Carnival 365: building on the cultural capital of Barranquilla.

London School of Economics & Political Science

MSc City Design & Social Science

David Montero Jalil

@DMonteroJalil

Carnival 365:Building on the Cultural Capital of Barranquilla

ContentsThe Context 4

The Plan 7

The Carnival 8

Carnival’s difficulties and challenges 18

Strategy 23

Conclusion 34

End Notes 35

References 36

Acknowledgements 39

(Oyala, 2012)3

Carnival 365: Building on the Cultural Capital of Barranquilla

The Context: risk of unequal quality of life alongside economic growth

Barranquilla, one of the most populated cities of Colombia, lately has been experiencing its

highest economic growth in years. Due to its strategic coastal location for international commerce

and industrial activities, central and local governments have been undertaking large public

investment to make the city a logistics platform for the continent, at the same time signing

commercial agreements with highly developed countries such as the United States and those

within the European Union.

Within this conjuncture the concept of urban sustainability has gained importance in the political

arena while international organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank have

allocated capital to facilitate the construction of the necessary infrastructure to materialize the

vision of a more sustainable and competitive city. However, not all sectors of the city feel

optimistic about the results of these plans in the long run. There are concerns that there is the risk

of failure in achieving balanced progress in terms of economic growth, social equity and

environmental preservation. From the citizens’ perspective, there is a general perception about the

city doing better in terms of infrastructure that support economic growth, such as motorways,

rather than in terms of public spaces that provide everyday quality of life to its citizens, in the form

of parks and green areas. According to the results of an official survey in 2012, of 1209 citizens

from different sectors, 47% were dissatisfied with the state of parks, green areas and sport zones

of their neighborhoods; on the other hand, in answer to the question about satisfaction with the

state of roads, a majority of 58% of respondents answered that they were satisfied

(IPSOS - Napoleon Franco, 2012).

47%of citizens are dissatisfied

with the state of parks, green areas and

sport zones

58%of citizens are satisfied with the state of roads

244%was the growth of public

revenues between 2006 – 2011

Figures sources:Top: (Portafolio.co, 2013) Middle & Bottom: (IPSOS - Napoleon Franco, 2012)


The city seems to be taking the right decisions when investing in the enhancement of the

infrastructure of the city to take advantage of the opportunity to boost its competitiveness

and economic growth by attracting foreign investors, generating employment and increasing

public revenues. However, to achieve sustainable development it is also important to

redistribute public resources by providing infrastructure for social equity and environmental

preservation. Although the growth of economic capital is important, it does not assure the

enhancement of wellbeing equally for all citizens. Other kinds of capital, e.g. cultural, are also

important to grow. The investments in public spaces for cultural development provide equal

opportunities to citizens for improving their daily quality of life because they can be used by

everyone regardless of their type of employment, socioeconomic status, age, race or physical

capacity (Penalosa, 2012). This is more relevant than ever in cities like Barranquilla where social

and physical segregation still exist, and which has 30.4% of its inhabitants living in poverty

(approximately 421,000 inhabitants), and 3.8% living in extreme poverty (approximately 52,700

inhabitants) (DANE, 2013), but where a better quality of life could be offered equally to its

citizens.

In Barranquilla due to the lack of high quality parks and plazas to fulfill human needs, new

shopping malls and exclusive private commercial spaces, only affordable to a small part of the

society, have been turning into the main alternatives to public space. These behaviors

contradict the current vision of the city to provide a socially inclusive and healthy public area.

Whilst the city makes efforts to increase its economic capital and the people’s income to

reduce poverty, other kinds of non-monetary inequalities can be reduced by democratizing

the right to fulfill non-material needs in public spaces. An analysis of Abraham Maslow’s

theory of human motivation (1943) provides an understanding of needs that can be fulfilled

independently of purchasing power levels. While a lack of economic resources may threaten

the fulfillment of citizens’ biological and physiological needs, public spaces and cultural

manifestations, e.g. festivals and carnivals, provide opportunities to meet other needs, for

instance a sense of belonging, social recognition, artistic fulfillment and expression.

Fig 1. Jose Prudencio Padilla Park in poor condition (Author 2012).

Figures sources:: Top: (Alcaldia de Barranquilla, 2011) Middle & Bottom: (DANE, 2013)

1.386.865inhabitants has

Barranquilla

30.4%of inhabitants living in conditions of poverty

3.8%of inhabitants living

in conditions of extreme poverty

5

Barranquilla has a huge carnival that represents the high cultural capital that the city

has to promote both economic growth and social equity. The carnival is a macro

event that is held annually in February across the whole city; it plays a fundamental

role in the promotion of equality as it essentially provides benefits for powerful and

weak sectors of the society driven by historical behaviors of inclusiveness. During the

carnival the city is a live, almost surreal show of citizens, from very different high and

low socioeconomic classes, coexisting and preserving traditions together. During

these festivities, people participate and share the public domain with high intensity

fuelled by common personal interests and the general motivation for preserving city

traditions (Montero, 2012). These circumstances reflect David Harvey’s idea of the

right to the city, which ‘is far more than the individual liberty to access urban

resources: it is a right to change ourselves by changing the city.’ (Harvey, 2008).

Evidently, a shared culture proves to be a magnet that pulls different people, who are

willing to reinforce common behaviors around the carnival, into communal spaces. In

these encounters strangers strengthen communitarian bonds when, within an

environment of anonymity, they realize that they were drawn by shared cultural

preferences to the public realm where they can ‘meet as equals, stripped bare of their

social hierarchies’ (Penalosa, 2008).

Fig 2. Carnival inthe public realm

(Carnaval SA, 2013e)

Given the social inequalities that exist in Barranquilla and the lack of inclusive public environments, this research analyses the

potential of scaling up the main asset of the city’s cultural capital – its carnival – to support a strategy that would materialize the

vision of a city with useful, attractive, inclusive and vibrant public places that promote equality of quality of life during the whole

year (Penalosa, 2012).

Methodology

Ethnographic research is done to understand the cultural DNA of the city, both during the carnival and the rest of the year, in

order to have elements for the construction of the strategy. The research is done mainly on two levels: institutional and ground

level, and has input from local authorities, academics, citizens, private and non-governmental organizations. From informal

conversations, formal interviews, field observation and direct experience in the city the author analyses holistically physical, social,

economic aspects among others.

The first section of the work explains the importance of the carnival as part of the cultural capital of the city, and the social

inclusiveness that occurs in public spaces when it takes place. The second section explains the main needs and challenges that the

stakeholders of the carnival have in order to keep taking advantage of and growing this asset for the public good of the city. The

third section proposes the strategy for Carnival 365 to provide solutions both to the lack of inclusive public spaces in the city, and

the challenges of the carnival to keep operating in the long run. For this purpose, the strategy integrates carnival initiatives and

processes that are already operating in the city and have the potential to be scaled up to be available during the entire year in

public spaces. Four main pillars of action are recommended to be implemented with specific initiatives that can be fostered to be

the cement that would sustain the pillars of the strategy in its early stages of creation. The strategy proposes incremental

solutions to understanding the city’s own capabilities and limitations, instead of embedding external models or initiatives that

could be disrupting in the early stages of implementation. Finally, the conclusion connects the solutions that the strategy of

Carnival 365 gives, based on the principles of equality within the context and urban complexities of Barranquilla, and provides a

wider reflection about the relevance of the cultural capital of cities to provide quality of life and opportunities to citizens, despite

the existence of large social inequalities.

The Plan


7

Barranquilla’s carnival is the biggest and the most important cultural event in Colombia and it is a

Masterpiece, as inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

(UNESCO, 2012). More than 1.5 million people from Barranquilla and abroad participate and give

continuity to a tradition of more than a hundred years. The carnival is held once a year over four

days, from the Saturday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday¹. However, some pre-carnival events

also occur in January. It is, no doubt, the most representative asset of Barranquilla, a space where

local citizens from different socioeconomic classes congregate to participate in parades, festivals,

concerts, and informal parties on street corners and sidewalks. The public realm in different

localities of Barranquilla becomes a set of inclusive spaces where people put aside socioeconomic

differences to celebrate as a community the recreation of cultural traditions in an environment of

party (Montero, 2012).

The history of this carnival begins in the colonial era of Colombia as a fusion of a triple heritage

(European, African and Native American). Christian festivities brought by Spanish conquerors were

combined with indigenous ceremonials and the secular rites of African slaves. As a result, a

process of cultural syncretism has continued through the centuries to the present day. Traditional

and popular folkloric representations from the wealthiest and poorest sectors of the society

continue to be expressed (Ministerio de Cultura de Colombia, 2002, p. 23). Today, as in the early

days, the large social segregation produced by inequality disappears during the carnival. A mutual

reliance continues to build a cultural macro event that has become a large source of common

pride for the citizens, which are fundamental to maintaining built environments with their

spontaneity. Corporal dancing movements, musicians performing live music, choreographies,

jokes, smiles, screams are fundamental elements that constitute the DNA of the carnival. Besides

organized artistic groups of carnival-makers, in the carnival ordinary spectators become animated,

playing a key role in a macro urban environment of fiesta. By just wearing fancy dress, clothes full

of color, or masks, every person contributes to the collective cultural manifestation.

The Carnival

Fig 3. Carnival traditions (Oyala, 2012)


When analyzing behaviors of civility and disorder, most of the time civility seems to rule in the public realm because everyone has

the right to be there and is important to the carnival, but the recocha is always present. Recocha is a popular word used in the city

to define an intended moment of friendly disorder for fun. There is no specific method to create a recocha, the recocha is created

spontaneously with acts like known people or strangers throwing water or flour over others, dancers pulling unaware spectators to

the street to invite them to dance or men in a street corner flattering every girl that walks by. However, under the effects of alcohol

some moments of recocha can be transformed into real disorder and incivility when people go beyond the limits of respect. It is

interesting that the reaction of people when they do not want to be bothered or do not want to participate in these moments, is

generally just to say ‘take it easy’ or ‘that’s enough’ which diffuses the situation.

Fig 4. Moments of recocha.Left & Center: (Cantello, 2010) Right: (Cantello, 2012)

The carnival: a shared cultural asset

The carnival is a cultural asset owned and maintained by wealthy and poor social sectors at the same time. The essential

components to build the carnival are non-material resources that are difficult or impossible to measure in monetary terms. A

principal example is the cultural knowledge mostly accrued by people living in the poorest areas of the city due to the transfer that

has occurred from generation to generation for over a hundred years. An important peculiarity of the possession of cultural

resources by poor social groups of Barranquilla is their motivation to share them without monopolizing them. They are convinced

that the preservation of the carnival is more important than attaining personal benefits. Their motivation for sharing their

knowledge openly goes against the logic of economic capitalism, which inversely seeks to accumulate technologies and resources

without sharing them in order to generate more profits in the market economy.

9

Spaces and behaviors in the carnival

The carnival is not held in one specific place, it is a network of events in the whole city with vibrant atmosphere of celebration

rituals constituted by the congregation of diverse social, economic and physical elements that represent the identity of

Barranquilla. These rituals are not essentially different from those that constitute and inform the so-called routine of daily life

(DaMatta, 1979, pp. 53 - 54).

To examine the peculiarities of our society is to study as well those zones of

encounter and mediation, the squares and churchyards which are the sites of

carnivals, processions, and roguish forms of behavior. These are zones where

rational, normal time is suspended and a new routine must be innovated and

repeated, where problems are forgotten or confronted; for here, suspended

between automatic routines and the festival that wishes to reconstruct the

world, we touch the realm of liberty and the domain of what seems to be

essentially human (DaMatta, 1979, p. 4).

The main spaces where carnival activities are held can be grouped into three categories:

1. Public streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas and stadiums

2. Semi-public terraces and curbs

3. Private venues

Public streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas and stadiums

Carnival events, as with other artistic shows, food festivals, parties, concerts and parades, are held in public spaces such as streets,

sidewalks, parks, plazas and stadiums. The main ones are made in the Vía 40, which is the widest avenue of the city located in the

east of the city. This avenue, parallel to the river, normally serves as the main transport connector between the industrial zone of

Barranquilla and the gates to other cities. It is also used as a fast way to go from the north to the south of the city.

Fig 5. Rituals. (Carnaval SA, 2013e)

11

Vía 40

Calle 84

Carrera 53 / 54

Carrera 44

Calle 70 C

Carrera 8

Carrera 13C

Calle 17

Main streets & avenues where Carnival parades are held Main parks, plazas & stadium where

official Carnival events are organized

Carrera 21B

Map 1. Pubic spaces of the Carnival.. Map courtesy of Fotocopias Jireh.Edited by the author.Events info: (Carnaval SA, 2013a)

The location, type of infrastructures, and permissions are coordinated under the approval of the Secretary of Culture, Heritage and

Tourism of Barranquilla to promote equal accessibility by people of all different socioeconomic levels. Three huge parades are

organized in this avenue: La Batalla de Flores on Saturday, La Gran Parada de Tradición on Sunday, and La Gran Parada de

Comparsas on Monday (Carnaval SA, 2013a). To promote social inclusion and equal rights to participate in these parades, this

organization chooses, by running contests, the traditional carnival-makers that perform their art in the avenue; it also rents places

for private companies to participate with dancers, and coaches covered in advertising material that bring celebrities to the carnival

on decorated stages. For the spectators that surround the Vía 40, dozens of huge bleachers, mini-bleachers are built and open

spaces created. This represents Professor Mehrotra’s concept of the ‘static’ and the ‘kinetic’ world (Mehrotra in Burdett & Sudjic,

2011. pp. 108-115). By using old ‘static’ physical spaces, i.e. streets, avenues and sidewalks, participants in the carnival make ‘kinetic’

environments of informal social exchanges, using movable elements such as bleachers, adapted cars, scaffolds and pallets, for a

short time.

The organizers offer affordable prices for people of any economic level. The average price for three days of access to the events in

the Vía 40 are US$83 for the larger bleachers, US$8.3 for the smaller bleachers, and access to the spaces where people can watch

the parades standing is free² (Montero, 2012). However, there is growing city debate about the social exclusion that the set of

bleachers for rent create as they occupy the majority of spaces around the parade (Diario ADN, 2013).

Fig 6. The static & the kinetic. Left:(Author, 2012), Right (Carnaval SA, 2013e)

The physical fence between bleachers and street exemplifies a

permeable ‘border’ (Sennett, 2008) that allows direct interaction

between spectators and dancers. Applause, smiles and screams

go from one side of the fence to the other in an environment full

of music and color. Carnival-makers, dancers and actors in the

street are admired by the spectators in the bleachers (Montero,

2012). These encounters provide ‘cultural stimulation, and help

heal society's divisions of race, class, and ethnicity’ as Richard

Sennett explains should occur in an ideal city (2008).

During the carnival, and due to the increase of spectators

and limitations of including the 667 folkloric groups of the

city in the Vía 40, other carnival promoters in addition to

Carnaval SA organize parades in the principal streets that

are smaller than the Vía 40 during pre-carnival and carnival

times. Parades such as La Guacherna and the Childrens’

Carnival take place once in the pre-carnival season; others

like the Carnival of the 44th avenue are organized during

the carnival at the same time as that of those in the Vía 40.

Fig 7. Borders in the Vía 40. (Courtesy of Carnaval SA , 2012)

Fig 8. Borders in La Guacherna(Carnaval SA, 2013e)

Other pre-carnival and carnival events are held also in public stadiums with free access. This is the case of the Carnival Queen

and King Coronation which is a huge spectacle and musical concert celebrating the annual election of the Queen and the King

of the Carnival, and the Lectura del Bando event in which the Queen dictates, among many jokes and sarcastic humor, mandates

for the citizens to participate in the carnival. One example is ‘I give to each of the Barranquilleros license for partying without

limit of time’ (Zonaceroinfo, 2013).

13

The growth of the carnival and the need for more public spaces in which to organize events is becoming a major topic of relevance

in the city. This need, positively correlated to both the trend for urbanization and the growing attraction of the carnival for tourists,

is inevitably becoming an important subject for urban studies. Considering that the days of the carnival are fixed due to the

tradition of celebrating over the weekend before Ash Wednesday, physical solutions could be found like designing new spaces

during the same days, or temporal solutions could be explored, for instance increasing the days of the carnival before Ash

Wednesday. But taking into account the macro context of the city, this work goes beyond a proposal to celebrate a few more days

before the carnival; it explores the opportunities, benefits and challenges of promoting carnival events during many more days of

the year.

Semi-public terraces and curbs

Walking through Barranquilla during both carnival season and off-season, one peculiarity of

Barranquilla’s socio-spatial landscape is the high amount of terraces and curbs with an

average height of 1 meter at the front or at the back of houses and buildings. Historically,

terraces and curbs have been important physical spaces for social exchanges in Barranquilla.

During the week citizens often create micro environments using these physical elements to

chat, to wait for the bus, to play games, e.g. dominoes, or just to have breaks during working

hours. But during the weekends these same places are used for leisure activities and parties,

the latter being more intense during the carnival. People gather on the curbs, dance on the

sidewalks and even in the middle of the streets that surround crowded bars and restaurants.

Access by cars to the street is forbidden to the citizens and therefore car users are obliged

to park their cars and walk. In many parades, such as the Garabato and the Cumbiamba that

occur in the streets, people also take ownership of sidewalks and semi-public curbs to watch

the spectacle. A sense of disorder is accepted within the environment of fiesta. In fact, as the

advisor to the Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Tourism explains, the set of parades held in

the 44th avenue are called ‘The Curb Carnival’ due to the way spectators watch the parades

from the curbs and create parties on the sidewalks and terraces surrounding the main

avenue (De La Cruz, 2013).

Fig 9. Curbs & Terraces(Author, 2013)

A predominant characteristic of the urban landscape of

Barranquilla is the role of convenience stores in creating

micro environments that stimulate social exchanges.

Historically, the tienda, which in Barranquilla is the name

given to the convenience stores that sell products for

everyday consumption, has been more than just a place to

buy goods; tiendas usually with a terrace in front with curbs

and chairs, are a main point for people’s interaction in

neighborhoods. Jane Jacobs’ (1992) idea that casual

interaction with others on everyday urban streets leads to

social cohesion and a sense of belonging is represented in

these places. It is normal to see groups of people chatting on

the terraces of tiendas and also outside bars. These open

semi-public spaces where private commercial establishments

meet the public sidewalks host encounters of people that

appropriate the space for short durations of time. During the

carnival these encounters are more intense, and the music

plays louder in the background of celebrations. People gather

to make parties in situ or use them as meeting points to go to

other events. This explains why the carnival is made up of a

network of large and small places and parties that together

create the whole environment of the city.

Fig 10. Top: Tienda. (Author, 2012)

Fig 11. Bottom: Estadero ‘La Troja’ (Col, 2011). ‘Estadero’ (stay-er) is the name given to the kind of private commercial place where traditionally people go to have drinks and ‘stay’.

15

Pop up social commerce

In streets, on sidewalks, semi-public terraces and next to curbs, ‘pop up’ stores are set up in Barranquilla, people mainly from poor

neighborhoods sell products and food for quick consumption become cores of social micro environments in which unknown citizens

constantly meet up and have spontaneous talks while buying something quick or having a rest. This is apparent throughout the year,

but during the carnival these micro economies reach their peak. Chewing gum, chocolates, juices, sodas, coffee and other small

products are sold constantly within these social micro environments. Many of these little movable (pop up) shops are creatively

constructed by attaching shelves to bicycles, so that they can be moved all around the city. The majority of them sell popular food

and drinks like ‘fritos’ which means ‘fried’ and refers to fried patties filled with chicken, meat, cheese and other ingredients.

On average the price for an ‘empanada’ which is a kind of fried patty is COP$1.000 /

US$0.5, and the price for a glass of just-made natural juice is on average COP$2.000 /

US$1. Together two empanadas and a glass of juice therefore make a quick meal for

COP$4.000 / US$2. The authentic food is a strong ‘magnet’ that pulls people towards

these micro environments stimulated by the pop up shops. Besides providing

opportunities for poorer people to make their living, this cultural asset helps to harmonize

conviviality in public places and create bonds of trust among strangers. ‘

The trust of a city street is formed over time from many, many little public sidewalk

contacts’ (Jacobs, 1992, p. 56).

Fig 12. Pop up stores in the public realm. All (Author, 2012) but second on the top: (EsAcademic.com, 2010)


Economic catalyst

The high number of spectators at carnival events is of great interest to large corporations in

terms of sales and advertising. Many companies take advantage of promoting their products

and services at these events. In 2013 the carnival had 65,000 TV viewers from 83 different

countries (Carnaval SA, 2013b). The carnival is an important motor for economic activities in

the city. As it is the biggest and considered to be the most important cultural event in

Colombia, it is a key asset that attracts tourism to Barranquilla. In 2013 during the four days

of the carnival 96% of the total number of hotel rooms in the city were occupied; the

estimate of total income related to the carnival was COP$64’800.000.000 / US$32.400.000;

together citizens and tourists created a mass of 1,674,000 spectators attending events; and

183 local and international media organizations covered the events (Carnaval SA, 2013c, pp.

56-57). Pedro Mesa, manager of the Hotel Dann, one of the best positioned in the city,

confirms that the high season for hotel occupation in Barranquilla is during the four days of

carnival in February. Due to the high demand for rooms, prices per night in high quality

hotels go up from an average of COP$180.000 pesos (US$95) to COP$380.000 pesos

(US$190) meaning an increase of more than 100%. ‘Tourists come for two reasons, to know

about the historical traditions of the Carnival and to have fun in parties and concerts. They

recognize the importance of the Carnival as a masterpiece inscribed in the representative list

of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity’ (Mesa, 2013).

1,674,000spectators attended

carnival events in 2013

96%of the total number of

hotel rooms in the city

were

occupied during

the carnival in

2013

Fig 13. Pedro Mesa, hotel manager interviewedduring the research. (Author, 2013)

‘The best days of the year for the tourism industry are the ones of the carnival.

Unfortunately, during the rest of the year there are not many carnival activities to attract

more foreign people. One problem is the lack of public spaces to present shows by the

carnival groups. In our hotel sometimes we hire some groups for short demonstrations,

but the atmosphere of the carnival is not felt in the same way. We would like to have

public spaces where the general public can go during the whole year and feel the real

atmosphere of the carnival; we, as a hotel, would take the customers to those places so

they can know about the carnival and enjoy it’ (Mesa, 2013).

17

Carnival’s difficulties and challenges

Lack of space for carnival-makers

Preparation for the carnival continues all year round; dancers, musicians and actors, the majority without any specialized official

education, train themselves to create and perform wonderful spectacles in public places. Among the carnival-makers interviewed

for this research, there is consensus about the need for physical spaces in which to practice dances and give demonstrations

throughout the year, the former being the most important need for carnival dancers. Throughout the year they have to practice in

spaces that are usually smaller than the real spaces in which they perform during the carnival.

‘I wish we could have

more spaces to practice

and to show our dances

throughout the year:

parks, open spaces or

even parking lots’

(Toloza, 2013).

Groups of carnival dancers compete every year to win the

Congo de Oro (Golden Congo) award which is granted to the

best group’s performance. Dancers also compete in a contest

for the chance to participate in the most important parades of

the following year’s carnival. Cultural experts evaluate groups’

performances in the main parades and also in shows on

different stages. In the case of groups of Cumbia dancers³, they

need to make presentations on stages with a minimum of 15

and a maximum of 20 couples, meaning that the stages allow

from 30 to 40 dancers to perform simultaneously. Eric, a

carnival-maker affirms: “we have to do the big ‘Cumbia circle’

with all the 15 couples; unfortunately the streets where we

practice are too narrow to do it properly” (Toloza, 2013).

The Cumbia is a dance of "fine flirtation". It was danced in

festivals of Barranquilla and towns of the Colombian Caribbean.

They danced making a wheel where musicians were located in

the center while the dancers moved in circles with gallant and

flirty movements (Reina del carnaval 2013, 2013).

Fig 14. Carnival-makers from the barrio Chiquinquirá specialized in the Cumbiadance. Top: Eric Toloza. Bottom: Maestro Francisco Peñate, director of La CumbiambaLa Guapachosa holding their Congo de Oro during an interview.(Author, 2013)

The Congo is a character and a dance based on traditional warrior groups of the Congo in Africa.


Limitations to the adaptation of parks for cultural events

The local government has decided to create a plan to recuperate 168 parks in the city that could be adapted to provide proper

spaces for carnival activities during the whole year. The strategy to accomplish this goal is based on three main action plans:

investment, maintenance and administration. According to the Chief Director for the parks and plazas recuperation plan of the

Foro Hidrico, the current local government is concerned about the need to secure execution of the plan in the medium and long

term, because of the change of local government that occurs every four years (Acosta, 2013). In Barranquilla, as in many cities of

Colombia, the long term duration of governmental programs is often at risk when new governments are elected in cities and

municipalities. Although many plans, programs and projects are created to last for a longer period of time, and even when plans

from past governments are kept, every new government has its own political priorities and interests. Budgets and allocation of

resources are reorganized to pursue their main goals. Hence, the resources available for the continuation of previous plans are

often reduced. Therefore, the current government of Barranquilla desires to create a new external non-profit institution which

would be able to develop a vision and secure the execution of long term plans for investment in, and the maintenance and

administration of the parks and plazas of Barranquilla. The foundation would have enough independence to ensure the

accomplishment of its specific mission while being self-sustainable and legally viable in order to receive donations from the

private sector and others to avoid relying only on public funds.

19

Educational needs to survive

‘Who abandons his roots dies’ affirms Mirtha Buelvas, with

regard to the importance of preserving the traditions of the

carnival. She is a psychologist, anthropologist and cultural

researcher who has been studying the carnival of Barranquilla

for many years (2013). The carnival has many centuries of

traditions that are at risk of disappearing if they are not

taught from generation to generation. When asking the

carnival-makers (traditional citizen groups who perform any

kind of ritual, dance or parody during the carnival) about the

most important elements to be able to promote spaces for

the carnival during the whole year, all of them spoke of the

need to educate people about the carnival traditions. They

consider that their most important mission is to keep alive

the carnival by transmitting knowledge to others. These

carnival-makers, who live mostly in the poorest areas of

Barranquilla, are the main actors in the events. Their skills and

knowledge, non-material assets, have been their heritage,

passed from generation to generation, for hundreds of years;

they have a full knowledge of the culture and traditions of the

carnival. Ironically, despite their low economic resources, they

accrue some of the richest knowledge and skills that are

essential to the preservation of the carnival.

Without the carnival-makers, the city would not be able to

preserve the carnival and to participate in it; they are the

people who know what music and dance is best suited to

inspire the magic and joy in the streets.

Considering the precarious living conditions of these carnival-

makers, one might expect that they would monopolize the

knowledge and convert it into an asset that might improve

their living conditions. Surprisingly, they do not show such a

selfish attitude, instead, they are happy whenever someone is

interested in participating in the carnival, and they show

constant eagerness to teach the history of the traditions to

allow others to preserve them. In fact, many of the carnival-

makers that have maintained dances and rituals for decades

now have non-profit organizations dedicated entirely to the

education of children to keep alive their historical knowledge

of performance.

Fig 15. Edaida Orozco: director of the Paloteo dance which is at risk of disappearing due to the lack of spread of knowledge about the tradition. Hitting hand-made wood sticks this dance represents the confrontation between nations at the time of the conquest. (Author, 2013)

Carnival-makers’ economic difficulties

Most of carnival-makers and traditional dancers have to use their own resources to pay for their groups’ expenses to practice

during the year and to perform during the carnival in February. They use money earned from their regular jobs, ask for money

from private sponsors and also organize crowd-funding activities, e.g. raffles, bingo games and organized trips to make profits to

be used for carnival activities. All the costs that carnival groups have in order to perform during the carnival pose difficulties for

their survival. During the carnival, dancers participate in street parades and perform on stages. On average a group of Cumbia

dancers composed of 30 to 40 people spends COP$7 million (pesos) / US$ 3500 for transportation to events. In terms of expenses

for the paraphernalia and costumes, each Cumbia’s dress for men costs COP$250.000 / US$125, and each woman’s dress

COP$532.000 / US$266 due to the 10 meters of skirts they need to perform the dance authentically. Comparing the cost of one

woman’s dress to the minimum monthly wage (mmw) in Colombia for 2013 which is US$327 (excluding the subsidy for

transportation), one can see that one dress represents 81% of the amount.

There is a strong need for developing entrepreneurial capabilities in the carnival-makers to provide them with income streams

based on their skills. Nowadays, the idea of developing a carnival industry is gaining strength with the need to make the carnival

sustainable in the long run. But there is a big contradiction within the economics of the carnival. In the macro-scale, every year

more private companies take advantage of the carnival to organize events and to make profits derived from strong advertising

campaigns to promote their products. However, the carnival-makers who keep alive the essence of the carnival often receive little

benefit from all the economic transactions that occur. The same happens in the micro-scale every time that a carnival traditional

dancing group performs in public places. Spectators and tourists enjoy the presentations but the economic benefits are mainly

received by the pop up social commerce that takes place in the surrounding areas of the shows. In general, carnival-makers are

excluded from the profit making processes. It is important to understand the economic opportunities that are created from

carnival activities and to distribute them fairly. As public spaces cannot be privatized or become exclusive by charging people for

watching carnival training or shows, there is a need to find creative sources of income for carnival-makers. Hence, to develop

revenue streams for carnival-makers is an important challenge to overcome.


21

Corporate branding putting the carnival’s identity at risk

Private corporations have a great interest in the carnival because it represents a big opportunity to promote their brands, products

and services. Economically, at the city and institutional levels, this interest is beneficial for the organization and logistics of the

carnival events. However, on the ground level the need for carnival-makers to raise money for their activities, and the corporate

interests of the companies produce a precarious mix for the preservation of essential traditions. Due to the lack of resources to

cover their needs, many carnival-makers have been asking private companies to sponsor their activities in exchange for promoting

company/brand logos on their presentations. The director of the principal carnival promoter organization Carnaval SA, affirms that

‘due to the necessity of making some spectacles and the lack of important resources, some folkloric groups are forced to be part of

an increasing commercialization or sponsorships that blur their image and, therefore, the image of the Carnival’ (Celia, 2013, p. 15).

This is detrimental to the preservation of their authentic image represented by their hand-made fancy dresses, masks and the rest

of the paraphernalia that are all based on historical characteristics and symbols of their cultural identities. However, new ideas to

develop partnerships among private companies and carnival-makers could be explored under strong principles of equality to

distribute benefits, and for the protection of the carnival groups’ historical identities.

The carnival’s events administration

According to Article 5° of Act 2941 issued in 2009 by the Ministry of Interior and Justice of Colombia, ‘any person will be able to

abrogate his ownership of the Cultural Immaterial Heritage of the country, or affect the fundamental, collective and social rights,

that people and communities have to the access, enjoyment or creation of such heritage’ (Ministerio de Cultura de Colombia,

2013). Currently, the local authorities coordinate the development of the carnival’s initiatives, but the company Carnaval SA, which

is mainly privately owned, manages the biggest carnival events. Only 41% of the shares belong to the public authorities of

Barranquilla. Although, Carnaval SA has a mixed public-private Board of Directors, including representatives of the carnival-makers

among others, its private nature in terms of ownership, and the revenues they produce using public spaces and heritage events,

have been negatively critiqued and discussed in the political arena (Fernandez, 2013). As the carnival grows, new promoting

organizations similar to Carnaval SA have been independently created to cover other areas of the city, and the same discussion of

ownership and control of these promoters in political debate continues. In order to protect and grow the carnival, in administrative

terms the challenge is to promote strategies with democratic practices in socially inclusive decision-making, fair distribution of

rights to use public assets, and equal distribution of benefits resulting from the events. This includes the fair allocation of resources

given by the local and central Government to support the Cultural Immaterial Heritage of the country (Ministerio de Cultura de

Colombia, 2013).

The strategy of Carnival 365 envisions the building of useful, attractive and inclusive public places in Barranquilla while increasing

the monetary and non-monetary value of the main cultural asset of the city: its carnival. It proposes articulating plans to promote

the carnival during the entire year with plans to regenerate the city’s parks. As happens already in the city, cultural patterns in

public spaces, like those that happen in the carnival, create vibrant environments where human needs are met equally and public

good is achieved by using city resources democratically. Therefore, Carnival 365 proposes to extend the carnival which is the most

intense cultural expression of the city in the public realm, at the same time as adapting parks to provide spaces where this can

happen.

It is considered that the best solutions to enhance and grow the opportunities that the carnival provides should be born from the

input of its stakeholders. They are the ones who know best the needs, strengths, opportunities and threats regarding the idea of

extending carnival activities at other times of the year. For that reason, and with regard to the findings of the research, this work

proposes an initial framework for the strategy based on successful initiatives that are already working and that can be scaled up

within the strategy. The framework should be subject of further holistic analysis in participatory processes with citizens, academics,

local authorities, private organizations and non-profit institutions that are stakeholders of the carnival and the public spaces of the

city. Even though this research has done that, the input of some stakeholders is not enough to achieve a fair social construction of

such an ambitious strategy, a even wider participatory process is needed.

Incremental interventions

Carnival 365’s interventions are recommended to be made incrementally in different stages to receive feedback from citizens

progressively and to test the success of the work done and the ongoing adjustments that may need to be made. It is important to

have a place and initiatives socially constructed instead of simply imposed. It allows social inclusion and stimulation of citizens’

sense of belonging and ownership for the initiatives by taking into account their direct input.

Strategic pillars:

This initial framework proposes four pillars to sustain the social construction of the strategy for Carnival 365:

1. Spatiality, 2. Pedagogy, 3. Cultural Entrepreneurship , 4. Administration.

Strategy: Carnival 365


23

Spatiality pillar: building cultural spaces

There is an opportunity to grow the carnival during the year providing

opportunities to carnival-makers to show their work at the same time as

generating economic and social benefits for both them and the city. The first

pillar focuses on the construction or adaptation of public spaces such as parks

and plazas where folkloric groups of the carnival can practice and make

presentations. The periodic presence of these groups can turn into live shows

and be the center of the vibrancy of public spaces. Citizens and tourists can

go to these places at times other than the pre-carnival and carnival seasons to

see and participate in the recreation of carnival activities. From the research it

is evident that some cultural traditions are magnets that pull people from

different backgrounds together within the public domain. The planning of

physical interventions should start by understanding the connection among

these cultural behaviors and spaces in Barranquilla during the carnival and

during the rest of the year. The study of these kinds of particularities provides

knowledge about the elements that should be stimulated and the obstacles

that should be weakened in order to build places based on cultural and

inclusive behaviors.

The design of public spaces can affect the possibility of meeting, seeing and

listening to people. These contact situations can be arranged by appealing to

citizens’ emotions (Gehl in Larice & Macdonald, 2007, pp. 365-370). For

example, terraces, curbs and pop up social commerce are cultural magnets

that allow the creation of socially shared spaces. From this learning, the

design of organized spaces for pop up social commerce could encourage the

continuing magnetism of citizens to the place. People would not only go to

enjoy the cultural environment and carnival activities but also to eat and drink

traditional cuisine. Similarly, it is possible to envision and design spaces similar

to terraces that citizens are used to enjoying, and that allow the creation of

social micro environments along with the spaces in which carnival groups can

perform.

For this pillar, three principles are suggested as

indicators to evaluate the success of interventions:

usefulness, attractiveness and inclusiveness of each

cultural place.

Useful

A useful cultural place would provide citizens with

opportunities to benefit from it on a regular basis to

fulfill some of their human needs; this means that there

is a benefit by going to the place. In this work the

author focuses on the utility that these cultural spaces

provide to citizens as a result principally of the

fulfillment of non-material needs, although some

material needs can also be fulfilled.

Attractive

A physically attractive and well maintained cultural

place can stimulate positive emotions, perceptions and

sense of ownership within citizens; this encourages

them to have a willingness both to come back and to

take care of it.

Inclusive

An inclusive cultural place would be accessible by any

citizen, regardless of their physical, social and economic

condition, or preference. Moreover, as happens in the

carnival, it would create the general perception that the

environment of the place is more complete when

encountered by diverse social groups.

Carnival 365: Spatiality Pillar

Articulation of the Carnival 365 vision with parks regeneration plans

The current government of Barranquilla wishes to create a new external non-profit institution to regenerate the majority of parks

in Barranquilla. These regeneration plans can be articulated with the extension of carnival activities throughout the year. This

articulation would provide solutions to the carnival-makers’ need for proper spaces in which to practice their folkloric activities.

Barranquilla already has an example of successful park regeneration.

The Surisalcedo Park has been the first rebuilt park on the list of the next 186 parks that the government aims to recuperate. What

was meant to be a park to host people from 7am to 6pm has become full of users almost 24 hours per day. The total area of the

park is 4 hectares; a pleasant environment that attracts thousands of users from different ages and socioeconomic levels during

the week. The park has different types of areas that provide opportunities for healthy activities. Playgrounds for children,

basketball courts, furniture for working out, chess tables, green areas with flowers and big trees, and other micro environments

are part of this new public place that has received a general acceptance by citizens (Lopez, 2013).

Fig 16. Surisalcedo Park. (Author, 2013).


25

The Carnival Hub

Besides the adaptation of parks for carnival groups’ training and presentations, a Carnival Hub can be created to

establish a headquarters for the integral management of the strategy, and where a special venue can also be built

for year-round presentations on stages similar to those that are temporarily erected for each carnival. Today the

carnival promoter, Carnaval SA, has its headquarters in a house called La Casa del Carnaval (the Carnival’s House)

located in the popular neighborhood of Barrio Abajo. Among its facilities there is a carnival museum and a

courtyard where folkloric groups can practice. However, as the carnival increases in size and the number of

stakeholders increase, it has been suggested that creating a public, independent place where different institutions

and groups can gather and share is now essential. The practical use of La Casa del Carnaval provides evidence of a

place that is worth scaling up. The Carnival Hub can also serve as a space for educational initiatives and carnival-

makers’ meetings and working sessions; these ideas are expanded on in the following sections.

Fig 17. Casa del Carnaval. Left: Exterior viewRight: Interior courtyard where carnival groups practice


A pedagogical pillar is fundamental to create more awareness about

the cultural capital of the city, which is owned by all the citizens but

that many do not know well. It is fundamental to spread the

knowledge about carnival traditions and their value in order to have

even more citizens caring about the carnival.

Some initiatives from different actors have been created in line with

the thought that preserving traditions is a key aspect to keep the

carnival alive. Sígueme el Paso (Follow my Move) is a pedagogical

initiative created by the Carnival Queen of 2013, Daniela Cepeda

Tarud. It consists of the creation of social circles in different localities

of the city to spread knowledge about the history and traditions of

folkloric activities of the carnival. Every session is organized in two

parts, in the first, carnival-makers, many without higher education

degrees, give lectures and answer questions from the general public

about the story of the origins and evolution of the specific traditional

dance or ritual that they preserve. The second part consists of

teaching the public how to perform the rituals or dances with live

music. At the end of the session tens of participants guided by

carnival-makers perform choreographies in which everybody executes

a centennial tradition that should be preserved (Cepeda, 2013).

‘We make the chidrens’ carnival in

parks, because parks are physical

symbols of joy for kids’

(Diazgranados, 2013).

Fig. 19. Hugo Diazgranados. (Author, 2013)

‘We cannot embrace something if we do not

know it’ affirmed Daniela, referring to the

need to spread knowledge about the

carnival to citizens to promote sense of

ownership (Cepeda, 2013).

Fig. 18. Daniela Cepeda Tarud. Carnival Queen 2013. (Author, 2013)

Another exemplary initiative that should be scaled up is

the Carnaval de los Niños (Childrens’ Carnival) which is

coordinated by Hugo Diazgranados. He affirms that his

mission is to preserve the carnival by teaching children

about its traditions. He focuses on the recreation of the

‘Paco-pacos’, parties for children aged between six and

eight years old, that were made more than a hundred

years ago, but that have been disappearing with the

passage of time. Paco-paco is the Spanish translation of

grasshopper, the main actor of the party. Like these,

other parties were held a long time ago with different

main actors for different age ranges. Parties for children

with ages between four and six years were called

Mosquitos; those for teenagers were called Langostas

(Lobsters); parties for adults were called Verbenas or

Salones Burreros which today are names still used for

popular carnival parties.

2. Pedagogical pillar: educating for awareness and sense of ownership

Carnival 365: Educational Pillar

29

The Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of Barranquilla

manages two educational programs for the raising and support of

cultural actors. On the one hand, there are 44 District Cultural

Houses in which children and teenagers gain cultural knowledge

and develop artistic skills. On the other hand there is a District

House of Arts in which higher education is provided to

professionalize the work of artists, many of whom started

developing their skills in a District Cultural House when they were

younger. As suggested by Liliana De La Cruz, advisor to the

Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of Barranquilla, these

educational programs could be articulated with the programming

of events in the Cultural Spaces contemplated in the Spatiality

pillar.

Fig. 19. Paco-Pacos. Left: Paco-paco party. (Carnaval SA, 2013e)

Right: Childrens’Carnival educational booklet. Courtesy of Carnaval SA.

Although all these pedagogical initiatives should be

enhanced in the operation of the Carnival 365 strategy,

unfortunately the lack of economic resources is a strong

limitation. However carnival-makers see opportunities in

these limitations. As Eric Toloza from la Cumbiamba la

Guapachosa from the barrio Chiquinquirá explains: ‘The

diffusion of our work as carnival-makers can generate

resources if an entrepreneurial spirit is developed to leverage

the capacities in order to create a carnival industry. Who is

better than us, the carnival actors, to teach about the

traditions? By increasing the number of pedagogical

initiatives throughout the year we could share knowledge to

preserve the carnival while generating revenues to make our

work as carnival-makers economically sustainable’ (Toloza,

2013).

Fig. 20. Liliana De La Cruz. Advisor to the Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of

Barranquilla. Image: courtesy of the interviewee.

‘Cultural actors in formation would

be able to use those cultural

spaces for training, and making

public live shows for the

entertainment of citizens,

including their relatives who

usually go to see their

performances’

(De La Cruz, 2013).

Carnival 365: Educational Pillar

Big private actors benefit from the high amount of economic

transactions that occur around the carnival which is part of the

cultural capital of Barranquilla. But carnival-makers who have

accrued the greatest knowledge and skills to maintain the traditions

struggle to find resources for their subsistence. With a growing

carnival, there is a higher potential for carnival-makers to gain

resources to preserve the carnival and make their activities viable.

The third pillar of the Carnival 365 strategy could focus on the

development of the cultural entrepreneurship skills of carnival-

makers and their folkloric groups.

Differently from private capitalist models that have as their main

goal the growth of economic benefits for shareholders, a cultural

entrepreneurship model would work principally to achieve the

solution of cultural needs, in this case related to the protection and

growth of the carnival, and secondly to create economic benefits

for the cultural entrepreneurs. Hence, cultural entrepreneurships

should maintain two objectives: first, to solve the cultural need to

preserve the carnival’s traditions, and second, to earn resources to

be able to make their living based on their work. Fortunately, this

latter principle has already been embraced by carnival-makers. They

prefer to avoid monopolizing their knowledge in order to recreate

the carnival every year. While they struggle to find opportunities to

make their living and carnival activities possible, they conform to

the fulfillment of their non-material human needs by receiving

admiration and applause. However, the strategy should actively

promote an equality of opportunities for carnival-makers to

continue both their work and everyday life.

For the extension of carnival-makers’ activities envisioned in

the strategy Carnival 365, the creation of new revenue streams

for them is fundamental. Aligned with the pillar of pedagogy,

educational programs about cultural entrepreneurship can be

created. Some initiatives that have already been developed in

line with this can also be scaled up. The Secretary of Culture

has a ‘Stimulus Fund’ to support carnival-makers that are

involved in educational programs (De La Cruz, 2013). Also

some universities in partnership with private sponsors have

been offering scholarships for seminars to develop

entrepreneurial and leadership skills for carnival-makers. Some

modules of this educational program are: Cultural

Management and Carnival; Visual Arts and Carnival, among

others (Carnaval SA, 2013d, p. 88). As a result of these

seminars, some carnival-makers have teamed up and created

their own non-profit organizations. One of these is the

Foundation ‘Orígenes’ with the slogan ‘what connects us unites

us’. They are working to articulate carnival groups for the

creation of social businesses (Calderin, 2013).

3. Cultural Entrepreneurship pillar: empowering carnival-makers with cultural entrepreneurial skills

Fig. 21. Carnival-makers

members of the ‘Orígenes’

Foundation.

(Author, 2013)

Carnival 365: Cultural Entrepreneurship Pillar

31

‘Since the beginnings of the Carnival of Barranquilla, the creation of

crafts has been maintained as a traditional activity and cultural heritage

among carnival-makers. Masks, shields, hats, turbans, headdresses,

skirts and other products are made for the paraphernalia of the

Carnival. ‘Handmade Carnival’ is a program created by Carnaval SA that

supports carnival crafts makers to support them in the finding of

revenues streams to make their work sustainable. According to Ana

Maria Osorio, Communications Director of Carnaval SA, ‘the program

offers training sessions to help craftsmen to improve the quality of their

products so that they can attract more buyers in the market.

Different creative sectors around the carnival have high potential to be

core operations of cultural entrepreneurships based on carnival-makers’

knowledge and skills: crafts, dance, theatre, music, gastronomy, clothing

and communications are some examples (2013).

Craft-making businesses could be supported by private

companies, win-win strategies between carnival-makers and

private sponsors to commercialize their traditional carnival

products, could provide solutions to the problem of corporate

brands putting the carnival’s true identity at risk. The

development of cultural entrepreneurships would permit the

idea of a permanent carnival industry that not only offers

economic benefits to big organizations but also to the

carnival-makers, to materialize. However, it is important to

unite the carnival’s stakeholders for the creation of a joint

vision and the planning of an inclusive agenda. Hence, an

organizational pillar is needed to maintain the strategy of

Carnival 365.

Fig. 22. Left: Jose

Llanos who has been a

craftsman for 60 years.

Even though he is not

part of a wealthy

social sector, he is the

King of the Carnival of

Barranquilla 2013.

Image: (ElHeraldo.co,

2013)

Right: carnival’s crafts

(Author, 2012)

‘We are rich in cultural knowledge and skills but we lack tools to build economically sustainable initiatives for our groups’

(Toloza, 2013).

Carnival 365: Cultural Entrepreneurship Pillar

The success of the strategy of Carnival 365 depends on the preservation

of its essence of social inclusion and shared construction. The

participation of the carnival actors that currently operate the carnival is

fundamental. The strategy’s pillars of action are proposed based on the

principal needs and difficulties of the carnival, but also on the resources,

initiatives and socioeconomic dynamics that currently have the potential

of giving solutions if they are scaled up and extended throughout the

year.

Currently there is a city discussion about private sectors having the

majority of ownership of the company Carnaval SA, which is the main

promoting organization administrating the biggest events of the

carnival. While political debates are underway to control this aspect, this

work focuses on the deployment of the strategy Carnival 365

transversely, i.e. to include the stakeholders for its operation, including

not only Carnaval SA and its initiatives, but also other promoting

organizations that have been created due to the growth of the carnival.

Carnival promoter organizations, carnival-makers, local authorities such

as the Mayor, the Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the Foro

Hidrico – institution in charge of the city parks regeneration – and the

Secretary of Urban Control and Public Space; private companies –

among them the tourism and media sectors; the police, and universities

should all be part of the ongoing planning and control of the strategy

and its operational initiatives. In order to protect the principle of putting

public good before the private interests of stakeholders, it is important

to maintain independence and neutrality in the coordination of the

strategy. Thus, it is recommended to empower the central and local

governments to direct transversely the initiatives of each pillar.

Therefore, it is fundamental to give a large representation to the

Minister of Culture and the Secretary of Culture, Heritage and

Tourism of Barranquilla on the board of directors of the carnival

promoters’ and carnival-makers’ associations as already happens

in the board of Carnaval SA. It is also advised to invite external

supervisor institutions such as UNESCO, which has a strong

interest in preserving the essence of the Carnival of Barranquilla

as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

For the economic viability of the initiatives, it is primordial to

stimulate public-private partnerships to finance the operation of

the strategy. Although models of private sponsorship of carnival-

makers could be valid, it is mandatory always to maintain the

objective of preserving the authenticity of the carnival’s activities

by discouraging the destructive power that thousands of

advertisements can have against the traditional image and

heritage of the carnival. Finally, in line with the intention of

assuring the economic viability of the strategy of Carnival 365, it is

recommended to envision the creation of tax policies in order to

capture resources for the development of a carnival that benefits

the entire city by increasing its cultural capital.

4. Administrative pillar: working together for a sustainable Carnival 365

Carnival 365: Administrative Pillar

33

Trying to walk through the sidewalks of Barranquilla, one can see

the poor state of the public realm of the city. I say ‘trying’ because

in many cases it is not easy to walk when cars are parked

perpendicularly to the street blocking the sidewalk; or when

crossing a street you find that the curb is too high from the street

level and jumping over it is necessary to reach the sidewalk.

Regarding the state of parks, similar experiences were reflected in

an official survey in 2012 of 1209 citizens from different sectors;

47% of respondents said that they were dissatisfied with the state

of the city’s parks (IPSOS - Napoleon Franco, 2012).

Given these circumstances, this research focused on the need for

the city to find ways to provide equality of quality of life in the

form of public spaces accessible by citizens regardless of their

type of employment, socioeconomic status, age, race or physical

capacity. The work argues that high quality public parks can be

shared and enjoyed by diverse groups for leisure activities,

regardless of income levels. A comfortable public bench under a

tree can be a good place for anyone to have a break from work,

even more so on a hot day when the temperature is over the city’s

average temperature of 37°C. A pleasant, natural landscape can

generally stimulate peaceful feelings, and a playground can

provide fun at the same time for children from poor or wealthy

families. In the same way, arts, e.g. music or dance can also be

generally appreciated by people regardless of how much or little

education they have. With this in mind, the work analyzed cultural

behaviors in the public spaces of Barranquilla and found that

during the days in which the carnival of the city is held, people

from different socioeconomic sectors share public spaces with greater

intensity for the recreation of cultural traditions and festivities, to fulfill

common non-material human needs. Based on the evidence of these

inclusive social activities, the research focused on understanding the

essence, challenges and resources of the carnival to propose the

strategy for Carnival 365 which promotes the creation of cultural spaces

and carnival events during the whole year in conjunction with the local

authority’s long-term parks regeneration plans. Effective and innovative

solutions for social complexities are created every day by citizens from

different sectors independently of their level of education. It is possible

to build strategic frameworks based on the cultural capital of cities to

overcome social challenges by scaling up and articulating successful

cultural initiatives that are already working. Whilst the growth of a city’s

economic capital is important, it does not necessarily result

automatically in the end of poverty or social inequalities. Instead, cities

have other types of capital such as cultural that it is also important to

grow to promote equality of quality of life. The cultural capital of a city

is largely composed of non-material assets that are difficult or

impossible to measure using monetary models but that have great

value to contribute to the creation of public spaces that provide quality

of life. Opposite to economic capital, which is usually controlled by a

minority and has to be socially redistributed through tax policies,

subsidies and welfare initiatives to support deprived sectors, cultural

capital is essentially owned and maintained by wealthy and poor sectors

alike. This shared ownership promotes social cohesion when it is used

to build environments that provide equal opportunities to fulfill citizens’

human needs.

Conclusion


¹Ash Wednesday is an important day of the Roman Catholic Church

liturgical calendar. It is the first day of Lent, the season of preparation for

the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

²The minimum monthly wage (mmw) in Colombia for 2013 is US$327

(excluding the subsidy for transportation). The price to access the big

bleachers represents 25% of the mmw and 2.5% to access the mini-

bleachers (W Radio, 2012).

³The Cumbia is a dance of "fine flirtation". It was danced in festivals of

Barranquilla and towns of the Colombian Caribbean. They danced

making a wheel where musicians were located in the center while the

dancers moved in circles with gallant and flirty movements (Reina del

carnaval 2013, 2013).

End Notes


35

Acosta, C., 2013. The State of Parks of Barranquilla [Personal Interview] (24 July 2013).

Alcaldia de Barranquilla, 2011. Conoce a Barranquilla: indicadores. [Online]

Available at: http://www.barranquilla.gov.co/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=121 [Accessed: 23 August 2013].

Buelvas, M., 2013. 'Carnaval de Barranquilla en el Caribe'. Barranquilla, I Encuentro de Carnavales del Caribe.

Burdett, R. & Sudjic, D. eds., 2011. Living in the Endless City. London: Routledge.

Calderin, P., 2013. Fundacion Origenes [Personal Interview] (2 August 2013).

Carnaval SA, 2013a. Programacion Carnaval del Bicentenario. [Online] Available at: http://www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org/carnaval-

2013/programacion-carnaval-del-bicentenario.html [Accessed 20 August 2013].

Carnaval SA, 2013b. Informe de Gestion. [Online] Available at: http://www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org/files/Concejo%202013%20ulti_baja.pdf

[Accessed 20 August 2013].

Carnaval SA, 2013c. Una Gestion para Contar. Carnaval de Barranquilla, Issue 9, pp. 56-57.

Carnaval SA, 2013d. Carnavaleros, cada vez mas capacitados. Carnaval de Barranquilla, Issue 9.

Celia, C., 2013. Vision a Futuro del Carnaval de Barranquilla. Carnaval de Barranquilla, Issue 9, pp. 14-15.

Cepeda, D., 2013. The pespective of the Carnival's Queen 2013 about the importance of educational initiatives [Personal Interview] (6 August 2013).

DaMatta, R., 1979. Carnivals, Rogues, and Heroes: An Interpretation of the Brazilian Dilemma. Translated by John Drury, 1991. Notre Dame, Indiana:

University of Notre Dame Press.

DANE, 2013. Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadistica. [Online]

Available at: http://www.dane.gov.co/files/investigaciones/condiciones_vida/pobreza/cp_pobreza_2012.pdf [Accessed 19 August 2013].

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De La Cruz, L., 2013. The Carnival from the perspective of the Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of Barranquilla [Personal Interview] (30 July

2013).

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References

Thanks Suzi Hall, Fran Tonkiss, David Madden, Ricky Burdett, Savas Verdis

and Philip Rode from LSE Cities for sharing your expertise to make this

work possible.

Thanks Hacedores del Carnaval (Carnival-Makers ) for opening the doors

of your houses and your hearts to be able to feel your passions and

understand your reasons.

Thanks Alcaldía de Barranquilla, Secretaría de Cultura, Patrimonio y

Turismo, Carnaval SA, and Foro Hídrico for your support.

Thanks Mom & Dad.

Gracias Barranquilla for teaching me to value what is priceless.

Acknowledgements


39

(Author, 2013)


Carnival 365: building on the cultural capital of Barranquilla.

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Transcript of Carnival 365: building on the cultural capital of Barranquilla.