8
CreArt network
2
in order to promote their cultural, social and economic
development through artistic creation – particularly visual arts. In doing so, this study
also seeks to identify how taking part in a network of small and medium-sized cities
for artistic creation can benefit their local ecosystems and foster further development.
It also suggests ways to capitalise from the CreArt exchanges of experiences to build
culture-led development strategies.
Scope
Although visual arts are central to CreArt members’ activities, they do not constitute
the only focus of the study which takes into consideration cultural and creative
sectors at large
3
. As regards the spatial dimension, the research specifically looks at
European SMSC (up to 500.000 inhabitants) in an attempt to present an inventory
of relevant cultural projects in these territories. However, reference to larger cities,
which are not big metropolises, has occasionally been made considering that a few
CreArt members exceed in number of inhabitants the common definition of SMSC
4
.
Methodology
Based on a theoretical analysis and an extensive literature review, the study examines
how the promotion of artistic creativity may positively contribute to cities’ social and
economic dimension as well as to their image and internationalisation.
Desk research have been completed by a case studies approach, mainly focused on
projects carried out by 5 cities of the network and the CreArt project itself. The
selection of case studies has taken into account key challenges for visual arts
addressed by local actions and the contribution of art-led initiatives to the various
above mentioned dimensions.
The research has also led to call on examples external to the network in cities of
comparable size, picked-up for the relevance of their project to the object of the
study.
A workshop to gather information on local practices as well as to feed the discussion
on visual arts policies for SMSC was organised within the framework of the study
5
.
This was completed later on by a focus group
6
held to gather the experience of
members of the CreArt network regarding initiatives, actions and policies in the field
of artistic creation that foster their local cultural, social and/or economic development.
2
The study additionally refers to examples carried out in other European territories.
3
This includes “non-industrial sectors producing non-reproducible goods and services aimed at being
“consumed” on the spot” and “industrial sectors producing cultural products aimed at mass reproduction,
mass-dissemination and exports”, KEA (2006, p.2). Nonetheless a particular attention is paid to visual arts
whenever possible and relevant.
4
Genoa has 596,958 inhabitants;Vilnius 539,939 and Zagreb 790,017.
5
Seminar about “The art in the research studies on cultural policies. Cases studies of European cities”, Arad (RO), 20
September 2013
6
Workshop on policy recommendations, Lecce (IT), 20 November 2014.
