Concepts of Locality, Regionality and Europeanness in Tallinn, Turku and Pécs as European Capitals of Culture
Keywords:
European Capital of Culture, European Union, locality, regionality, Europeanness, identity, Turku, Tallinn, PécsAbstract
Since 1985, the European Union has nominated cities as European Cities of Culture in order to emphasize the diversity and shared characteristics of European cultures and to improve mutual
acquaintance between European citizens. Since 1999, the chosen cities have been called European Capitals of Culture. For the chosen cities, the nomination creates a possibilicy to promote the
city, its region and characteristics, people and identity. Locality and regionality, as identities of the place and its citizens, are being materialized and visualized in the cities through art and cultural
products and events. Representing and performing locality and regionality through art and culture requires conscious selection of certain art forms, artists, works of art and cultural products. This is
in order to create a specific focus for the cultural offerings of the cities. The selection strengthens some forms of culture, and therefore also some forms of identities, which are materialized through art and culture. In turn, other identities are pushed towards the peripheries. Definitions and descriptions of locality and regionality are also formed unconsciously in the production and use of art and culture in the nominated cities. The selection and evaluation of which forms of art and cultural phenomena are to be focused on as being good, typical or traditional in speech and texts may occur as an unquestioned, taken-for-granted practice.
