Bogotá was highlighted in the fifth edition of the International Award of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) - Mexico City - Culture 21, where an international jury recognized the program 'Es Cultura Local' - ECL (It's Local Culture) as a successful practice for implementing the Culture 21 Agenda.
This recognition holds significant value for Bogotá, given that ECL has been a triumphant case and a point of reference for other cities globally, encompassing themes of innovation, participation, sustainability, efficiency, and replicability.
"'Es Cultura Local' has kept progressing, and as a result, it continues to be acknowledged both nationally and internationally as a model of cultural management that has, directly and indirectly, benefited millions of citizens. This acknowledgment from such an esteemed organization like UCLG allows us to showcase the success of 'Es Cultura Local' and how it has enabled thousands of artists and cultural managers to recover from the pandemic's restrictions, so they can carry on with their creation, initiatives and projects. Now, the path remains open to further bolstering economic growth and the development of those working within the cultural sphere in Bogotá," stated Catalina Valencia, Secretary of Culture, Recreation, and Sports.
Contenidos relacionados
Don't miss the opportunity, here are the current calls for submissions
The Secretariat of Culture, Recreation, and Sports (SCRD) announces new opportunities for culture in the capital city.
- Two awards for women in the cultural and creative sector of Bogotá in partnership between SCRD and the Institute of International Cooperation and Municipal Development (INCIDEM) from Madrid, Spain.
Es Cultura Local Award - Sumapaz Locality
Registrations are now open for the ‘Es Cultura Local’ Award in the Sumapaz locality, which seeks to recognize the trajectory of artistic, cultural, heritage, and creative economy processes in this sector.
Its purpose is to acknowledge experiences, initiatives, or cultural, artistic, heritage, or creative economy processes in Sumapaz locality that have helped consolidate actions such as:
- Community work practices.
- Defense and visibility of the territory.
- Generation of intergenerational dialogues.
- Appropriation, conservation, or dissemination of the community's rural traditions and customs.
A total of 14 awards will be given in three categories:
- Category 1: Long trajectory award - five incentives of COP $21,000,000 each.
- Category 2: Medium trajectory award - five incentives of COP $16,000,000 each.
- Category 3: Short trajectory award - four incentives of COP $13,262,019 each.
Cultural Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award for Women in Bogotá's Creative Districts
This call for submissions aims to recognize the leadership and management of women who carry out processes of innovation, project implementation, and management that have had a positive impact on the cultural ecosystem and economy of Bogotá's Creative Districts and their surrounding areas.
Two incentives of COP $15,000,000 each will be awarded in this category.
Registrations open from July 5 to August 2, 2023.
Digital Publication Award for Texts, Memories, or Research
Focused on acknowledging the work of women, groups, or organizations led by women, this award celebrates the digital publication of unpublished texts, memories, or research related to the management, trajectories, experiences, contributions, and/or leadership of women in the cultural and creative sector in Bogotá. The purpose is to raise visibility and disseminate works that highlight the role of women in the sector.
Two awards of COP $12,000,000 each will be granted for this call.
Registrations open from July 5 to August 2, 2023.
The Birth of a Legacy
The ‘Es Cultura Local’ Program was born in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of all cultural venues, which left artists and cultural managers in the city without any income.
Focused on activities related to art, heritage, culture, and creativity, the program has progressively engaged all 20 localities of Bogotá in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions, as a strategy to guarantee cultural rights.
This program has been a journey of discovering new talents and has enabled the strengthening and qualification of citizen initiatives and projects in the creation, production, distribution, exhibition, commercialization, and promotion of cultural and creative goods and services. It has achieved this through the provision of economic incentives and training in entrepreneurship and skills development. ‘Es Cultura Local’ has become a city-wide strategy.
Through the strengthening, support, and promotion of cultural and creative sector agents, as well as coordination with entities such as the City Institute of the Arts (Idartes) and the Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation (FUGA), the Secretariat of Government, and the 20 Local Development Funds. ‘Es Cultura Local’ has impacted 2,362 projects in the sector across its three editions, with a budget of $72 billion and involvement from all 20 localities. More than 91,548 individuals and approximately 15,258 households have benefited from this program.
Key Factors
For over 20 years, Bogotá has been supporting and promoting the cultural and creative sector. However, through ‘Es Cultura Local’, it was understood how to create a platform that effectively and efficiently addressed the weaknesses and challenges faced by these organizations during the periods of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, ‘Es Cultura Local’ is integrated with the City Public Policy of Cultural and Creative Economy (2019-2038), ensuring that strategies for reactivation and revitalization throughout the value chain of the sector will continue to be implemented, consistent, and relevant to the needs of each territory.
Currently, the program has undergone a transformation, adopting a structure with components that aim to move from mere economic reactivation following the pandemic crisis, to a model of strengthening and sustainability for cultural agents, addressing the sector's specific dynamics.
‘Es Cultura Local’ is a program that will continue to support all creators of culture and creativity because this is the economy of the present. We invite everyone to continue this journey together so that the power of local talent can continue transforming, growing, and multiplying the value of culture.
