built theatres and museums and regenerated the urban fabric.Valladolid’s important
historical heritage was considerably damaged during the industrial urban development
of the 1960s, Since the early 1980s, the city has implemented a relevant programme
for heritage recovery and modernised its cultural infrastructure.This has resulted in
a large number of cultural venues, from museums and exhibition spaces to theatres
and cultural centres.At present, the city’s most vibrant cultural sectors are visual and
performing arts, cultural heritage and the audiovisual sector.Thanks to the work of
the city Department for Museums and Exhibitions for the last 20 years, Valladolid
has become a reference as regards its cultural scene with 5 spaces for exhibition
open permanently, hosting high level exhibitions. The city counts the only public
exhibition venue dedicated to photography as well as a Network of Municipal
Exhibition Halls and a Lab of Arts.
Valladolid has a strong tradition of festivals devoted to visual and performing arts
like the International Film Festival ofValladolid (SEMINCI) or the International Festival
of Theatre and Street Arts (TAC).The public sector intervenes inValladolid’s cultural
offer at four levels: the city council, the county council, the cultural activity run by the
University and several Centers of Music and performing arts training—, and the
central government. The private sector has a limited presence in the city through
foundations and SMEs that develop seasonal cultural programmes.
City’s policy framework:
Since 2003, culture and tourism have been one of
Valladolid’s strategic sectors of development based on its historical heritage and
cultural offer.The aim is to diversify the local economy and extend it beyond the car
industry and public administration services.
In the field of culture, the initial priorities were the creation and promotion of a
network integrated by the city’s main cultural institutions; the establishment of a good
programme of national and international events of visual and performing arts; and
the development of international cultural festivals.
CreArt is the result of this policy framework, the attention of which has lately been
turned towards the promotion of creativity and mobility of local cultural agents.The
European project represents an opportunity for the internationalisation and visibility
of the city’s artists.
Description of the initiative:
CreArt – Network of Cities for Artistic Creation
- is a European project funded by the European Commission for the period 2012-
2017 and gathering 13 SMSC from 10 EU countries around artistic creation in the
visual arts. The project is developing a variety of actions and initiatives that range
from European travelling exhibitions, events (European Day of Artistic Creativity)
and training and innovation programmes (artists in residence, workshops led by
renowned artists, seminars, conferences, encounters, educational workshops) to the
analysis of management models and exchange of experiences about how to support
artistic creativity, and its visibility.The communication development between cultural
practitioners and policy representatives is a part of the initiative, shared by each city
involved.
CreArt’s priority is to standardise training and exhibition of local artists, through a
professional system for the mobility of artists and their artworks among the different
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