Master Thesis
Master of arts in Learning and innovative changes
Aalborg University 2015
By
Christoffer Mariegaard Olesen

Abstract
In recent years the creative industries has become increasingly important. On both national and international levels the creative industries are viewed upon as a key factor in revitalizing regions that suffers from loss of jobs and depopulation due to urbanization and globalization.
In these regions the creative industries are used as tools to bring forth new dynamics to the regions through their ability to attract tourists and educated workers from a wide variety of creative job positions, which again will attract more creative companies and thereby growth to the region. However, the political focus is mainly on supporting the creative industries where growth is directly equal to profit and a larger income in the region.
The artistic creative cultures, on the other hand, are not as directly profitable, and are therefore often overlooked and only taken into consideration as a growth factor if it evolves around larger artistic events that either brands the area in a certain way or attract a large number of people, with a following profit.
Rural areas often attempt to create initiatives that resemble the life of the larger cities by ex. building large shopping centers or concert halls, and in the process neglects the values and characteristics of the local growth layer that is the absolute basis of the entire local culture life.
The purpose of this thesis is to attempt to uncover, how Hjørring, a Danish rural municipality, though the mobilization of the artistic grassroots and growth layers, can create a more dynamic and diverse municipality that is able to compete with the larger cities in a time of urbanization.
Accordingly the research question for the thesis is:
How can Hjørring Municipality, based on local values and characteristics, design concrete cultural initiatives to mobilize the creative growth layer?
The methods chosen for this investigation consists of a case study including several literature reviews, a series of qualitative interviews, a quantitative survey, participation in local debate meetings, participation in workshops and observing the creative growth layer in its milieu.
The literature reviews bring forth the understanding of the creative dynamics both in general and related to the specific region and municipality and determines the creative qualities and genres around which the initiatives should evolve.
The qualitative interviews aims to uncover the profile of the specific growth layer and its qualities according to the literature reviews. Furthermore the interviews aims to uncover the different views, perspectives and understandings of the initiatives needed, by respectively the politicians, the officials and the growth layer itself.
The observations in the milieu and the participations in growth debate meetings and workshops was carried out to get a fuller and more connected understanding of the cultural life, the challenges, the people involved and the political strategies.
On the basis of the analysis it appears that it is very possible to create a dynamic artistic environment according to the local characteristics with relatively simple initiatives. What seems to be the biggest obstacle in the process is the different understandings of growth layer, and the fact that the creative environments, especially in the beginning of the process, needs a fair amount of resources, attention and nurturing from politicians and officials without the prospect of direct profit.