Out of place, out of space: the clamor for a Culture and Arts Office in a Health Sciences Center

Abstract

Out of all the University of the Philippines’ campuses in the country, the health sciences center of the national university, the University of the Philippines Manila is the sole campus that lacks an active Culture and Arts Office. The aim of this thesis is to propose an elaborate mission, vision, objectives, programs, and organizational structure that will help in the refinement of the current culture and arts scene within the campus and the reformation of the current Chancellor’s Committee on Culture and the Arts into the campus’ future Culture and Arts Office. This was achieved through the use of surveys and interviews with the different university-wide artistic and cultural organizations, and the members of the committee. The research was guided mainly by Dan Martin’s first three functions of Arts Management–Planning, Organizing and Staffing, Michael Kaiser’s initial analysis provided through the insights found in William Byrnes’ S.W.O.T. analysis and Kevin F. McCarthy, Elizabeth H. Ondaatje and Laura Zakaras’ empirical literature. The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to identify the challenges faced by the organizations and the Chancellor’s Committee on Culture and the Arts, (2) to determine the immediate needs of these organizations that should be prioritized by the future office, (3) To distinguish whether a proposed Culture and Arts office is a better solution to the challenges faced by these organizations or not, and (4) to propose the nature of the future Cultural Office that would help alleviate the problems of the organizations. The research focused on creating a proposal that is holistic and inclusive of both the perspectives of those in the arts and sciences field in the campus, the students and the members of the committee by getting in touch with the 11 arts and culture universitywide student organizations, a former Chair of the committee, the current Chair of the committee, and the oldest-in-position member of the committee. Based on the findings, the organizations needed help in funding and assistance in gathering logistics; on the other hand, the committee was not considered as a priority in a health sciences environment and yet was required to have vibrancy and activeness with limited resources. The study therefore proposes for the establishment of a Culture and Arts Office that will offer assistance through monetary grants and logistical assistance while initiating a cultural calendar that contains programs that foster the vibrancy of the arts and culture in the university.