Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Issue 1 | Page 112

and restructuration. Their focus remains within the concept of a national
culture, diversified by regional and local cultures and influences, but not
oriented to the wider global cultural scope. In this respect, the efforts
have been invested in addressing culture as a resource that influences
social cohesion, increases knowledge of different cultures, and promotes
identity aspects. It can be said that the attempts by cultural policies to adapt
to the state of globalism have been weak and not fully transparent. Their
adaptation to globalism may have turned them into not quite clearly defined
instruments that may have potential to mainstream creativity into cultural
and art production, which may help the positioning of a culture in the global
cultural space and context. At the same time Southeast European cultural
policies largely miss an orientation to programs that focus on cultural
production, innovation, smart specialization, cultural trade, intellectual
property regulation, and other globally relevant issues.
The case of Croatian culture illustrates well the position of a culture fully
exposed to the European and global cultural influences. It exists in between
the efforts to preserve some of its own traditions and values on one side,
and to adapt to global cultural exchange and communication on the other.
In the global context the success or failure of such adaptation is an issue of
creativity and innovation.
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