Join us for our next FORUM on Thursday 14th November at 5pm GMT where we will be discussing if there should be boundaries on who gets to shape culture and whether gatekeeping is a barrier to genuine diversity and creativity.

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In an age where the internet has unlocked access to almost everything, the role of gatekeeping is in the spotlight. Traditionally, gatekeeping has meant controlling or limiting access to something valuable — whether that's information, resources or cultural spaces. Once viewed as essential for preserving standards, guiding taste and cultivating expertise, gatekeeping also raises complex questions about accessibility, inclusivity and power.  Our discussion will question what we stand to gain — and lose — by closing the gates, exploring themes like:

  • The evolution of gatekeeping — from its rise to prominence as the filling in the neoliberal-feminist sandwich “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss”, to a term that is used pervasively online
  • The democratisation of taste online and the impact of AI algorithms on culture
  • The relationship between gatekeeping, recommendation culture, brands and consumption

We’ll be asking questions like:

  • Does fewer gatekeepers mean more inclusion, or just more power in fewer hands?
  • In a world without gatekeepers, who decides what is worth preserving?
  • When does curation cross the line into exclusion?
  • Gatekeeping: fostering communities or echo chambers?
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