CHAPTER 1
Eventful Cities
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Why Cities
Need to be Eventful
In recent years, culture has taken on a more
instrumental meaning in cities. It now represents the
ideas and practices, sites and symbols, of what has
been called the ‘symbolic economy’, i.e., the process
through which wealth is created from cultural
activities, including art, music, dance, crafts,
museums, exhibitions, sports and creative design in
various fields. This new concept of culture increasingly
shapes city strategies in the face of both global
competition and local tensions.
(Zukin, 2004:3)
Festivals influence people’s idea of a city. They provide
many points of identification and contribute to the
birth of non-mainstream urban identities. They
consolidate subcultures and create togetherness
among amateurs of a common field. At their best
festivals culminate in a ‘festival moment’, creating
a momentum born of dramaturgical excellence and
high quality content, a powerful experience bringing
together audience and festival performers and
organisers.
(Silvanto & Hellman, 2005:6)
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CHAPTER 1 : Why Cities Need to be Eventful
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THE DESIRE FOR EVENTFULNESS
Cities of today face two choices. Either they develop to meet
the challenges created by the pace of global change, or they
resist the impulse for transformation and stagnate. At a time
when economic systems are no longer predictable, in order to
remain competitive, cities are turning to strategies that focus
on their own innate resources – their histories, spaces,
creative energy and talents. Pressures of globalization and
problems caused by economic restructuring, as well as the
need to establish new civic identities have prompted cities to
utilize ‘cultural’ assets and resources in an attempt to become
distinctive, to regenerate the urban fabric and to create
economic, social and cultural prosperity. The creation and
promotion of events such as festivals, shows, exhibitions,
fairs and championships have become a critical component of
urban dev