El acceso a los espacios públicos para las prácticas musicales en la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

Urban public spaces are the scenario in which urban diversity converges. Among the cultural aspects, music plays an important role for this convergence of the citizens. However, musicians reckon that these spaces are not easily accessible because the Municipality of Cuenca has set an excessive amount of procedures for the acquisition of permits, since the GAD (local government) must look after the conservation of these public actives, citizen’s security and wellbeing. To research this conflict, local musicians are interviewed with the purpose of studying the needs they have over these spaces, the activities that take place within and the perceptions that musicians have about legislation and the entity responsible for their administration. In contrast, institutional requirements and regulations are also analysed to understand if musicians’ lack of interest for citizen participation can be justified. We conclude that, when it comes to public spaces, the local administration has substantive failures on the managing and distribution of public information, it also doesn’t fulfil a favourable role in citizen participation in Cuenca. On the other hand, flaws have been found in musicians as well, in whom the desire to receive economic and cultural benefits without the minimum intervention of their individual civil actions come to light. Finally, the level of involvement and individual necessity could be a determinant in their intentionality to access information from another source by themselves, which doesn’t happen in the local context.