From enlightenment to experience: cultural centres in Helsinki neighbourhoods
Titel:
From enlightenment to experience: cultural centres in Helsinki neighbourhoods
Auteur:
Silvanto, Satu Linko, Maaria Cantell, Timo
Verschenen in:
The international journal of cultural policy
Paginering:
Jaargang 14 (2008) nr. 2 pagina's 165-178
Jaar:
2008-05
Inhoud:
The article explores how key cultural policy objectives have been negotiated and realised in the urban cultural centres of three neighbourhoods in the city of Helsinki, Finland. We analyse how the ideological basis and the meaning of the centres for their users are related to the overall rationales of urban cultural policy: Enlightenment, Empowerment, Economic impact and Entertainment (Skot-Hansen 2005). Based on our data, consisting of documents on the centres, interviews with decision makers, producers and other professionals, as well as a survey (N = 814) of the visitors to these centres, we argue that even though the roots of the centres date back to 1970s concepts about the democratisation of culture and cultural democracy, the centres are not old-fashioned fortresses of outdated cultural forms. On the contrary, as providers of experiences, the cultural centres reflect the latest developments of society.