oncepts
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P2o_Between Space and Place
A research about the influence of art and culture on the identity of a specific place.In the wake of Richard Florida, creativity, art and culture seems to have become the new mantras for city marketing. But can creativity, art and culture alone really fundamentally influence the identity of a place?
A place has in contrast to a physical space a non-direct visible social, economical, political and cultural layer which defines the identity of this place. Reading different theories and analysing different festivals and cultural urban area the conclusion of this research was that art and culture only support the identity of the place if it is connected to the social structure, economical activities or political ambitions.
In the research the social, economical, cultural, economical and political trends are investigated and their possible influences on the identity of a place are filtered
The research ends with conditions to create creative place. These are mainly based on the three principles of Csikszentmihalyi.
The research (only available in Dutch) can be requested by emailing to mail@daviddooghe.com
2oo9
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pdates
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From free to extra’s
Low prized places seemed to attract artists in the past. At the moment, in the contest between cities to attract and grow a significant creative class, more facilities than just low prized workspaces are needed. As inspiration, two art en design centres of which facilities complete the workspaces in the building and relate to the urban area around the building.
3rd Ward is a member-based art and design center for creative professionals in the industrialized area of East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 3rd Ward offers shared and private workspace and facilities that support the development and fabrication (professional wood and metal shop and jewelry studio), as the trade (multiple photo studios, a fully loaded digital media lab, an exhibition space, a large network and a free, full-color magazine) of the product or art piece. By offering classes, it is possible to improve skills or add some new ones. Because of its non-residential location and low public transport connectivity, 3rd Ward gives free bikes to all of their members. 3rd Ward ensures that NYC's diverse creative industry has all the tools, space, and resources needed to keep learning and growing.
Foundation B.a.d is located in the leafy neighbourhood of Charlois. Rotterdam. This is now an upcoming residential area particularly popular with the creative community. The principle aim of Foundation B.a.d is to provide studios, guest studios and project spaces. Each studio has a sink, basic furniture (table, chairs etc) and a stable internet connection. Furthermore, there is a common kitchen and bathroom, laundry room and a computer room with telephone and copy machine. Foundation B.a.d has a large garden and provide several communal spaces, which are used by members and guests for artistic and social activities. Foundation B.a.d enables presentations by their guests as well as organizing and hosting a wide range of activities such as concerts, theatre plays, exhibitions, seminars. The members, guests and wide range of activities provide a dynamic, resourceful and continually evolving environment where creativity is supported and networks are cultivated.
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Lighting the planetarium
Torun, the Polish city inbetween Warsaw and Gdansk where Copernicus was born in 1473 celebrates its famous former inhabitant by a impressive light festival: Skyway ‘1o.
The light festival starts from a simple, but intelligent concept. The heliocentric model of Copernicus is put on the urban plan of the old city as a new layer. The main market hosts the centre of the heliocentric model, the Sun. With the main market as the centre, the orbital movement of the different planets are drawn on the urban plan of the old city. Where these orbital movements cross a specific place, artists were asked to make a light sculpture which is inspired by the specific planet and by the specific place.
Except for the cosmopolitan fountain, all the installations are temporary. The fountain is only used by full capacity (water and light) for specific occasions.
“With Skyway ’1o, Torun is transformed in a Magical way. The works are installed in the city as if for a brief period of the Festival, the Celestial Bodies, while still captured in their orbital movement, somehow “landed” on the city’s urban space.” (Mario Caerio, artist director of Skyway ’1o festival)
cosmopolitan fountain_picture: Mateusz Kaminski The urban space of the Old and New Town of Torun, where the festival mainly takes place, is known for being on the World Heritage list.
“The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv), considering that Torun is a small historic trading city that preserves to a remarkable extent its original street pattern and outstanding early buildings, and which provides an exceptionally complete picture of the medieval way of life.”
Torun is a candidate for the European Cultural Capital of 2o16.
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Comparing the Carnivals
From May until August there are three big intercultural carnivals in the northwest of Europe: the Karnaval Der Kulturen in Berlin, the Summercarnival Rotterdam and the Notting Hill Carnival in London. The carnivals have their specificities: origin and program and therefore a different (temporary and permanent) impact on the urban surrounding.
Karnaval Der Kulturen, originating from the city of Berlin to celebrate its growing international population, stretches the definition of the word carnival.
At Karnaval der Kulturen the main activity is the four days during street festival in the park (Blucherplatz), situated in Kreuzberg, near the metro stations: Hallesches Tor and Mehringdamm.
The whole richness of the different cultures can be experienced by live music, parties, exotic food, shopping for trinkets at the market streets and music, dance and acrobatics workshops. The parade is at one of these four days. It is a mixture of carnival groups from different countries and street performers. The parade ends near the park of the street festival.
In the former Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, that is now cultural centre, also a part of the music program takes place. Other than the church, no permanent locations are used. Because of the temporary market, the local shops don’t really take part at the festival.
_visitors parade and street festival: 1 35o ooo _ width parade streets: between 3o and 5o metres.
Summercarnival originates form the small Antillean community in Rotterdam and grew steadily over the years to become one of the biggest festivals of Rotterdam. Now the festival is organised by a co-operation of a group of the Antillean community and the festival organisation Ducos Productions, who also organise other intercultural festivals.
The Summercarnival has a strong connection with the original concept of the Antillean Carnival and the parade is the main activity. Preliminary to the parade there is a carnival queen selection and the Battle of the Drums, the day before the carnival. The Battle of the Drums gathers people for four directions around the city centre and brings them, mainly along shoppingstreets, to the stage at the Coolsingel. The parade of the Summercarnival is located in the city centre and ends at the city hall of Rotterdam, located at the Coolsingel.
In the neighbourhood of the Coolsingel there are the main shopping streets and at the Coolsingel there are permanent food pavilions. Temporary market stalls with food, drinks and trinkets are added for the festival.
This festival has no permanent cultural location.
_visitors street festival: 9oo ooo _ width parade streets: between 15 and 5o metres.
Notting Hill Carnival originates in 1964 and started as a local festival, set up by the Afro-Caribbean communities of the Notting Hill area. It has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival.
The festival exists of 2 parades, a smaller one on Sunday (mostly visited by families with young children) and the main one on Monday. Next to the parades there are 40 static sound systems in the area where the parades are held.
The festival still takes place in Notting Hill area and different from the other parades in Berlin and Rotterdam, that are more linear, the Notting Hill carnival makes a round, creating an inside urban space. In this space the static sound systems, permanent and temporary shops and food places create a Caribbean atmosphere. This atmosphere can be experienced all the year round in the Tabernacle, a permanent multi-venue arts and entertainment centre in Notting Hill. The Tabernacle underpins an accent on local African Caribbean culture and maintains perennial activities in carnival arts.
_visitors parade and street festival: 8oo ooo _ width parade streets: between 15 and 25 metres.
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