Literature Against Social Exclusion

Antonio Gamoneda proposes that institutions «sponsor» activities according to the tastes of adolescents such as rap, graffiti, ‘spoken word’, tattoos anabolika methandienon or rock

The poet from León and the Cervantes Antonio Gamoneda Prize took advantage on Friday of the closing of the III State Conference on Culture, held in Valladolid, to bet on a humanistic cultural management that allows to rescue unemployed and premarginal young people from social exclusion, the drug addiction and crime. Hence, he proposed that public institutions «sponsor» activities according to the tastes and vocations of this group in order to seek their satisfaction and, ultimately, improve their lives. Not surprisingly, he specified that the lack of opportunities leads these young people to «dissatisfaction» and to seek «compensations» that bring them closer to marginality and towards «disastrous» attitudes that create tensions and violence.

Gamoneda cited, according to statements collected by the Ical Agency, activities such as graffiti, rap, the ‘spoken word’ (poetic performance), rock, theater, tattoos, bodybuilding, athletics and «updated» crafts. Before a large group of cultural managers from many parts of Spain, the poet made it clear that the new orientation he proposes does not exclude «traditional» cultural management but opened a new «conception» of culture. And is that he recalled that culture has its raison d’être to act on life and «make it better.»

In this sense, he pointed out that if these young people receive cultural stimuli, they will not carry out acts of crime and drug addiction. Faced with these stimuli, he spoke of the administrations having «conservative convictions» that prevent the development of these policies. And that, he pointed out, are activities that do not require «too much» cost when carried out in «reasonably adequate» spaces.

Antonio Gamoneda proposed attracting in a locality or neighborhood groups and people «in danger of self-marginalization», especially unemployed young people who also do not study. Hence, he requested the collaboration of municipalities, foundations and social works of entities to offer means and that these people can carry out «with complete freedom» a hobby they have or would like to have. He appreciated that managers cannot «limit» or «modify» the way in which young people understand their vocation or hobby.

He considered that this involvement of young people will decrease their «idleness» and «dissatisfaction». To do this, he proposed having «relevant» collaborators and fans of the activities proposed instead of going to teachers. In addition, managers will be in charge of «convincing» institutions to implement this humanistic perspective, thinking about social utility but without forgetting the cultural aspect. Also, they will have to be «mediators» to carry out these new proposals, be it through orientation, reorientation and observation.

The president of the State Federation of Associations of Cultural Managers (Feagc), Ana Velasco, defended the need to continue working on the professionalization of the cultural manager and give the opportunity to people who are currently receiving training. He cited the importance of the White Paper but also the observatory launched to improve the profession.

«Socializing element»

The official closing, which took place at the Miguel Delibes Cultural Center, was carried out by the Mayor of Valladolid, Óscar Puente, who, in a way, considered himself a cultural manager because of his obligation to make decisions on the matter. He recalled his time as a Dramatic Art student and as a professional actor for what he felt «part of this cultural world».

In line with what Gamoneda said, whom he described as «wise», the mayor defended a culture that reaches the greatest number of people since it is a «socializing» element that keeps criminal behavior away. In addition, he fled the current trend so widespread that all harmful behaviors are resolved with sanctions and fines. «Culture does not belong to us and cannot be a product for a few,» he concluded.