%0 Thesis
%9 Bachelor
%A Szekely, Boroka
%D 2024
%F theses_frw:4590
%P 59
%T Creative City Identity – A Case Study of the Embassy Festival in The Hague
%U https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4590/
%X Creative city policies have been utilised in many cities to develop the cultural sector and draw in investment. Festivalisation is a common manifestation of creative city policy. However, such policies can have limitations and intended consequences which are important to understand in the context of the city. The Hague is no exception to creative city policy and presents as a unique case study area due to its significant international population. The annually occurring Embassy Festival is a manifestation of both creative city policy and the international environment, with most embassies in The Netherlands being situated in the city. The research aims to discover how the Embassy Festival contributes to the formation of creative city identity in The Hague, through the qualitative lens of interviews and policy analysis. This research has shown that the goals of the festival are mainly sociocultural, aiming to disregard political tensions to unite cultures through education and experience. Secondly, the festival prioritises inclusivity, especially financial inclusivity, however heavy reliance on subsidies, coupled with inflation, poses a challenge. Thirdly, the festival contributes to The Hague’s creative city identity indirectly, mostly through opportunities for performers and the inclusion of various demographic groups. Further research should be done into the views of visitors to gain a greater depth of understanding of the motivations for attending the festival. Additional further research may involve applying the same framework to a case study of a different festival in The Hague, such as De Betovering (a creative children’s festival) and seeing festivalisation affects the creative city identity.