Културни практики и конструиране образите на града
Cultural Practices and Constructing the Images of the Town

Summary/Abstract: Cultural policies are used as an instrument for decentralization of state authority, democratization of local self-government and achieving a constant economic development. They are formed on the basis of a concept of culture, which is built on four major principles: identity, variety, creativity and participation of the citizens. This concept is also applied in defining the essence of local community, where identity plays the central part. The article deals with the creation of images and ideas, which refer to a certain town or quarter and concern directly the construction of identity. One of the possible ways for the creation of images is connected to the practice of cultural activities and the organizing of cultural events, which are specific for the town and legitimate the idea of its uniqueness. The author's attention is focused on those cultural practices, which result from the cultural policy of the official state and social institutions and of the non-governmental organizations. The article presents only institutionalized cultural practices, by means of which culture and cultural heritage are instrumentalized. So they are used for the formation of notions of the town and the town space and for making certain places valuable, thus increasing their status. The analysis of the problem in the context of the cultural and social heritage of Plovdiv clearly outlines three levels of activity - local, national and international. These levels influence the images of the town, the construction and interpretation of the contemporary notions and the symbolic organization of the town space. The cultural practices are a part of the complex system of relations and play the role of a mediator in the field of exchanges, helping the formation and preservation of interactions in urban environment.

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