Paper short abstract:

There is evidence to suggest that some African cities wish to be known as cultural or creative cities and that arts practitioners and creative practitioners are encouraging these cities to do so in the expectation of the benefits to urban planning, the residents, or the artist communities themselves.

Paper long abstract:

Linked to the now almost universal desire since the early 1990's of developed country cities to embrace the concept of a creative city or cultural capital there is evidence to suggest that some African cities, along with other developing country cities, wish to be known as cultural or creative cities and that arts and creative practitioners are encouraging their cities to do so in the expectation of the benefits to urban planning, the residents, or the artist communities themselves. This paper will highlight both the common points of intersections as well as the inherent tensions between these diverse experiences based on the cities of Nairobi, Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and Casablanca.

On the one hand, there seems to be a movement to try and deconstruct ideas of what it means to be living in urban Africa. Cities show a desire to move away from the stereotype of the African city - as places of poverty, starvation and conflict towards showcasing the African metropolis - highlighting modern African culture in urbanized centres. On the other hand a clear starting point for artists and creative practitioners is the importance of agglomeration in urban settings with their associated need for services, appropriate public spaces and infrastructure and their collective consumption of urban popular culture.

The development of 'AfricaCAN', with the aim of encouraging African Cultural cities, provides an important starting point for these cities and arts practitioners to work closely together with existing city-based networks and institutions on the continent.