As expert appointed to the European Capital of Culture Selection panel, I have joined my colleagues in making a statement in response to the announcement that the UK European Capital of Culture 2023 selection process is to be interrupted
Author: Beatriz Garcia
Cultural Legacies of Rio 2016, one year on
I am in Rio this week presenting the results of our one year UK-Brazil research collaboration to explore the immediate legacy of hosting the Rio 2016 Games on the reputations of Rio and Brazil as cultural and creative centres. We have received much media interest in Brazil around our core finding: that the most dominant…
PROJECT | Brands, Myths, Stories post Rio 2016
Reimaging Brazilian cities | Urban images and cultural narratives in the wake of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games The British Academy has allocated a Newton Fund grant for a year-long project collaboration between Dr Beatriz Garcia and a team of researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, led by Professor Paulo Nassar. The project assesses…
PUBLICATION | ‘If everyone says so …’ Press narratives and image change in major event host cities
I have just published this academic paper within the Urban Studies Journal. You can access it here Abstract This paper looks into the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) programme as a leading example of culture-led regeneration intervention aimed at renewing or diversifying the economic base and positioning of host cities. One of the key claims…
DEBATE | On the need for both ‘black’ and ‘white’ narratives around mega-event impacts.
We need to acknowledge both the black AND the white (plus some grey, also) As academics, we have no choice but to jump onto the sound bite bandwagon if we want to remain relevant in the era of the 140 character statement. Punchy headlines and short articles (“800 words max, please”) have become important vehicles for…
PROJECT | What counts as #OlympicArt during the Rio 2016 Olympics?
I am in Rio throughout the Olympic Games, as I have done since 1999 across eight Olympic cities (nine if I include the memories of my hometown, Barcelona in 1992). I’ll be documenting and reporting on the Olympic cultural programme or Cultural Olympiad. Highlights so far: The first IOC funded Artist in Residence programme, featuring…
PROJECT | Building bridges between Olympic cities and the Olympic Movement
I have been awarded one of only six Advanced Olympic Research Grants by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for a research project titled ‘The value of global cultural policy-making: Building bridges between Olympic cities and the Olympic Movement through transnational cultural narratives’. The project will document the testing and implementation of the first IOC Cultural Action Plan…
PROJECT | Shakespeare Lives ~ Impact on perceptions of Britain
I have been appointed by the British Council to direct a research project on the impact that the Shakespeare Lives programme has on perceptions of Britain. I will lead a team within the Institute of Cultural Capital to conduct this work throughout 2016. We will work closely with three different areas of the world as core case studies:…
ARTICLE | Europe ~ UK Cultural Exchange: Can we avoid the worst of Brexit?
I wake up to the not totally surprising but still mystifying news of a Brexit. My first thought is: research on Europe is more needed than ever, now. Can the UK have it both ways, protecting the best out of its relationship with European institutions, while abandoning the common EU project? I wonder about…
ARTICLE | Closer to Marseille than to London … Europe and the EU as trumpeteers for British talent
On the day the United Kingdom decides whether to remain in or leave the EU, I share my personal take on the value of this relationship. This is a personal reflection informed by 16 years researching urban change and documenting the journeys of cities trying to rebuild their economic base while protecting their social fabric and advancing their cultural outlook.…
Liverpool ArtLab | The city as laboratory for cultural exchange
On 21 June I am speaking at Common Ground, a day event for AHRC Commons members aimed at: “enabling ideas and skills to be exchanged, new collaborations to be forged, networks to be enriched, knowledge to be produced, and the value of the arts and humanities to be expressed, discussed, and celebrated” I will make…
The Art of Devolution | Culture & the North
On 14 June 2016, I am speaking on the implications of devolution, rebalancing and the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ for the arts and cultural ecologies of the north of England. The Art of Devolution: Culture and the North aims to provide a space for civic, cultural and academic partners to discuss plans and ambitions for arts and culture in times…
ArtsGames Forum Montreal
I am in Montreal on 25 and 26 May to discuss the value and impact of large scale cultural events. My contribution takes place during the launch of the Montreal ArtsGames 2018, a new event edition, focused on bringing artists from around the world to present their traditions as well as explore ways of fusing and reconnecting…
International cultural cooperation: Europe & Latinoamerica
On the 17th and 18th of May 2016 I have contributed to the Regional Seminar for Latin America and the Caribbean that is organised yearly by the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Union. The seminar has brought together Heads of EU Delegations and key staff to discuss challenges and perspectives for EU development…
My research trajectory since 1999
I have interrogated cities and event-led cultural policy-making since 1999. I started by revisiting the cultural legacy of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games to inform my work on the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festivals. This was followed by research on the legacy of Glasgow 1990 as European Capital of Culture; the experience of Cultureshock – cultural programme for…
Cultura urbana para la Inclusión Social en Latinoamérica
The European Commission and Iberoamerican General Secretariat have invited me to contribute to ‘Urban Culture for Social Inclusion in Latinoamérica’, an international seminar hosted in Brussels, on the 21 April 2016. This will open the doors to important discussions and knowledge exchange between European city experiences and Latino American cities. * La Comisión Europea y la…
Liverpool 2018: 10 year ECoC legacy
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supports ICC research programme on the ten year legacy of Liverpool as European Capital of Culture The Institute of Cultural Capital has been allocated funding from the AHRC Cultural Engagement Fund to kick-start an exciting new programme of research on the ten year legacy of Liverpool as European Capital…
IOC Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission
After 15 years observing, analysing and offering a critique of the International Olympic Committee Culture and Education Commission, I am now formally part of this highly select group. The Commission has just been revamped to focus on Culture and Olympic Heritage, with an emphasis on the role the arts, culture and creativity can play…
Linking memory, knowlege & communication in Rio 2016
On my way to Sao Paulo to share insights regarging the most powerful cultural legacies of previous Olympic and Paralympic Games. I will present a keynote at the Fórum permanente de gestão do conhecimento, comunicação e memória, a Forum dedicated to discussing the connections between knowledge, communication and memory in order to explore how stories can transform businesses…
In praise of cultural policy research
Back in 2006, at the inaugural conference for a new UK Cultural Policy & Management Network, I joined Sara Selwood and other cultural policy researchers to discuss the state of cultural policy as an academic discipline. We were keen to consider our options to be appropriately appraised within the UK universities Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008)…