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Infoday -25 February 2015
In the framework of the preparation of the Greek cities’ bidding for the European Capital of Culture 2021, the Directorate of International Relations and European Union of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports organised an infoday entitled “European Capital of Culture 2021 – Information and Guidelines to the candidate cities.”
The meeting took place in the auditorium of the Ministry of Culture and Sports (20-22 Bouboulinas Str.) on Wednesday 25 February 2015.
The aim of the infoday was to inform candidate cities about the institution, the assessment criteria of the applications, best practices, as well as to offer guidelines, so as for the cities to fill in successfully their applications successfully.
Representatives from the Directorate of International Relations and European Union of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, from cities that have been either designated as European Capitals of Culture in the past or are going to become in the near future, as well as officials from the European Commission will be among the speakers.
For information contact:
Directorate of International Relations and European Union
European Union Department
17, Ermou st., Athens
Tel.: (0030) 210 3313848, 210 3230323
Mrs Garyfallia Gkani/ Mrs Eirini Komninou
http://ecoc2021.culture.gr/en/
Στο πλαίσιο της προετοιμασίας για την ανάδειξη μίας πόλης της Ελλάδας ως «Πολιτιστική Πρωτεύουσα της Ευρώπης έτους 2021», η Διεύθυνση Διεθνών Σχέσεων και Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης του Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού διοργανώνει ενημερωτική ημερίδα, με θέμα «Πολιτιστική Πρωτεύουσα της Ευρώπης 2021 – Ενημέρωση και οδηγίες προς τις υποψήφιες πόλεις», την Τετάρτη 25 Φεβρουαρίου 2015, στο αμφιθέατρο του Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού, Μπουμπουλίνας 20-22, Αθήνα. Ώρα έναρξης: 09:30 π.μ.
ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ, ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ
ΔΙΕΥΘΥΝΣΗ ΔΙΕΘΝΩΝ ΣΧΕΣΕΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΗΣ ΕΝΩΣΗΣ
Τμήμα Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης
Ημερίδα με θέμα «Πολιτιστική Πρωτεύουσα της Ευρώπης 2021»
Ενημέρωση και οδηγίες προς τις υποψήφιες πόλεις
Αθήνα, 25 Φεβρουαρίου 2015
Αμφιθέατρο του Υ.ΠΟ.ΠΑΙ.Θ.
Ημερήσια Διάταξη
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09:30 - 10:00 |
Προσέλευση και εγγραφή των συμμετεχόντων (Αμφιθέατρο του Υ.ΠΟ.ΠΑΙ.Θ.)
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10:00 – 10:30
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Χαιρετισμοί
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10:30 - 11:00
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Παρουσίαση της προκήρυξης σχετικά με την υποβολή αιτήσεων για την «Πολιτιστική Πρωτεύουσα της Ευρώπης 2021»
της Διεύθυνσης Διεθνών Σχέσεων και Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης του Υ.ΠΟ.ΠΑΙ.Θ.
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11:00 - 11:15
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Καλές πρακτικές: Πλόβντιβ - Βουλγαρία -«Πολιτιστική Πρωτεύουσα της Ευρώπης 2019»
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11:15 – 11:45 |
Διάλειμμα
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11:45 – 12:30 |
Οδηγίες προς τις ενδιαφερόμενες πόλεις σχετικά με την υποβολή υποψηφιότητας για την «Πολιτιστική Πρωτεύουσα της Ευρώπης 2021»
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12:30 - 13:30 |
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Σκοπός της ημερίδας είναι η παροχή πληροφοριών για τον θεσμό, τα κριτήρια αξιολόγησης των αιτήσεων, η παρουσίαση καλών πρακτικών καθώς και η παροχή οδηγιών, με σκοπό την αρτιότερη συμπλήρωση των σχετικών εντύπων. Ομιλητές θα είναι εκπρόσωποι της Δ/νσης Διεθνών Σχέσεων και Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης του ΥΠΠΟΑ, εκπρόσωποι της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής, καθώς και εκπρόσωποι πόλεων που φιλοξένησαν ή θα φιλοξενήσουν τον θεσμό.
Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες σχετικά με την ημερίδα οι ενδιαφερόμενοι μπορούν να επικοινωνούν με το:
Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού & Αθλητισμού
Διεύθυνση Διεθνών Σχέσεων και Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης
Τμήμα Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης
Representatives of Candidate Cities - in front row Pireaeus and Ioannina 25.2.2015
Outcome:
- The new Minister for Culture, Mr. κ. Νίκου ΞΥΔΑΚΗ spoke in reference to what Melina Mercouri made possible, namely a grand vision for culture to have a place in the European Union
- Spyros Mercouris narrated how this story of Melina began by asking at an infromal meeting of Ministers of Culture if they wish to unify Europe through culture rather than through mere economic and political integration, all while respecting the cultural diversity in Europe? They all said 'yes' and so Athens became the first European Capital of Culture in 1985. Spyros Mercouris went on to remind everyone that 2015 has been designated by the European Commission to be the year of 'development', and appropriately he would like to invite all candidate cities to meet former, current and future ECoC city representations who will gather for the 30th anniversary at the Zappeion in Athens June 22-23, 2015
- Sylvain Pasqua from the European Commission said he was honored to met the brother of Melina Mercouri
- George Kalamantis, Director of the Directorate of International Relations and European Union at the Ministry of Culture and Sports gave an outline of the guidelines which candidate cities need to observe when making their bid. The deadline for the first round shall be Oct. 23 and not more than 80 pages will be accepted.
- Radostina Georgieva from the successful bid team for Plovdiv 2019 advised to be honest, to create an independent organisation which can nevertheless cooperate with the Municipality and to be very realistic about the budget.
- Sylvain Pasqua gave a detailed and exhaustive review of all requirements while citing examples as to what would fulfil the six award criteria stipulated now for the new selection process and overseen by a panel of ten European and one or two national experts. When speaking about benefits of the title, he cited the example of Mons 2015 which managed to have loans of important paintings for their Vincent Van Gogh exhibition. Since Van Gogh is perhaps a true European painter (he did not stay only in Holland but crossed the 'river of forgetting' to reach the Impressionists in France), and since he made the decision to become an artist while still working as preacher in the mine fields near Mons, it is most appropriate that this will be the main theme of Mons. The reason why the European Commission insists on evaluation and why now it is mandatory for the newly selected cities to complete an evaluation report one year after completion, and this most preferred according to common or standardized indicators, is because any justification for a cultural budget has to be based on real numbers, in order to be convincing. He also pointed out that all six award criteria are of equal value while it should not be forgotten that any ECoC city has responsibility to Europe and to the citizens of the city. Also cities should not invest in infrastructural projects unless really needed. Furthermore, it is not about being a showcase of the beauty of the city, but rather what problems exist and how can they be answered in a convincing way through a cultural plan.
Some remarks / observations:
Strange in the entire presentation and discussin was that no reference was made to the situation Greece finds itself in. After five years of austerity policy having been applied, in order to resolve the problem created by a huge state deficit, and which many consider it to be unsustainable, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. Given that many people have lived in crisis mode, the special link between culture and human well-being would figure greatly. Of interest is here that Sylvain Pasqua pointed out the example of Turku 2011, insofar as the city sought to link the cultural and the health sector, and which ended doctors not giving prescriptions for anti depression pills, but tickets to attend a performance of a theatre. Likewise such a special link is sought by Plovdiv when wishing to combine culture with education. As that could spark some further going reflections in Greece since art education and education generally is neglected within the current educational system, and given the indication that the newly elected government wishes to stay free from a system producing only high achievers while leaving behind many other children, it could be expected that some of these points would be picked up.
However, Eirini Komninou expressed confidence in the new generation when the general problem of not being able to work together was mentioned. ( Here the mayor Boutari in Thessaloniki stated that last in an interview given to a German reporter, namely how difficult it is to have people sit around the table and to realize a constructive discussion so as to have as outcome the fact that some substantial decisions on how to proceed further can be made). Thus a link to the new dimensions brought about by a different generation in terms of values and outlooks should have been taken up. Definitely that problem was mentioned as well by Radostina Georgieva since Plovdiv has experienced like so many Greek municipalities a brain drain with many young people leaving. It was also one problem Matera underlined when bidding for the title in 2019 since most of the people in the ages between 20 and 40 are missing.
The state of affairs in Greece will mean on the one hand that almost all municipalities shall face financial shortages, safe for Kalamata which has found a private sponsor. Again Plovdiv provided an answer. The city stayed when bidding within a very realistic budget and did not take recourse to the structural fund. Also the contribution from the national level was not secure for a long time.
On the other, the way culture is funded, if at all, then through private foundations (Niarchos, Onassis, Piraeus Bank etc.) and which leaves a definite cultural 'footprint' since many a times things are funded which are overtly patriotic, Hellenistic and equally modernistic-pragmatic by going with the latest trends.
Something likewise worrisome is that the European Commission stresses a lot of benefits but which are all exterior to any cultural substance. As if the responsibility to artists and cultural workers to ensure the cultural sector (not to be confused with the cultural inustries or the so called creative sector) has a voice would not matter in terms of cultural sustainability of the European project. Too often sustainable development is reduced to and linked solely with environmental concerns. Yet there was not once mentioned the need for such a cultural development which furthes and sustains especially literacy in the digital age and which would mean in terms of education teaching especially young children but also the youth on how to decode all the images they are exposed to daily by the media / social media. Naturally this would mean becoming reflective of what sort of dialectic between the European Capital of Culture and the Ministry of Culture can and should be created once the one city has been selected. As this would influence and can enhance the cultural development within Greece, but also throughout Europe.
It is a matter of how this responsibility is interpreted once the title has been designated. The terrible omission is best noted by leaving out conveniently the term 'capital' in the title as if it is a mere matter and benefit to have the title as it shall attract many more visitors. Here one interesting question was posed during the discussion session with Sylvain Pasqua when someone observed there is no point of advocating the ECoC as just another tourist destination since all know Greece is anyhow a tourist destination. To this Sylvain Pasqua replied but it is still up to the city what kind of quality tourism it wishes to attract or how a small city will cope with the sudden influx of over a million visitors during the year. Many cities deliberate about the problem of local residents having no or very little communication and interaction with visitors especially if they come only one day to benefit from seeing the cultural heritage as existing in Siena. He emphasized it matters how a city would answer to this challenge and therefore give convincing answers to the questions posed by the jury in reference to the six award criteria.
Further remarks from the audience are worthwhile to note since they concern especially award criterion 1 as this has relevance within the Greek context. Anna Arvanitaki, urban planner who had worked for years at the Ministry of Environment and there coordinated Master Plan Studies of middle sized cities in Greece, stressed the need to link the development plan with cultural policy in a way that the different levels of planning are understood and brought in line with each other. She insists that there exists no real culture of planning. On the other hand, Anastasia Paparis, architects underlined the need to link concern for the urban environment with the architectual vision.
Finally, the usual narrative about ECoC is if not Glasgow having altered the use of the title to advance urban renewal, cities like Liverpool '08 spend a lot of money to convince everyone it has been a success. Such a narrative offers no chance to learn out of mistakes which have been made. It should not be forgotten what took place in Thessaloniki 1997 where the central government intervened too much and too many projects caused gaps in audience capacity, so that at the end of the one year many admitted by not heeding the need to prepare in time and not at the last minute, Thessaloniki 1997 was at best a 'missed opportunity'. With many mayors sitting literally on the fence and not deciding to proceed, invaluable time is wasted and therefore bids shall be produced under the worst possible conditions, namely only an extreme shortage in time. As if the last minute proposals have the substance they need to stay committed not only for the presentation to the jury, but if selected until 2021 and beyond, the major mistake would be to confuse short term actions with the very much needed long term vision if urban and cultural developments are capable of bringing about such a cultural synthesis, so that citizens and artists in dialogue with the world can take Greece out of an isolation caused by one sided views e.g. mere tourist destination or a place of corruption. What many Greeks would like to show above all is what is inherent in their nature, namely human kindness.
Hatto Fischer
27.2.2015
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