Edinburgh rated ‘top cultural city’
Scottish capital is ranked alongside Paris and Copenhagen
Edinburgh has been rated the top “cultural and creative city” of its size in Europe in a new study.
The European Commission findings ranked the capital alongside Paris and Copenhagen – top for cities with larger populations. Ian Campbell, Edinburgh City Council’s deputy culture convenor, said: “This confirms what we already know – that Edinburgh is a leading cultural capital.”
Edinburgh has been rated the top “cultural and creative city” of its size in Europe in a major new study which explored 30 different countries.
The Scottish capital was ranked alongside Paris and Copenhagen, which topped the categories for bigger populations, in the European Commission findings.
Researchers took the “cultural pulse” of 168 cities across Europe, examined how much the creative industries contributed to each economy and explored their efforts to attract talent and encourage participation in the arts.
Key factors taken into account included the range of arts venues, historic attractions and landmarks, the number of overnight stays recorded, and attendance at theatres, concerts and cinemas. The number of jobs in arts, culture, media and communications were considered, along with university rankings and the number of university graduates in subjects like arts and humanities.
The report states: “Edin- burgh is internationally famous for its unique topography and historic architecture, with the medieval Old Town and neo-classical New Town featuring on the Unesco World Heritage Site list.
“Edinburgh hosts 12 major festivals each year. Overall, its festivals are among the biggest ticketed events in the world, and the Fringe festival is now the largest annual international arts festival. Edinburgh also has a rich literary tradition dating back to the Enlightenment, which won the city the first title of Unesco City of Literature in 2004.
“On the policy side, Edinburgh actively supports the growth of the cultural and creative sectors. Also, the City of Edinburgh Strategic Plan 2012-17 aims to invest in sporting and cultural infrastructure to further improve quality of life.”
Ian Campbell, Edinburgh City Council’s deputy culture convenor, said: “This confirms what we already know – that Edinburgh is a leading UK and European cultural capital.
“As the world’s festival city for 70 years, a Unesco City of Literature, a member of the World Cities Culture Forum and the home of renowned museums, galleries and venues this comes as no surprise.
“What we must do is ensure we maintain the city’s reputation, by supporting Edinburgh’s cultural economy and creating an environment which attracts and retains artists and creative people.”
John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh, said:“our dynamic mix of cultural venues, strong infrastructure, student population and tolerance has led to a strong overall performance in the report.”