Jazmín Beirak: "The main barrier to accessing culture is the lack of time."

PalmDuring her time as head of the General Directorate of Cultural Rights, a body under the Ministry of Culture, Jazmín Beirak has spearheaded the approval of a Cultural Rights Plan, which has begun to be implemented in various areas and initiatives. She will present it on Wednesday the 18th in Palma, at an event in the Flexas bar, starting at 1 p.m. A little later, at 6:30 p.m., she will be at La Colectiva to discuss her book. Ungovernable culture (Ariel) –MÁS por Palma has organized both activities.

You have been in charge of the General Directorate of Cultural Rights for two years. To what extent has the idea of ​​culture as a right taken hold? What significant progress have you been able to make?

— The creation of the Directorate General is the result of collective work and a momentum that came from many different quarters—cultural management, creative endeavors, academia, the legal and political spheres—to place culture at the center, as a right. In this sense, the Directorate is the institutional embodiment of a movement that existed before its creation. In any case, from the outset we were clear that the Cultural Rights Plan could not be just a document, but had to translate into effective action. Therefore, when we presented it, we already had grants underway for social impact projects, for professional associations and unions, and funding for the autonomous communities to promote arts projects in schools and rural areas.

However, today some defend cultural experience from the perspective of consumption and entertainment, even from an elitist standpoint. As if its meaning had been distorted.

— I don't believe there's a pure, distorted meaning of culture. Culture isn't inherently virtuous; quite the opposite. It's impure, contradictory, and ever-changing, and that's perfectly fine. What has been lost, however, is the idea of ​​culture as a right; it's long been understood as leisure, secondary entertainment, or a realm reserved for creative professionals. And we've distanced it from the field of human rights: since we haven't exercised the right to culture, we've forgotten it exists.

If we're talking about cultural rights, we have to talk about money. What influence does it have on the relationship between citizens and culture?

— The economic barrier is a major factor, directly determining who can participate and who is excluded. However, public strategies focused on facilitating economic access have proven limited, because the problem extends beyond this. The latest survey of cultural habits and practices by the Ministry of Culture, for example, demonstrates that the main barrier to accessing cultural activities is lack of time. This is followed by lack of interest, and then, in third or fourth place, money. The way we organize our lives, the scarcity of time, and the relentless pace of work are probably some of the biggest obstacles. If other rights, such as income, housing, time, and care, are not guaranteed, cultural rights will also be lacking.

One of the key aspects of the Cultural Rights Plan is the impact of territorial inequality on cultural policymaking. How can this be reversed in a place like the Balearic Islands, where there is a strong emphasis on linking tourism and culture?

— According to a report by the General Directorate of Cultural Rights, culture is the second strongest factor in fostering a sense of belonging to a territory. The problem is that for a long time, culture has been used as a raw material, as fuel for tourism and for an extractive and voracious tourism model. This generates no real benefits for either culture or the territory. Therefore, a policy of cultural decentralization is essential. And I'm not talking about relocating activities from the center to the so-called peripheries, but about promoting the local ecosystems that already exist. Recognizing, strengthening, and supporting them means understanding that the power of culture lies here, not in reproducing models that exhaust both the places and the people who live in them.

Can cultural rights be guaranteed when the stability of creators is not guaranteed? Precariousness defines the majority of the sector's situation.

— Cultural rights are not exercised solely through the mediation of creators. Our relationship with culture has many dimensions. Speaking a language is a cultural right, as are community culture, project management, and participation in cultural policy decisions. However, it is essential to establish a cultural system that offers dignified conditions for cultural work. This requires improving working conditions, which are currently heavily influenced by legal frameworks that are not adapted to the sector's specific needs. We must also address the sustainability of cultural production. We must involve all citizens in cultural life: without people who are curious, have the time, and the resources to enjoy culture, there is no audience.