Art, Politics, Friendship: From International Cultural Diplomacy to Local Action

‘Town twinning’ refers broadly to the construction of formal or informal ties between two towns or cities usually located in different countries. Considered the first form of international partnership at the local level, the practice of twinning extended from Europe across the globe over the latter half of the twentieth century. However, the value of town twinning has recently been questioned in the media and in Parliament. Some suggest that these ‘friendships’ have little utility for local publics in an age of globalisation and mass tourism, whilst others have linked twinning to ‘junkets’ and extravagances that only serve to benefit local councillors. In actual fact, the evidential base on the value of twinning is extremely thin, with existing studies directed toward the economic benefits of municipal internationalism. By contrast, this project explores the civic and political value of town twinning, working from the international through to the local level. At the local level, it focuses on cultural activities undertaken in the spirit of Sheffield’s twinning with Estelí, Nicaragua, and examines their role in fostering political consciousness, intercultural learning and civic action.