Eurocities

The project aimed to take stock of existing cultural management practices in cities and regions all over Europe, to exchange and promote transfer of knowledge, to better understand successful cases of cultural investment and to go into the details of policy planning and implementation. The project led to a new EU-funded initiative: Cultural Heritage in Action that started in 2020. Three main dimensions were explored throughout this project:
- Culture and the creative industries for local economic development and urban regeneration
- Cultural heritage as a driver for economic growth and social inclusion
- Culture for social inclusion, social innovation and intercultural dialogue.
One of their policy recommendations mentioned in the project’s final report links culture and health: Encouraging inter-clustering - between cultural and creative industries and ICT or health sectors for example. The report also elaborates on why we should care more about culture: ”Our experience shows that cultural initiatives have become one of the main agents for change in society. Cultural investment and cultural workers influence the attractiveness of places (cities and regions), the spirit and morale of people, as well as being the focus of policies, whether social cohesion, entrepreneurship, wellbeing, or investment.” Culture is essential for well-being and a good quality of life, since it: generates fun and entertainment (well-being and social cohesion) through festivals and cultural events; boosts the morale, confidence, and spirit of the local population by being a great place to live with a strong cultural offer and strong city / regional brand and identity.