Research “Cultural Practices of Citizens in Boka Kotorska“

The research “Cultural Practices of Citizens in Boka Kotorska“ has been realized within the process of creation of draft Local Programmes for the Development of Culture in the three municipalities of Boka Kotorska: Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi. The process was initiated by the NGO Expeditio – Centre for Sustainable Spatial Development from Kotor, within the “Sostenuto“ project.

The aim of the project “Sostenuto – Thinkin Culture as a Factor of Economic and Social Innovation” was to reinforce the capacities of innovation in the Med space by the cultural and creative sector through a support to the potential of growth, innovation and competitiveness of this sector as well as through its integration in the local economies. The project was implemented in cooperation with partner organizations from the Mediterranean region (France, Italy, Slovenia and Spain). It was conducted in the period July 2009-February 2012.

Within the “SOSTENUTO” project, Expeditio activities have been focused on the topic of strategic development of culture in the Bay of Boka Kotorska. A part of the Bay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which confirms the fact that culture is an important asset of this area. However, so far, the potential of culture to contribute to the area’s social and economic development has not been recognized and used to a sufficient level.

Through cooperation with the three municipalities in Boka Kotorska (Tivat, Kotor and Herceg Novi), Expeditio has conducted the input researches for the draft proposals of the Local programmes for the development of culture 2011-15 for the said municipalities. The process of development of these strategic documents was highly participatory and implied the involvement of cultural stakeholders from public and independent cultural scene, as well as citizens who consume the culture of this region. The methods of involvement of stakeholders were various and they included focus groups, round table discussions, individual interviews, on-line surveys, workshops, etc. The process also included the mapping of public spaces that have potential to be used for cultural activities and the reserch of cultural needs of youth in Boka Kotorska. A separate segment of the process was the research of cultural habits/practices of the citizens of Boka Kotorska. The research examined their cultural needs, tastes, knowledge and possession of objects associated with culture. The publication which we present is the summary of this research.

Cultural Practices of Citizens in Boka Kotorska