Culture, territory and citizenship: a study on cultural policies in Natal
Cultural Policies; Environmental Psychology; Cultural Citizenship; Territory;
This study investigates cultural policies in Natal from the perspective of cultural citizenship and its spatial distribution, considering its impact on people-environment relations in the city's territories. A discussion is undertaken based on the historical panorama of socio-spatial inequalities in Brazil, in line with the conceptualization of space, territory and citizenship of the geographer Milton Santos, cultural citizenship of the philosopher Marilena Chauí and appropriation of space of Environmental Psychology. Thus cultural policies are a concrete example of how the State can act to expand (or discourage) citizenship materialized in territories, helping (or not) to encourage community appropriation through cultural and artistic equipment and expressions. Specifically, Natal is characterized by notable differences between its administrative zones in terms of socioeconomic conditions and provision of public spaces for leisure and culture. However the local studies on cultural policies do not discuss the issue of equal territorial distribution of cultural projects. A documentary research investigated and mapped 6 public selections between 2016-2019 and the maps indicated cultural projects’ concentration in the historic center (notably Cidade Alta) and south neighborhoods. So the spatialization of cultural policies reasserts historical socio-spatial inequalities of Natal. In the second methodological stage a expert panel integrated semi-structured interviews with 11 cultural agents. The thematic analysis points to the urgency of mapping the cultural practices and networks that already exist in Natal. This will assist the requalification and updating of cultural policies and the training of cultural agents in order to develop cultural citizenship through actions of appropriation of cultural environments.