What it takes to be a hive of culture

For a city to become a true culture capital, art and heritage must be the cornerstones of its development

- Avantika Bhuyan

The term "culture capital" is bandied about rather loosely and carelessly. Every time a new museum or a cultural centre comes up, or a major festival is announced, there is haste to declare the host city "the culture capital". But what does the term really mean? For a city to take on this mantle, culture has to be the mainstay of its economy.

"Cities and towns that rely solely on culturetourism, museums, performing arts, gastronomy, visual arts and crafts or a combination of these to sustain themselves economically can be termed as culture capitals," says Deepthi Sasidharan, a museum heritage consultant with the Delhi-based Eka Cultural Resources and Research, a consulting firm that works on planning and creating cultural institutions.

Culture as a key pillar of economic progress is still a novel idea in India, for many believe it is intangible and soft. Internationally, the notion is very different. Recognising the tremendous potential that culture has for development, cities around the world, which have a long legacy of heritage, are consciously working on their infrastructure to become cultural hubs.

The European Union has the European Capitals of Culture (Ecoc) initiative. The idea is to highlight the diversity of cultures across Europe, foster the contribution of culture to the development of cities, instil a sense of pride in local residents while also boosting tourism.

"The initiative was developed in 1985 and has, to date, been awarded to more than 60 cities across the European Union (EU) and beyond," states an article on the European Commission website. For 2023, the three Ecocs are Elefsina in Greece, Timișoara in Romania and Veszprém in Hungary.

THE CULTURE OF PROGRESS