Arts Organizations and Street-Level Bureaucracy

Call for Papers

Arts Organizations and Street-Level Bureaucracy

Journal: The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 05 September 2026

The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society invites submissions for its Special Issue titled "Arts Organizations and Street-Level Bureaucracy."

About the Special Issue

Drawing on Michael Lipsky’s influential concept of street-level bureaucracy, this Special Issue explores the critical role of frontline professionals in implementing cultural and public policies within arts and heritage organizations. Rather than simply executing policy directives, these professionals exercise discretion, develop coping strategies, and influence policy outcomes through their day-to-day interactions with communities and audiences.

The issue seeks to expand scholarship on how street-level bureaucracy operates in arts management by examining themes such as care work, professional practice, cultural policy implementation, and conceptual developments. It welcomes contributions that critically investigate how arts and heritage professionals navigate organizational constraints while responding to evolving social, political, and cultural expectations.

Scope and Topics of Interest

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

• Street-level bureaucracy in arts and heritage organizations

• Care work and cultural policy implementation

• Community engagement and social inclusion through arts organizations

• Professional discretion, routines, and coping mechanisms

• Arts management and frontline decision-making

• Cultural diplomacy and democratization of culture

• Policy implementation in arts education and heritage institutions

• Artistic and cultural intermediaries

• Conceptual developments in street-level bureaucracy

• AI, digital transformation, and public service delivery in cultural organizations

• Comparative and international perspectives on cultural policy implementation

Submission Guidelines

• Manuscript Submission Deadline: 05 September 2026

• Full research papers should be 5,000–7,000 words.

• Commentaries and research notes should not exceed 5,000 words.

• Contributions should provide analytical and critical perspectives on arts organizations and street-level bureaucracy.

• Authors should follow The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society author guidelines and submit manuscripts through the journal's online submission system.

Special Issue Editor

• Jonathan Paquette — University of Ottawa

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