Culture and development in Visby

by Mr Olov Gibson

The Municipality of Gotland has the vision to be an attractive place which gives high quality of life. Other aims are to foster creativity and to make the culture more visible and accessible. This year, the Department of Culture and Leisure is working on a modern cultural policy being prepared in consultation with representatives of the cultural life. It will be used as a guide for cultural investments and cultural activities and for the dialogue with the national cultural authorities in Sweden about public support to the regional cultural life.

Investments in the cultural life give often back a lot of money, to the hotels, restaurants, tourist associations and other companies, which produce jobs, not onlyfor the cultural workers. However, a living culture

needs not only its institutions, but also creative readiness for unpredictable innovations and changes. It may explain why it is easier to find sponsors for sport activities than for avant-garde cultural activities, even if cultural products have a great impact on the future economy of the society. The cultural authorities of the cities need politicians with the foresight and officials with cultural competence.

Several studies have been made to show the economic result in proportion to the number of visitors to Gotland. The positive synergy effects are large and cannot be completely mapped.

Luckily a large and growing numbers of visitors are coming to Gotland, not only because of the sun and the beeches. They want to experience the offers Gotland has as a cultural meeting place, and to meet its cultural heritage. The strategy is I to develop and exploit these resources. A tendency on Gotland is that new companies are forming various kinds of cultural industry that creates new jobs, cooperating with the local cultural life and the professional cultural institutions which deliver cultural expressions, knowledge and advice.

This shows that the criteria for stimulating a growing economy on Gotland are not only a question of investing money. It is important for the economy of Gotland that the cultural life is given the means to exist freely on its own terms. Otherwise, the freedom of expression would be lost, as well as the public and the culturally interested tourists. Culture gives also the growing generation self-esteem and fantasy that they will need to manage difficulties and the demand for creativity. That too is economy!