Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

“Creative cities” and “artistic neighbourhoods” have become regular concepts within hegemonic narratives and practices related to urban revitalization processes summoned up as ties between social cohesion and social inclusion, and neoliberal goals as competitiveness, attractiveness, and efficiency. Within the neoliberal narrative, “creative cities” oftentimes use artists and cultural resources as trumps for global competition, and as levers for urban regeneration. In this paper, we intend to discuss this tension/dichotomy induced by public policies that take culture and arts as elements of a “miracle recipe,” resulting in both market-led dynamics that compromise a democratic right to the city and critical grassroots-led dynamics of social innovation and social cohesion. Lisbon is currently a stage of coexisting intertwined public policies, market dynamics, and grassroots initiatives, bringing together distinct modes of cultural and artistic expression and distinct ways of “city-making.” Recent processes of touristification and gentrification are evident, inducing fast changes in local dynamics. This paper will focus on the area of Mouraria/Almirante Reis, a central area historically associated with segregation and marginality. Since the 1990s, several municipality-led programs and initiatives have induced relevant changes in the area, both through urban physical rehabilitation and cultural and artistic initiatives. Based on the analysis of these public policies and on an extensive understanding of the local cultural scene and its key actors’ dynamics, we’ll illustrate the diversity of effects these initiatives induce on local dynamics and local revitalization: between hegemonic alignment and radical critical resistance.