather within “an iron cage of charismatic leadership,” while the musicians in the Orchestra enjoy the relative freedom and democratic power of a rather soft bureaucratic organization.

The social contract of artists in the era of cultural industries

The aim of this paper is to analyse the growing emphasis on the concepts of the experience economy, creative industries, and cultural industries as ways in which the social contract of artists is negotiated. What expectations are directed towards the artistic profession and how is the contribution of artists to society and their work conditions constructed by these concepts? The paper applies the concept of social contract from the sociology of professions which enables a focus on the artistic profession not only in an internal arts world perspective, but also in a broader societal frame. The study presented was carried out in a Norwegian context. Empirically, the paper is based on 28 applied research reports.

Sexual Harassment in the Norwegian Theatre World

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to provide insight into the phenomenon of sexual harassment in the theatre world. A survey among Norwegian actors is presented showing that sexual harassment is much more prevalent in the theatre world than in Norwegian work life in general. Further, the article aims at understanding why the prevalence is as high as it is. Based on qualitative interviews, the article points out some risk factors that shed light on the high prevalence of sexual harassment. Lastly, the risk factors are related to charismatic authority as an important power base in the theatre world.

How to study art worlds: on the societal functioning of aesthetic values

Taylor and Francis GCUL_A_528838.sgm 10.1080/102866 2.2010.528838 International Journal of Cultural Policy 28-6632 (pri t)/1477-2833 (online) Original Article 2 10 & Francis 0 0 002010 D S gridRøys ng sigrid. oyseng@kulturrad.no How to study art worlds: on the societal functioning of aesthetic values, by Hans van Maanen, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2009, 311 pp., £30.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-90-896-4152-6