Cultural Elite in A Local Space

Abstract

My study focuses on the shapers Debrecen's – the second biggest city of Hungary –  culture, and my research aimed at getting to know the cultural life of Debrecen, the opinion leaders who have the most influence on it, the members of the local cultural elite, and to reveal patterns and trends in their medium as a function of locality. The question was how a cultural elite operating in a local space interprets its role as a culture shaper, what kind of elite image and roles and functions it usually attributes to members of the elite. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between 2017 and 2020 among cultural elite members in Debrecen. I looked for people who had been active in the arts in Debrecen during the period of the research, whose work had been recognised with a state or professional award and/or who had been at the head of a cultural institution in Debrecen during the research period.