Cultural projects in Klaipeda

by Ms Goda Giedraitytë

T oday traditional understanding of culture policy (leisure activity, artistic expression, preservation of heritage, etc.) in the context of the European Union is changing. It opens new possibilities to develop international relations, induce creative innovations (especially creative industries), to use European financial programmes, and to evaluate influence of culture on social and economic city development.

Changing environment and evaluation of today's cultural situation led to approval of Klaipeda Culture Policy by the City Council in December of 2005. It determines main priority trends and principles of the city culture development for the upcoming six years (2007-2012). Among them, there are such goals as Creation of Attractive Environment for Artistic Expression, which includes formation of new public spaces for cultural needs, presentation of Klaipeda culture on international and regional scale, and stimulation of cultural innovations, and Extention of Culture Impact on Economical City Development, including development of cultural tourism, expansion of possibilities to develop creative industries, collaboration between cultural and business sectors.

While achieving these goals, Klaip?da is ful-filling several projects that will propose new areas for cultural activities, create employment opportunities, attract tourists, and thus influence economic development of the city.

Today's social-economical situation, cultural infrastructure of the city and the appropriate usage of the existing potential and resources (heritage, natural landscapes, handcrafts, artists' community, university, etc.) leads to inevitable reforms regarding collaboration of culture and business. First of all culture policy has to become a strong integral part of the whole city development's strategy.