43
In CreArt cities as well as in a number of SMSC in Europe, culture-led initiatives have
been set up in order to tackle social, democratic, demographic and economic
challenges and to comply with local policy objectives.
The following sections highlight the multiple contributions of culture to local
development: first of all from a social perspective, exemplifying the role of culture in
tightening up communities, enhancing wellbeing and quality of life and leading to
innovative ways to address social issues; secondly from the economic point of view,
by illustrating how the CCS can help the rejuvenation of places, serve as a base for
tourism, make use of heritage and vacant sites and contribute to innovation; and
finally from the attractiveness dimension, showing how CCS serve the image of the
city on the international scene, turning local amenities into factors of attractiveness.
3.1 Arts for social cohesion, wellbeing and social innovation
3.1.1 Arts for social cohesion
Because of their tighter interpersonal interactions within their territory, SMSC are
particularly well positioned to implement social culture-related activities. Alongside
socioeconomic benefits in terms of employment opportunities, engagement with
and participation in these activities are valued for their abilities to bridge social
disparities and encourage social cohesion.
Arts to shape local identity, building a sense of place
Arts and culture help to define the distinctive character, image
29
, authenticity and
advantages of a location (Grodach and Silver 2012).Works of art convey a collective
memory for a community and stand as a source of creative and intellectual ideas for
future generations (COE 1997). In this way, they are common grounds to build on,
as symbolic elements that create a feeling of belonging for the city’s residents when
they are engaged in the implementation of culture-based actions.This has happened
29
This aspect will be further explored in chapter 6: Arts to enhance cities’ image and help them to go
global.
