Talking to Michael Rosen today during our annual conversation at early morning codgers stretching hour at the Latitude Festival inspired something unexpected. Last year we chatted about the miners strikes on the 30th anniversary and this year we exchanged views and experiences of the 'family justice gravy train' (my terminology). What was unexpected was the idea of poverty tourism.
It soon became obvious from the conversation that both of our experiences involved winners, losers and those on the receiving end of inequitable economic and social justice..
I came away feeling that I would like to invite Michael to Great Yarmouth to offer something to our common efforts to invent a 'cultural economy' in the town.
It seems to me that we are working largely blind, with little understanding of the term 'culture' or, more problematically 'cultural heritage', let alone the mysterious thing which we call a cultural economy or 'cultural tourism'...
I found myself imagining inviting Michael to Yarmouth to have him recite some of his children's poetry in Peggoty's of a Saturday afternoon. I don't know why, I just did.
I like Michael Rosen. So does everyone else it turns out. But I've done stretching with him and I'm going to get him to come to Yarmouth!
It soon became obvious from the conversation that both of our experiences involved winners, losers and those on the receiving end of inequitable economic and social justice..
I came away feeling that I would like to invite Michael to Great Yarmouth to offer something to our common efforts to invent a 'cultural economy' in the town.
It seems to me that we are working largely blind, with little understanding of the term 'culture' or, more problematically 'cultural heritage', let alone the mysterious thing which we call a cultural economy or 'cultural tourism'...
I found myself imagining inviting Michael to Yarmouth to have him recite some of his children's poetry in Peggoty's of a Saturday afternoon. I don't know why, I just did.
I like Michael Rosen. So does everyone else it turns out. But I've done stretching with him and I'm going to get him to come to Yarmouth!
No comments:
Post a Comment