CC BY
9
ОСНОВНОЙ РАЗДЕЛ
UDC 332.142.4
Alghafri M.A.
Ph.D. student Supervisor: Veklenko Vasily Ivanovich Doctor of Economics, Professor Kursk State University Institute of Economics and Management
Russia, Kursk
THE EFFECT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN LOCAL
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (THE CASE STUDY OF SYRIA)
Abstract. Culture heritage plays a significant role in the regeneration and development of local and regional areas. This paper aims to explore opportunities for cultural entrepreneurship to development of local economy. Its tries to define of cultural entrepreneurship in cultural heritage sites in Syria. Entrepreneurial activities in cultural heritage sites require the building of managerial and business capacity and skills in local and regional populations, which are not necessarily educated or informed about business opportunities.
Keywords: cultural heritage, local economic, cultural entrepreneurship, economic development, Syria
Introduction. In studies of cultural heritage, one of the key themes to focus on, both to the benefit of tangible inherited cultural assets and for its implications from a local economic development perspective, is cultural entrepreneurship. A unique sub-field of entrepreneurship studies, since it receives influence from the cultural and arts sector and all people involved in it, from agents to artists and creators. The cultural sector was diagnosed to turn to a significant economic sector in many economies, equally important to other segments of economies, in economic and financial terms [5]. A series of examples are now available where many income and employment opportunities have been generated in construction, accommodation, tourism, and handicraft sector by the use, exploitation, and promotion of cultural heritage sites [19]. These cases are discussed to bring or improve community empowerment, capacity building, urban revitalization, as well as enhance the capacity and expertise of central and local culture heritage institutions.
An important, identifiable component of the cultural sector is the tangible assets that it inherits from its past and the civilizations that have been created at the same territory. This cultural heritage is found in the form of monuments, historical sites, museums, libraries, archives, old theatres, and buildings that express its past economic and social life [12] have distinguished cultural industries as those industrially produced, such as broadcasting, film and recorded music, from the subsidized arts, such as visual and performing arts, museums and galleries.
Cultural entrepreneurship is a domain of entrepreneurship that is related to arts and culture. There is a plethora of definitions on arts and cultural entrepreneurship. Some stem from the perspective of management, emphasizing managerial aspects and the significance of the person who undertakes entrepreneurship activity in arts and culture, i.e. the cultural entrepreneur. Others focus more on cultural aspects, seeking to address the underlying debate on the simultaneous use of the terms culture and entrepreneurship [9,18]. On another hand , arts entrepreneurship is a management process through which cultural workers seek to support their creativity and autonomy, advance their capacity for adaptability, and create artistic as well as economic and social value. For them the purpose of this management process involves an ongoing set of innovative choices and risks intended to recombine resources and pursue new opportunities in order to produce artistic, economic and social value [5,1].
Cultural entrepreneurship is undertaken by cultural enterprises and people working in them or forming them. These range from single-person enterprises, such as authors and writers, architects or musicians to profitable large-scale businesses and corporations with a special organization, presidents and boards. Their role consists in building the links between the artists and creators, on the one hand, and the market for cultural goods and services[4]. A special case of cultural enterprises can be considered to be cultural institutions and organizations that are semi-private, with funds allocated by private sources. For example, this is the case with many museums, libraries, galleries and other sponsored initiatives and activities. Culture is also produced through public sector organizations, such as museums and libraries.
Cultural entrepreneurship is considered to be a way to create and expand cultural capital in an area or nation [18]. The concept of cultural capital comprises traditions, music, stories, decorations, feasts and celebrations, dress, food, dwellings and other expression of human life [2]. Organizations such as museums and libraries acts as repositories of cultural capital [1,2]. Partnerships may be formed to unlock the creative potential of a country or locality.
Cultural entrepreneurship of cultural heritage sites in Syria. Cultural entrepreneurs: managers of heritage site. Managing a heritage site is a principal example where a cultural entrepreneur can be found and get involved. The need to protect and conserve heritage sites, as well as the need to incorporate potential new uses in them, brings the need to organize all necessary information, knowledge, and processes that help to promote its management [11]. In some countries like the UK, a heritage management plan is required for the conservation of heritage sites. Such a heritage management plan is a plan specific for managing a particular heritage site or building that involves the preparation of all necessary specifications [19].
Entrepreneurship is required both in the preparation of a specific management plan and its implementation. The management plan may be undertaken by estate managers, land agents, consultants or other real estate specialists, architects or civil engineers, designers, urban planners, managers,
accountants or other economists. An entrepreneurial capacity and skills are required in the implementation of a management plan, due to the decision-making often needed, not necessarily in agreement with the original, static plan. A manager will have to collect relevant in-formation, to describe the property and assess its significance, to agree a baseline condition, to set aims and objectives to implement the undertakings, to develop a specific work program, to monitor progress against the devised program and review it at some pre-defined time intervals [3]. With a work program, resources will be allocated, priorities will be identified, a phased approach will be undertaken, annual monitoring reports may be organized, different timescales will be offered, and all key significant features will be considered (such as agricultural landscape, building repair maintenance, nature conservation, plans and strategies, recreation and access management, woodland management and other) [14]. He or she is also required to handle various management issues, such as conflicts between different uses, conflicts between conservation and economic objectives, problems arising from previous or existing management regimes, conflicts between the heritage management plan and other management plans, compliance with safety or access legislation and choices concerning limited resource allocation [17].
The work of civil engineers, contractors, and real estate managers and builders should not be neglected, even if they may be involved indirectly in the conservation of the heritage site, often by promoting secondary and ancillary activities and housing surrounding the heritage site or monument. For example, a number of facilities may be required in old buildings and monuments to help and provide physical access to people with special needs. A multi-factorial perspective of a heritage site encompasses conservation work in urban design, architectural work, civil and mechanical engineering, work conducted by curators and conservators, and the building management systems[13].
Incubation and other forms of business support services in cultural heritage sites. A special case for the driving of cultural entrepreneurship is the turning of sites of cultural heritage into business incubators or other business support services. Such business support services can be for example incubators, science/technological parks, relay buildings, demonstration centers, technical, design or prototyping centers, co-working spaces, fab labs or living labs, innovation accelerators, or IP advice centers. In such cases, cultural heritage becomes a space for unfolding not only the forces of creativity and those of cultural entrepreneurship but more generally entrepreneurial potential of an area, regional or local[15]. Incubators can be physical or even virtual. A special case of incubators may be cultural incubators. These are places where enterprises from the creative sector are located. They receive business development advice, access to finance, they participate in common development projects, and are supported by a network of businesses and other services [7]. Such types of incubators are used by many states and local and regional authorities for economic regeneration purposes.
Museums and the turning cultural sites to places serving new cultural episodes. The use of cultural sites such as factories as permanent spaces hosting
art and cultural events can be seen as a special case of cultural activity, since not only cultural heritage sites are explored and used (rather than simply conserved and protected) but, at the same time, they serve broader cultural and artistic aims and purposes, in their more modern expression. Such places are art factories, creativity factories and most importantly museums[20]. They are places were a variety of entrepreneurs can find or offer jobs, to provide an entrepreneurial, artistic, and cultural environment. In particular, museums are a characteristic example where old buildings or other sites of cultural heritage are used. For example, in the streets of Aleppo, in Syria, many of the old buildings have been used to turn the city's neighborhood into one of the few places in world where so many museums are gathered in such a condensed space.
leisure events. An entrepreneur may get involved in the organization and implementation of heritage events or festivities at a certain cultural site. He or she may be required to conform to conservation specifications and regulations for the use and exploitation of a part of a heritage site or the whole site itself. A special permit may be needed in advance, which may be associated with some particular requirements or even traditions, and local or national ethical and moral issues, as well as penalties in the case that these are not fulfilled [16]. For example in the Syria, in Daraa city theatre, a historical heritage site in the city center, so every year will be festival in the theatre in order to attractive tourists inside and outside the country, so this site needs the event management plan.
Examples of such entrepreneurs are those involved in the organization and greater performance of music activities and events, including musicians and artists in the music sector, those involved in theatrical events and drama, those involved in festivals and shows (which range from local performers and artists to technicians and producers), sportsmen and those involved in holding sports events and activities, as well as educational activities, as well as organizers of other cultural events that may take place in the heritage sites. Leisure events and festivities are held all over the world, at local and regional level, stemming from various existing traditions. Examples, classified by season, are spring with Easter and gardening, summer with outdoor music festivals and tennis, autumn with bonfire night and Halloween, and winter with pantomimes and sledging [5,6]. Such events have an economic, as well as social, political, and cultural value, and they refer to various target audiences. Another group of entrepreneurs that may get involved with the use of cultural heritage for leisure purposes are entertainers, such as comedians or street musicians. Arts sponsorship is associated to cultural entrepreneurship. The more mature amongst arts sponsors use several business practices and managerial skills, from information technology, public relations, marketing and human resource management experience [8,10]. One way to explore the uses of a cultural heritage site is by offering them as places for the creation, organization, and undertaking of games and other recreational activities. Athletic activities and sports games can be seen as a special case of these activities.
Entrepreneurs to fund, assess the financing of activities surrounding cultural heritage, insure and provide the appropriate financial and credit environment. A special type of enterprises and entrepreneurship that may be requested to use and explore the various uses of a cultural heritage site, from its conservation and restoration as a monument to its recreational, informational, gaming or other use and activity is that of financial. Financial analysts and planners are needed to asses to what extent an activity associated to cultural heritage carries the potential to bring customers, users, potential buyers of local markets and products, and improve the wealth of a local economy and its development prospects. They will have to launch new products, such as equity or guarantee funds or other specific financial instruments and organize the process of assessing economic impacts, both at the level of single enterprises involved in the use, combination, exploitation of cultural heritage sites and resources and at the level of the economy, local, regional or even national [20]. They will help to promote investments in the protection, conservation, promotion and development of cultural heritage and monuments (the digitalization of a site) and support the regeneration process [9]. They will also finance innovative activities and promote both innovativeness and creativity, in association with financial, economic, or other broader targets. These targets may involve effects triggered on local and regional innovation, research and development, exports and internationalization, social cohesion and well-being, economic diversification, tourism, cluster development, branding strategy, sustainable development, education and lifelong learning, integration and cultural development [11]. Entrepreneurs may get involved with the creation of the appropriate credit environment for building-up clusters of cultural and creative industries, for setting-up innovation hubs, and spaces nearby or inside cultural heritage sites that will reveal the wealth of cultural heritage sites. Their activities inside a site of cultural value may be directly or indirectly associated with promoting and revealing the value of a cultural heritage sites.
Such entrepreneurs may require the work of consultants, with special financial skills on the preparation of mapping studies, on the formation of strategic alliances and the creation of institutional framework for setting up cultural and creative industries and firms, as well as for raising awareness and information services, devising strategies and providing policy measures [20]. The latter will all create most favorable preconditions for a number of skeptical entrepreneurs and hesitant creditors that will think several times before investing their funds and monies and undertake the relevant risks.
Conclusions. The use of entrepreneurial forces of a locality or region to promote cultural heritage value may contain potential threats. Gentrification and the displacement of traditional inhabitants or local community can be a negative aspect of entrepreneurial activity undertaken at a heritage site. Thus, building on local entrepreneurship skills and potential to overcome problems emerging from the increase of values in places surrounding a heritage site, may be an actual opportunity for local economies. Local inhabitants share the interest for promoting
conservation and preservation activities, a sense of belonging, and an interest for intangible values related to the tangible assets, all required ensuring the continuity of such values. Entrepreneurial activities in cultural heritage sites require the building of managerial and business capacity and skills in local and regional populations, which are not necessarily educated or informed about business opportunities. Local people may be peasants, farmers, or artisans, they may lack digital skills, necessary knowledge about the use of technologies, the use of machines, technical skills or other tools required for experimenting with potential uses of cultural sites and organizing their exploitation. Creativity and the capacity of a local economy to organize its cultural industries and to provide a certain pool of local human resources capable of undertaking an active part in the unfolding of creative potential is something that is built also through education.
References
1. Aageson, T.H. Cultural Entrepreneurs: Producing Cultural Value and Wealth , 92-107 in Anheier, Helmut K. and Yudhishthir Raj Isar (eds.), The Cultures and Globalisation Series: The Cultural Economy, London: Sage. 2008. P. 123- 124.
2. Aageson, Th.H. The Economic Impact of Arts and Cultural Enterprises on Local Economies and the Role of the Cultural Entrepreneur / Th.H. Aageson, May 18-21, Silver City, New Mexico, Museum of New Mexico Foundation. 2009. p. 46.
3. Beckman, G.D. Adventuring" arts entrepreneurship curricula in higher education: An examination of present efforts, obstacles, and best practices // G.D. Beckman, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 2007. Vol.37(2) p.87-112.
4. Chang, W.J. and Margaret, W. "What is Arts Entrepreneurship? Tracking the Development of its Definition in Scholarly Journals. 2015. Activate 4 (2). p. 1131.
5. Cunningham, S. From Cultural to Creative Industries: Theory, Industry and Policy Implications // S. Cunningham, Media International Australia, 2002. Vol. 102 (1) p. 54-65.
6. DeNatale, D. Wassall, G.H. The Creative Economy: A New Definition / D. DeNatale, G.H. Wassall, New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston. 2007. P. 56- 58.
7. Ellmeier, A. Cultural entrepreneurialism: on the changing relationship between the arts, culture and employment // A. Ellmeier, The International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2003 vol. 9(1). P. 3-16.
8. Guzmán, P.C. Pereira Roders, A.R. Colenbrander, B.J.F Measuring links between cultural heritage management and sustainable urban development: An overview of global monitoring tools // P.C. Guzmán, A.R. Pereira Roders, B.J.F Colenbrander. Cities, 2017. Vol. 60, Part A. , P. 192-201
9. Hesmondhalgh, D. Pratt, A.C. Cultural industries and cultural policies // D. Hesmondhalgh, D. Pratt, A.C. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2005. Vol. 11(1) p. 1-14.
10. Hewison, R. The crisis of cultural leadership in Britain // R. Hewison, , International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2004. Vol.10 (2) p. 157-166.
11. Hongliang,Y. Cultural Heritage Tourism: Five Steps for Success and Sustainability // Y. Hongliang, Tourism Management. 2019. Vol.70. P. 153-154.
12. Izabela, K. Sustainable tourism development efforts by local governments in Poland // K. Izabela, Sustainable Cities and Society, 2018. Vol. 40. P. 581-588.
13. Jeffcutt, P. Pratt, A.C. Managing Creativity in the Cultural Industries // P. Jeffcutt, A.C. Pratt, Creativity and Innovation Management, 2002. Vol.11(4). P.225-233.
14. Karen,S.Frances,R.Venda, P. Creating the good life? A wellbeing perspective on cultural value in rural development // S. Karen, R. Frances, P. Venda, Journal of Rural Studies. 2018. Vol. 59. P. 173-182.
15. Kuhlke, O. Schramme, A. Kooyman. R. Creation Cultural Capital: Cultural Entrepreneurship in Theory, Pedagogy and Practice, Pioneering Minds Worldwide, available on-line, June. 2015.p. 16.
16. Maria,G.B. Tourism as a heritage producing machine // G.B. Maria, Tourism Management Perspectives. 2018. Vol. 26, P. 5-8.
17. McNicholas, B. Arts, Culture and Business: A Relationship Transformation // B. McNicholas, International Journal of Arts Management, 2004. Vol. 7(1), p.57-69.
18. Sofia, F.F. Jacob, L.M.The effects of cultural heritage on residential property values: Evidence from Lisbon, Portugal // F.F. Sofia, L.M. Jacob, Regional Science and Urban Economics. 2018. Vol. 70. P. 35-56.
19. The Getty Conservation Institute Historic Urban environment. Conservation Challenges and Priorities for Action - Experts Meeting, Historic Cities and Urban Settlements Initiative, Los Angeles, 2010. March 12-14.
20. World Bank. Cultural heritage and Local Economic Development: Good Practice from the Western Balkans, Final Synthesis Report, Working Paper no 60090 Southeastern Europe and Balkans. 2010.
