Broken pathways – youth cultural practices and strategic issues for the creative sector

Abstract

On October 10, 2014, the Coalition for Cultural Diversity and the University of Ottawa organized a seminar that was held in Ottawa as part of the international conference on Social Theory, Politics and the Arts. In the presence of group of cultural scholars, a broad range of presenters from the cultural, educational, municipal, and federal sectors explored the policy challenges posed by youth cultural practices. This short paper outlines the main strategic issues discussed under three headings : Youth practices and cultural consumption, Youth practices and cultural producers, Youth cultural practices and their implications for public policies. It concludes with a brief reflection on what these issues might mean for the future implementation of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.