18
old – new
The main objectives4 consisted “in developing and constructing a trail with sound objects in Obertoggenburg and in the exchange between the locally rooted music tradition and contemporary musicians.” Economic and ecological objectives were derived from this: “The Klangweg project contributes to enhancing the popularity and attractiveness of Toggenburg as a destination and thus ensures the increased value of the hotel and catering industry. Nature and landscapes are preserved, maintained and upgraded in the context of a touristic industry that is closely in touch with nature.” The socio-cultural objective was formulated as follows: “Diverse groups and individuals from the Toggenburg region are actively involved in designing the Klangweg. The Klangweg society is a platform for regional cultural activities and promotes the collaboration between amateurs and professional cultural workers, particularly in the area of music and instrument making. The aim is to promote understanding amongst the population, especially the dialogue between different cultures, generations, genders etc.” Finally, the artistic objectives were outlined: “The sound objects meet high musical and aesthetic criteria. The following criteria, among others, are set to judge the objects: quality, innovation, sustainability, social relevance, compatibility with the landscape, participation of the local population, interdisciplinarity, professionalism, originality etc.” The Klangweg was then realised in stages between 2002 and 2006, expanded each year by new, attractive objects. The number of visitors continuously increased in parallel with these measures. Ten years after the project goals were formulated, one can assess in retrospect which objectives were achieved, what the project effected and the conclusions that are to be drawn. From an economic perspective, the objectives were more or less exceeded. Due to the Klangweg, the railways were able to generate between 20% and 25% more revenue starting around the summer of 2005 and thus significantly increase their utilisation, as well. The hotel industry also profited, albeit to a lower degree. The railways and also Toggenburg Tourismus intensively used the Klangweg as an attractive marketing instrument, especially for the target group of families. From the point of view of the landscape-aesthetic, the objects are well integrated into the landscape, the hiking trails were laid out in a nature-protecting way and almost exclusively follow already existing routes. The volume of the instruments hardly distinguishes itself from the jingling of bells common on an Alpine pasture in the summer. The ecological record of the Klangweg – e.g., the additional car drives to Toggenburg or the soiling of the Klangweg through trash – was not evaluated. In regard to the socio-cultural objectives, it is foremost a democratisation or social cohesion that comes to mind, something that social animators
19
old – new
aims should the supporting events have? After Kulturmobil withdrew, there was no longer a sociocultural animator. As mentioned, this task was left to the communities and those responsible at Klangwelt. The field of tension between social animation and art
1
in general must achieve. During the planning of the Klangweg, the local population was repeatedly invited to voice their needs and concerns. It was thus possible to initiate and, by means of various supporting events, promote the objective of collaboration between amateurs and professional, local, cultural workers, particularly in the areas of music and instrument making. The social objectives mentioned (understanding amongst the population, particularly the dialogue between different cultures, e.g., between locals and visitors, between generations, genders etc.) were explicitly strived for and realised, mainly in the initial phase. Yet these objectives were no longer pursued as a priority after the end of the commitment to socio-cultural animation in the Klangweg project. It is also difficult to assess whether the Klangweg achieved the artistic goals. In practice, the fine artist Leo Holenstein was consulted to judge the objects aesthetically and the musician Peter Roth to judge them musically. Later, the artist and musician Lukas Rohner became the artistic director of the Klangweg. A special challenge for jurors was posed when they had to decide which objects were most convincing in the context of the tension between the demands of social animation regarding the local, socio-cultural identity of the population, the proportions of the economic and ecological specifications of the Klangweg society and one’s own aesthetic and musical ambitions. Obviously, compromises had to be made. Lines of conflict emerged in the debate about decisions over which cultural workers were included or not included in the Klangweg or the supporting events in the context of the project development. The following questions, among others, determined the discourse: Which well known “star artists” would advance the project and add the wide appeal important for the project? Which inspiring but perhaps provocative artists should be given the opportunity to perform and what effects should these interventions have on the population? Which cliques from the cultural network of the initiators should be taken into consideration? Which social
The differing positions and attitudes of social animation and art (or the economy), and their different points of view and objectives can lead to incompatibilities. Social animation pursues socio-political goals in a project and initiates participatory processes with groups, while art seeks to achieve the highest artistic quality and retain individual authorship, if possible. While animation must have fairly clear ideas of the socio-political impact that is to be made with (cultural) projects according to its institutional mission, people working in art are aware of the incalculability of art. Art’s quality lies precisely in creating something new, something that has never existed before, the effects of which cannot be gauged in advance. The self-understanding of these cultural workers – not to let themselves be misused by goals they have not chosen themselves and based on their requirement to autonomously develop artworks out of individual and artistic necessity – becomes contradictory when faced with commissions, as was the case in the context of the Klangweg, for instance.
understanding – always tend to reveal as many socio-cultural elements as possible in the process of its development e.g. a good mixture of generations, genders and/or differently educated classes – in regard to the audience, the actors designing sound instruments and the project directors. From this perspective, artistic quality and social relevance are not opposites per se. Understood in this sense, social animation can also be a method to achieve results that are as diverse as possible. In terms of organisation, both Klangweg and Klangwelt increasingly employed methods of cultural management. Voluntary work was replaced by work with allowances (attendance fees); economic issues and the further development of their own institution, with the addition of a management body, were the main emphases of their subsequent professional activities. It is obvious that the marketing of tourism leaves marks behind that have a broad impact, but that are only supported by a small part of the population. Proponents of a rural everyday culture therefore attempt to demarcate themselves from a folk culture that tends to be reshaped and seek their own way between appearance (marketing communication via so-called “authentic folk culture”) and essence (the true local cultural tradition). Furthermore, the resources of migrants, women and youths are hardly taken into account in regional development projects. This task of integration, in the context of opportunities that are offered by a cultural project, is barely recognised by those responsible in the communities. It is instead delegated to welfare work as a “problem”. But cultural projects with social goals usually include educational results that contribute to the wellbeing of large sections of the population. Summary and prospect: change of strategies
2
An artist thinking in a formally consistent aesthetic way was never and would probably never be willing to make content-related compromises in his or her art due to political or socio-cultural “factual constraints”. In this regard, the artist’s (own) aesthetic is only conditionally negotiable. Artists argue that the criteria for quality of “professional” art are not compatible with the objectives of sociocultural projects. According to the publicist Hermann Glaser, one could argue against this consistently aesthetic position of artists by stating that socio-culture is the essence of culture5. Culture without socio-culture is a culture cored of its essence. A project like the Klangweg should – according to this socio-political
While during the marketing phase of “Tourism and Sport” in the 1980s, rural culture was at best used as an authentic backdrop, Klangwelt, at the end of the millennium, used rural culture as the actual “source”. For example, rural yodelling and singing in the valley were taken up, remoulded as a product and marketed. One can ask whether rural culture was really the only resource in the valley. Under the keyword of cultural diversity one could indeed imagine dealing with the disappearance of industrialisation or the workers’ culture in the region. As it is widely known, these coincide with the last round of Fordism, which in turn could be associated with the end of classical mass tourism. Textile labour in the valley, especially the tradition of weaving and embroidery but also craft businesses and the catering trade, had brought a number of actors with a background of migration to the valley. Viewed in this light, many attractive themes could be offered under “Culture in Toggenburg” which could ultimately become starting points of a new strategy. However, they hardly play