We would like to have a larger public discussion than was physically possible at the consultation. Over the next few weeks we will open out a forum to discuss some of the main concerns that have been raised regarding the creative city and the role of arts & culture in it. This discussion is important in working towards policy recommendations that have practical outcomes but more importantly it will generate a debate around the creative city and policy within the public and civil society at large.
We will begin at the beginning as it were and ask in the opening of the forum:
1. How does a creative city transform our understanding of a city as imagined till now?
2. What are the central concerns that need to be looked at within the creative city idea? Why are these concerns important today? How should we articulate these concerns?
3. The dominant argument that many city policies in Europe and America make is that culture today can generate wealth for the city-say through tourism? Can such ideas have a future in India and, more precisely, Bangalore?
4. There is another interesting link between culture and economy not in terms of culture contributing to GDP but as enhancing livelihoods-of artisans, cine workers etc. What is the significance of this argument in our context?
We will in the next edition discuss other ways in which culture’s value can be seen: contributing to a city’s cultural diversity given the diverse groups of populations who inhabit it and by becoming a node around which people come together or mobilise.
These separations into editions is to help bring together comments around particular issues concerning the creative city notion.
Meanwhile, we are compiling a set of readings and resources that would enable an intellectual (not necessarily theoretical!) engagement with the creative-city construct and invite debatable issues around select texts. This will help:
- reflect on conceptual problems emerging around the creative city notion. We will begin with questions around some of the texts present in the resource sections.
- provide practical and sustainable inputs that can be included in public policy and that can expand policy thinking about city-spaces.
Please do add relevant material and questions around them as we go along.
For enquiries and details please contact: cidasia@cscs.res.in with the subject head [Creative City Query].
