Appropriation or appreciation?

Recently friends have been asking the current Big Question: what, in my opinion, is the difference between appropriation and appreciation?

These days, appropriation is a Hot Topic and rightly so. For centuries people have been borrowing from others to create, and often the original creators have not benefitted. As an example, the song “The Lion Sleeps” also known as Wimoweh, has been the subject of fierce debate and judicial wrangling.

Over the next few weeks the blog will explore this topic. When does appreciation become appropriation and how can we be sure  that we are acknowledging the human ingenuity and creativity that goes into making something that we all want to explore and share? 

If you have any thoughts please leave a comment below. Comments will need to be approved before they appear but they are welcome.