Tallinna ja Tartu eneserepresentatsioon Euroopa kultuuripealinna kandidaadina

Date

2008

Authors

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Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Tartu Ülikool

Abstract

Description

The aim of the MA thesis was to compare the endeavor of Tallinn and Tartu to become the European Capital of Culture in 2011 and to observe the difference between their approaches to this goal. The research focused on communication channels, messages and how they were perceived by the audience in both cities. In addition attention was paid upon the commodification of culture and how much the economic aspects were visible in the competition for the title. The keywords for selected theories were culture marketing, consumer culture and popular and high culture. The empirical materials consist mostly of normative and implementation oriented research projects. The empirical analysis of the thesis is based on two group interviews which were carried out in Tallinn and Tartu and on in-depth interviews with the people who coordinated the compilation of the bids in both cities. Additional interview was conducted with the person who participated in the work of the commission making the final selection between Tallinn and Tartu. Furthermore many different TV and printed advertisements were analyzed. The research questions for the thesis were following: 1. What was the difference in the communication of Tallinn and Tartu in the bidding process? a. What kinds of communication channels were used? b. What were the main communication messages and how they were perceived by the audience? 2. How much culture and place commodification occurred and how much the economic aspects were visible in the competition for the title? Summarizing the results of the research one can conclude that Tallinn and Tartu based their campaigns on different platforms in visual design, choice of communication channels and –messages. Tallinn used more mass media and highlighted its strongest sides like good geographic position and better infrastructure. Tartu organized a more moderate campaign which focused on original ideas and tried to involve as many citizens as possible. The commodification of culture and places could be seen rarely in the communication of both cities. The nature of the campaigns was rather informative. At the same time the economic aspects of European Capital of Culture were clearly in the bids and in the thoughts of informants. To add a more practical dimension to the MA thesis advice based on theoretical and empirical approaches is given for the organizers of the European Capital of Culture. In future the imago of Estonia in the perspective of tourists and natives should be analyzed before and after the year of 2011. In addition the success of European Capital of Culture in Estonia could be compared to its forerunners in many different aspects.

Keywords

H Social Sciences (General)

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