An analysis of candidacies for European Capital of Culture demonstrates the role of good business<\/p>
The culture of know-how, the land, the people who inhabit it, and the sharing of common goals and best practices: these are the factors that generate both material and spiritual prosperity\u00a0\u2013 and they are often to be found in Italy. Now a study titled \u201cThe Role of SMEs and Crafts in Culturally-Based Urban Transformations: The Experience of UNESCO Creative Cities and Capitals of Culture\u201d by Lucio Argano (of the Department of Communication at the Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome) examines this set of circumstances. The research specifically highlights the significance and contribution that craftspeople and SMEs can make to cities that choose to undertake medium to long-term urban transformations by leveraging culture, the arts, and creativity, seeing growth and development through a comprehensive cultural lens.<\/p>\n
Argano concentrates on the principal activities and programmes of the fourteen Italian cities belonging to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, centred around seven creative clusters including Crafts & Folk Art. To gain a clearer insight into what actions have been taken, the author examines the project documents of the finalist cities in Italy’s contest for the 2019 European Capital of Culture title, which Matera ultimately won. He goes on to identify initiatives that have promoted both the arts and other forms of craftsmanship, and how these have contributed to addressing the urban challenges highlighted by the project.<\/p>\n
The study therefore reveals the core strengths underpinning the projects: the unique individuals and their talents, encompassing both craftsmanship and business acumen, which form the primary cultural and creative foundations of each city. However, that is not all. The application documents further reveal the recognition of culture and creativity as vital components of what Argano describes as a \u201cwider urban ecosystem where places, people, practices, stories, traditions, innovations, and symbolic significance are interwoven.\u201d Entrepreneurship and craftsmanship are, therefore, essential elements of a place’s culture, capable, among other things, of serving as catalysts for development. Lucio Argano’s research deserves credit for giving substance to this model.<\/p>