Maria Vlachou

I am a Cultural Management and Communications consultant. Founding member and Executive Director of Acesso Cultura | Access Culture, working on promoting access – physical, social and intellectual – to cultural participation. In our work, we consider both exogenous and endogenous barriers that hinder the relationship between culture professionals (including artists) and citizens. In recent years, I have written and lectured extensively, both nationally and internationally, on cultural democracy and the possible impact it might have on the quality of political democracy. My texts and presentation may be found on my blog “Musing on Culture”.

What is of particular concern to me is the intellectual arrogance willingly or unwillingly expressed by some culture professionals, having a direct impact on the creation of prejudices and stereotyped ideas many people express regarding Culture and the Arts; the incapacity to communicate with a wider audience, become relevant and bring about true change; the contempt expressed by many people today in what concerns reason and knowledge, reflected on the way they vote for authoritarian leaders in many countries, based on feelings and powered by emotions; the way history is taught in many countries, promoting arrogance and romantic ideas of national goodness and superiority, instead of humility and understanding of our common fate as human beings.

With regards to my education, I have a BA in History and Archaeology (University of Ioannina, Greece); a MA in Museum Studies (University College London); I am an alumna of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center (Washington DC); was a fellow of ISPA – International Society for the Performing Arts (New York). I previously worked for the Municipal Theatre São Luiz and the Pavilion of Knowledge (science centre), both in Lisbon. I have collaborated with the British Council, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and ICOM Portugal.