Cultural actors are increasingly significant in non-urban areas, but little research exists on how placemaking initiatives, creative practices and cultural entrepreneurship intersect to foster local development in these regions. Drawing on case studies from Ireland and Iceland, this article investigates the multifaceted roles of cultural actors in driving innovative actions and revitalising non-urban areas. The analysis highlights the significance of grassroots initiatives, the importance of leveraging cultural elements of a place and the need to nurture collaborative networks between cultural actors, local communities and public authorities as essential to place-based development in rural areas.
Duxbury et al. (Thu,) studied this question.