臺灣中介組織現況及計畫緣起
「文化中介組織」（Cultural Intermediaries）對大眾而言稍顯陌生的字眼，是一個較為統稱的詞彙。在台灣的法律背景下，現存的文化中介組織型態包括屬公法管轄之「行政法人」，如「國家表演藝術中心」、甫成立的「高雄市專業文化機構」，以及如「公共電視文化事業基金會」、「國家文化藝術基金會」（以下簡稱「國藝會」）、「國家電影中心」及各地縣市文化基金會在內之「公設財團法人」（正確的法律稱謂為「政府補、捐助之財團法人」），由中央或地方政府出資捐助，並接受政府補助或委辦業務。即使這些公設財團法人肩負重要的公共責任，在法規面最終仍屬私法而難受公法約束，亦缺少統一法源規範。歸私法管轄之民間專業藝術文化「社團法人」（專業協會、學會等）與「財團法人」（各類藝術文化基金會）未來是否可能在深耕已久的專業領域，協助政府擔負起部分專業中介組織的角色功能，執行部分文化公共責任與任務，更是值得深思的議題。
‘Cultural intermediaries’ could be an umbrella term less familiar to the public. In Taiwan, cultural intermediaries operate as different types of organisations. Notably, the ‘administrative corporation’ established by the government granting it national budgets as well as increased organisational flexibility and efficiency. The National Performing Arts Centre, and the Public Agency of Kaohsiung Cultural Institutes are well-known examples. Also, public funded cultural foundations are also created with public funding to fulfil specific mission, including the National Culture and Arts Foundation, Taiwan Film Institute, and public foundations set up by local governments.
Despite its important collective missions, public funded foundations are regulated by private law instead of public law. In other words, a common resource of law is absent for the dissimilar cultural intermediaries. Under the circumstances, it raised the question that how the administrative corporations, public foundations, and even private foundations and corporation aggregates can fully play their professional roles in Taiwan’s cultural environment.
回顧台灣文化行政法人及公設財團法人的設置歷程，可以發現總是在政策管理急迫的現實需求與未能健全到位的法規之間，且戰且走，嘗試尋找可能途徑。無論是較早（1996年）公設財團法人化的國藝會、2004年首個行政法人化的國家表演藝術中心（當時的兩廳院），或是2014年採財團法人化升格的國家電影中心，都曾在行政法人、公設財團法人機制的討論間擺盪，且依舊存在體制與任務難以對應的窘境。
回到「文化中介組織」的意涵，究竟理想的中介組織能夠在文化治理網絡中發揮何種功能？文化又該如何被「中介」？
Reviewing the history of the administrative corporation and public foundations in Taiwan, it is visible that the organisations are often a result of urgent necessity and incomprehensive regulations. Therefore, running these cultural intermediaries could be arduous and their organisational structure may not be entirely fit for purpose.
Hence, to revisit the concept of ‘cultural intermediaries’, what function can they ideally perform in the overall cultural governance?
在向來拒絕政府過度干預的藝文領域，文化中介組織扮演著重要的角色。它必須獨立於政府，但又是產業鏈中橋接各利害關係人的中介者。如今文化行政上耳熟能詳的「臂距原則」（principle of arm’s length）在英國自經濟治理領域延伸至政府文化治理領域，成為分隔官僚權力與專業機構決策的代名詞。因為體認到藝術創作與表達易受政府干預與國家政治意識型態操弄的危險，二戰以降各國相繼催生了藝術理事會（Art Councils），透過非政府部門公共機構（Non-Departmental Public Body, NDPB）的設立，將藝術文化資源的補助與分配由藝文專業的同儕評審決策，同時賦予其在人力運用、預算編列、資源與組織營運上更多彈性的空間。而後全球於新自由主義的襲捲下，新公共管理講求體制縮編、財政精簡，成為當代政府治理的目標，文化機關亦不例外地要求產值、提高自償率。在「臂距原則」和新公共管理「精簡組織」的雙重目標間，如何透過民主方式確保組織的公開透明、公正監督與課責，又保持其專業性、獨立性，是強化文化中介組織任務的重要挑戰。
Defying the intervention from the government has always been what the arts and culture do. In the UK, the well-known ‘arm’s length principle’ extends from the governance of economy to cultural affairs. By design, it avoids any undue government influence over the professional bodies. With the recognition that freedom of the arts and of expression can be easily interfered by government and political ideology, several countries established arts councils as non-departmental public body (NDPB). The art councils not only operate at arm’s length to allocate the funds received from governments but also enjoy flexibility in finance and human resources. With the rise of neo-liberalism, to reduce spending and downsize organisational scale became governments’ goals. Self-liquidating and output values are prioritised, and cultural institutions are no exception. The trend of New Public Management also has its impact. The goal that operating with arm’s-length principle coexists with the expectation to downsizing the organisation itself. Under these circumstances, to maintain professional and independent is the challenge that cultural intermediaries face.
臺灣的國藝會當初仿照英國英格蘭藝術理事會（Arts Council England）成立，採行國家捐助的「公設財團法人」，劃出這道藝文資源獨立、專業分配的「一臂之距」。歷經20多年，國藝會內部設置的專業任用辦法、搭建起創作生態的補助、評選機制，以及欲往前邁進的藝文「智庫」功能，是否真能突破文化行政體系、採購法的窒礙？跨越「自償率」帶來異業結盟的動力或商業化隱憂？同時，這個政府部門與民間藝文團體、個人之間「中介」的橋樑，對外能否展現有別於文化官僚，公共化的軟性身段與親民形象？都是台灣文化治理與組織再造的重要課題。
當前國藝會補助任務將逐步強化，加上國家表演藝術中心、國家電影中心，以及即將設立的「文化內容策進院」，乃至於未來包括博物館法人化與未來文資保存的法人機構設置等可能性，往後文化中介組織勢必將在台灣扮演更為關鍵的角色。因此，透過藝文中介組織網絡平台的建置，促進國內藝文中介組織之間的橫向聯繫合作與協力，並與文化部保持建設性對話溝通，是推動本計畫的重要動機。
In Taiwan, the National Culture and Arts Foundation firstly started in 1996 as a public foundation following the model of Arts Council England. The NCAF operates with the arm’s length principle and bridges the public and private sectors. Step by step, the NCAF strengthens its function of subsidy allocation. The model that the NCAF works with the Ministry of Culture is worth examination as the obstacles of bureaucracy can be hard to remove. Following the organisational reform of National Performing Arts Center in 2014 and forthcoming establishment of other ‘administrative corporations’ in Taiwan (e.g. Taiwan Film Institute), cultural intermediaries will play a crucial role in Taiwan in the foreseeable future.
Recognising the importance of cultural intermediaries, the Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies initiated the Asian Network of Cultural Intermediaries (ANCI) with joint effort of National Taiwan University of Arts, Ministry of Culture, and National Culture and Arts Foundation. Through the platform, ANCI strives to enhance constructive communication between the cultural sector and the Ministry of Culture. The ANCI project aspires to create a network of cultural intermediaries to foster cross-organisational collaboration among cultural intermediaries in Taiwan and beyond.