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Gdansk - Candidate 2016

Gdańsk metropolis
european capital of culture 2016
candidate

freedom of culture
culture of freedom

 

Aleksandra Szymanska, artistic director of Gdansk 2016

 

The following are the extracts from Gdańsk’s application form for the title of the European Capital of Culture 2016. These are answers to questions about reasons for bidding and the city’s objectives. We also present the principal philosophy of Gdańsk’s candidature and the programme themes. The answers come from chapters I “Basic Principles” and II “The Structure of the Programme for the Event”. They constitute the essence of the document and present the vision of Gdańsk as the European Capital of Culture.

 

1. Objectives
Why does the city which you represent wish to take part in the competition for the title of “European Capital of Culture”?
The city of Gdańsk has played an important role in the transformation of Europe. The same
history that today makes us proud of our past, could very well be what makes us a monument
in the future. A legacy enacted solely through commemoration does not constitute a creative
starting-point for adapting to contemporary challenges. Gdańskian, Polish, or European.
Gdańsk needs to transform. And Europe can play an important role in the transformation
of Gdańsk.
The future of Gdańsk, like the future of Poland, and of Europe, is decided by how we take responsibility for the freedom that we have conquered. Freedom should not be taken for granted.
A democratic society only survives if we question, express opinions and have meaningful
discussions. It will develop if culture is a driving force.
The main idea of our project is to use the unique historical position and legacy of Gdańsk
to promote significant European discussions on freedom and solidarity through culture. In
doing so, we develop Gdańsk into a forward-looking city of culture, where citizens exercise
and develop their freedom.

We aspire to become European Capital of Culture in order to initiate and celebrate a new era
of Gdańsk. An era where the citizens engage in culture and where culture is the instigator
that transforms a city currently known for political events, to a city associated with Culture of
Freedom and Freedom of Culture.

What are the city’s objectives for the year in question?

The immense potential of Gdańsk cultural life is eclipsed by the city’s history and political
connotations. This is why, while having a versatile and dynamic cultural life, Gdańsk is not
regarded as a city of culture.
The title European Capital of Culture will change Gdańsk. The event will permeate and transform
the city on many levels, and lead to a change in how the city is perceived. It will give us the opportunity to realise our vision for Gdańsk as a city of culture.
In 2017, we have successfully completed the year as European Capital of Culture 2016. From
now, the cultural life of Gdańsk, which used to be unrecognised or shadowed by history, realises
its full potential.
In 2017, the City of Gdańsk is the leading centre for cultural debates on freedom and solidarity.
Gdańsk has put freedom and solidarity on the top of the European agenda.
Gdańsk is regarded as a cultural centre in Poland, and as a domestic portal to the international
cultural scene. Foreign visitors choose Gdańsk as a cultural destination, not only to experience
the diverse and specific local culture, but also to explore the creative tension of Polish
culture in general.
Gdańsk is a city where culture attracts visitors during all four seasons, and where citizens
can participate in cultural activities all year round. The cultural scene of Gdańsk is flourishing
and diverse with many specific, local qualities and well-established international collaborations.
Culture is an integral part in the everyday life and the environment of the citizens, present
through art in public spaces and new models for recreational activities. The citizens of Gdańsk
believe in their own capacity as citizens and culture’s ability to create a better and freer society.
The citizens have the tools for cultural participation and involvement in society, both in
neighbourhoods and internationally.
In 2017, the citizens of Gdańsk and the region have a stronger identification with their place
of residence, its history and context. The diversity of these identities and their historical
complexity is more known throughout Europe. Culture has started shaping the identity of
the metropolitan area.

The citizens of Gdańsk are aware of the role of culture for the economic development of the
city. Therefore, culture becomes a significant element of the local business sector. Gdańsk is
a Baltic centre for combining culture and new technologies.


In 2017, Gdańsk is a future-orientated city of Freedom of Culture and Culture of Freedom.

 

OBJECTIVES

We have set six objectives for Gdańsk as European Capital of Culture 2016. The objectives
respond to challenges that Gdańsk, Poland and Europe are facing and correspond to the criteria
for European Capital of Culture. The six objectives are interconnected and together they form
this overall cultural vision for Gdańsk.

Objective 1
Promoting European debates on freedom and solidarity
In the words of one of the prime ambassadors of our candidature, Günther Grass, “All the
ideologies of the 20th century have been corrupted. We are doomed to solidarity. Without it,
the world is going to fall apart.”
In 1980, the strike in the Gdańsk Shipyard led by Lech Wałęsa became the spark that ignited
the process of democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe. Gdańsk became a symbol of
freedom fighting. Although the city’s freedom traditions go as far back as the Middle Ages,
it is the Solidarity movement and the events that took place in the 70s and 80s that have had
the strongest impact on Gdańsk’s status as the City of Freedom.

Solidarity is one of the pillars of the European community, named in the Charter of Fundamental
Rights as one the of substantive and common values which constitute the foundations of the
European Union. Even so, it is quite clear that it is the lack of solidarity in practice that is the
root of many of the problems Europe faces today.
Our first objective is to initiate, promote and facilitate European debates about freedom and
solidarity, thereby bringing common aspects of European cultures to the fore.
Gdańsk is a place where questions about freedom are being asked – current, crucial and difficult
ones. Both the citizens of Gdańsk and the artists creating here pose these questions and seek new models, redefining the contemporary meaning of freedom. This is why Gdańsk is the place where critical art is thriving.
We want to engage in current discussions on European culture, in questions that are relevant
for all of Europe. We view culture as a barometer of change and a vanguard of development.
We want to use culture’s capacity to transform an individual experience into a universal experience.
Our special obligation deriving from the legacy of Solidarity is to remember the role of
culture in oppressed societies, how culture may be a catalyst for change.
We will promote the idea of everyday solidarity, that is, to practice it on a daily basis.
In projects that promote the Freedom of Culture, we will collaborate with operators from
countries where culture might be used as a tool for freedom and against oppression. We
will tackle issues related to restrictions on creative freedom, access to culture and the use of
new technologies, initiating discussions and developing the best practices related to these
challenges.
In 2016, we will use culture to put freedom and solidarity on top of the European agenda. In
doing so, we bring Europe to Gdańsk, and we strengthen the city’s links with Europe.

 

Objective 2
Adapting to a post-industrial economy

The Gdańsk Shipyard is not only a symbol of the struggle for freedom. It also symbolises the demise of a traditional, heavy industry based model of economy. In this respect, Gdańsk epitomises the experience of a transformation common to all of Central and Eastern Europe.
Gdańsk is also part of a broader global experience connected to the growing economic importance of culture and creativity, and the accessibility to technology.
Our second objective is to promote and facilitate the integration of culture in the economic
development of Gdańsk and the region, especially by combining culture and new technologies,
thereby ensuring that the programme is sustainable and an integral part of the long-term
cultural and social development of the city.
We will work to increase the citizens’ understanding of the role of culture in society. Culture
is a significant stimulant in the city’s development and has a vital impact on the dynamics of
the local economy. We will show that culture can be an incentive for attracting new inhabitants
and new investments.
Having a strong IT branch cluster, and with Gdańsk Technical University as the leader in
innovative scientific research, Gdańsk and the region has particular potential in the field of new technologies. We want the future to be driven by the combined forces of culture and technology. We will strengthen regional cooperation and create favourable conditions for sharing solutions and inspiration. Our project will generate experimental artistic initiatives to explore the influence of new technologies on culture. We will make Gdańsk a Baltic centre for exchanging experiences in this field.

Objective 3
Strengthening civic society


Twenty years after the communist era, the Polish people still have an unclear notion of what
it means to exercise everyday freedom. It is a problem we share with large parts of Europe.
Although today we have freedom from oppression, we still have a long way before we know how
to practice the freedom that democracy entails. Transforming Gdańsk into a future‑orientated
city of culture is only possible if the citizens have the tools to do so.
Our third objective is to use culture as a means of strengthening the local civic society in Gdańsk and the region, thus encouraging the participation of artists, stakeholders in the socio-cultural scene and the inhabitants of the city, its surroundings and the area involved in the programme.
Only three decades have passed since a revolutionary process of changes in Europe was started in Gdańsk. By and large, the people that set off that spark are the same people that walk the streets of Gdańsk today. The memory of human solidarity and civic activity is very much alive in Gdańsk. It results in an unleashed potential for civic democracy and a prosperous self-organised cultural life. The work with the programme, and the programme itself, will channel this energy through culture.
Contact with art is a means of shaping the skills of critical perception and of discussion and
confrontation of different points of view. We will enable and encourage active and creative participation in culture. We want to bring cultural life closer to people, into their neighbourhoods, districts, the city centre, the places where they live, as well as the places where they spend their free time. Our particular concern is the democratisation of space and implementing art into the public space of the city, enabling and encouraging active and creative participation in culture.

Objective 4
Strengthening local and regional identities

Citizenship is not only defined by one’s tools for participation in social life. On a more profound
level, it is defined by the identification and relation one has with one’s place of residence.
Gdańsk has always been a city where freedom has been part of its identity. As a port city, a Hanseatic city, a city of trade, a multicultural city and religious sanctuary, Gdańsk has, through its unique history, developed a culture of freedom, openness and tolerance. During the period of The Free City of Danzig, from 1920 till 1945, the concept of freedom was dented.
Fascism grew strong, tensions increased, and in 1939 World War II broke out with the attack on Westerplatte. For this reason, Gdańsk is often associated with what is one of humanity’s darkest moments.
After the Second World War, the city of Gdańsk was reconstructed, both physically with bricks
and stones and socially with new inhabitants. The historical continuum of memories and relations was lost. It was only in the city’s symbolic values that citizens could forge links with the place and its history. The idea of Gdańsk as a city of freedom, tolerance and debate persisted.
But saying that Gdańsk is a city still seeking its identity is in no way contrived. Thus, trying to define the identity of Gdańsk, we will take a deeper look at the identities of the city districts, the city, the metropolitan area and the region. Furthermore, it takes us on a journey through Europe and European history.
Our fourth objective is to examine, strengthen and present the multitude of identities of Gdańsk
and its surroundings. Our aim is to offer culture as a means of building identification with one’s place of residence, its history and context. Thereby we want to highlight the richness of cultural diversity in Europe.
Today, a citizen of Gdańsk may say: “I am from Gdańsk”, but just as well “I am from Wrzeszcz”
or “I am from Oliwa” (two of the city’s districts). Although a strong personal bond to one’s neighbourhood is a universal phenomenon, it is particularly intense in Gdańsk and reflected on as deep a level as colloquial language. Therefore, it is a no surprise to hear a citizen of Gdańsk declare: “I am from the Tri‑City”, referring to the Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia conurbation.
Other levels of identities are those of the Metropolis, an area inhabited by 1.2 million people, and that of the Pomerania region.

To make this mosaic of identities even more complex and colourful, we can add one more
element – Kashubia – a picturesque area neighbouring Gdańsk, inhabited by the Kashubian
ethnic group. The native language and culture of this community distinctively influence the
city and add to its unique character.
We want to use culture as a means for preserving and creating identity on each of the above-
-mentioned levels. We want every citizen of Gdańsk to be capable of identifying with each and
every one of them, regardless of whether someone has been a Gdańsk resident for five or fifty
years. We pay particular attention to regional identity, as this is crucial for regional integration
and social development. Culture has the ability to build links and consolidate the area.
In the programme, we will trace the identities of Gdańsk in a European context and show how
strongly Gdańsk is a part of Europe and Europe is a part of Gdańsk. Social mobility and a flow
of new inhabitants into larger urban centers are processes of a universal character. However,
because of Gdańsk’s 20th century history, they are much more intensive and visible here.
We offer Europe the specific experiences of Gdańsk and its regional context, to broaden the
perspective on European diversity and identities.

Objective 5
Developing Polish-European relations

Our next objective relates to Polish and European identity. Poland has always been inclined
to navigate towards Western Europe, viewed as the centre of civilisation, with Poland as its
most eastern frontier. It might hurt our pride to admit it, but Poland has usually been more
influenced by Western Europe than Western Europe has been influenced by Poland. This could be seen as a superiority-inferiority complex: on the one hand, Poland constantly seeking confirmation from Western Europe that it has earned the right to be perceived as a society at
the very heart of Europe. On the other hand, to some degree, posing as a Western role model
for Eastern European countries, and as a protector of those cultivated Western values in an era of increased relativism and secularism.
Any city representing Poland as European Capital of Culture will have to work with these asymmetrical relations between Poland and the rest of Europe. It will determine how successful
and lasting the city’s international cooperation and partnerships will be. Gdańsk is in a unique position to take on these challenges, building upon its traditions of openness and international exchange and, above all, the legacy of Solidarity.
Our fifth objective is to use Gdańsk as a focal point to question, examine and develop the cultural relations between Poland and Europe, thereby strengthening cooperation between the cultural operators, artists and cities of Poland and other Member States, in all cultural sectors.
The contradictory character of Poland is particularly present in Gdańsk. The rebellious attitude
towards the status quo coexists with the rationality and well-structured organisation of our trade traditions. This dual nature goes far back. But also the new population of post war Gdańsk has also taken the old Hanseatic motto “Nec Temere, Nec Timide” (Neither rashly, nor timidly) to heart. Inherent in this contradictory character of the city is a tension that constantly drives us forward.
However, in Gdańsk we also have our own superiority-inferiority complex: on the one hand that we are perceived as arrogant because of our role in world history, and the presumed prestige it means to be a city with many nationally prominent politicians. On the other hand, we always feel somewhat peripheral in Poland, with a remote geographical location in the north, far from other Polish metropolitan areas. We wish to be part of the centre, we compare ourselves with other cities, and sometimes feel envious of, for example, a cultural city like Cracow. So, the way Gdańsk relates to Poland, greatly resembles the way Poland relates to Europe. The programme seeks to underline these concerns and perform the “cultural psycho-analysis” needed to transform the city and develop relations between Gdańsk, Poland and Europe.
In addition to these fascinating and challenging paradoxes, Gdańsk is also in a very advantageous position, acting as a link between Poland and Europe. Situated on the crossroads of trade routes between east and west, north and south, through the Baltic Sea and the system
of inland waterways, Gdańsk has a long tradition of international exchange.
In Hanseatic times, Gdańsk was the most “international” Polish city. It was inhabited by representatives of almost all European nations. The prosperous port city, with a reputation for
religious freedom and tolerance, attracted newcomers from the whole continent. Many of them
sought refuge from religious persecutions. During the communist era, Gdańsk was a cultural
underground portal to the outside world, a city where Poles could, for example, obtain foreign LPs, jeans and other goods, smuggled in from abroad by sailors.
Today, Gdańsk continues to be a truly international city. Its international presence is marked
by the 5 million foreign tourists who visit annually. All these factors contribute to the special
openness and tolerance that exists in Gdańsk.
Poland has one of the most homogeneous populations in Europe, and European integration in Poland has meant a lot of emigration and little immigration. A European Capital of Culture
representing Poland should work for greater openness and hospitality for newcomers, and we believe that Gdańsk is particularly suited to the task. In our programme, we will therefore highlight what the legacy of freedom and openness means today and how it can be used to bring Poland and the rest of Europe closer to each other.

Objective 6
Boosting the cultural scene

All these long-term initiatives for development, promoting debate, civic education and identity
processes will be manifested in concrete cultural activities in the city of Gdańsk and the
surrounding region. On a practical level, this gives us some specific challenges to work with when it comes to making Gdańsk an internationally attractive city of culture.
Gdańsk is an important centre for tourism. However, at the end of the high season, there is a noticeable decline in the number of cultural events. The candidature has certainly boosted the number of events during the tourist off-season, but we still have to break down the stereotype of a city “only alive in the summer”. To be able to fill all four seasons with a range of high quality cultural activities, we need to place our local cultural features in a European context.
Our final objective is to boost Gdańsk culturally throughout the entire year with international
events and collaborations, and thereby attract the interest of the population at a European level.

By initiating and supporting cultural events that take place during the tourist off-season, we
aspire not only to make Gdańsk an all-year tourist destination with cultural offers on an international level, but also to improve the quality of everyday life for the citizens.

Gdańsk has unique qualities which are foundations to build on. What defines Gdańsk culturally,
as much as the location and the freedom tradition, is the irrepressible energy of the artists who live and create here. Strong determination, grassroots solidarity and cooperation all resulted in a large number of independent initiatives in the period after 1989, especially in dance theatre, alternative music and visual arts. Several unique phenomena saw the light of day, like the improvised music genre yass and monumental painting. Extraordinary places were created, like the Artists Colony and Wyspa Institute of Art. In the district of Wrzeszcz, the national initiative Indeks 73 was established, documenting cases where creative freedom has been violated. All of these artistic initiatives have a common denominator in being firmly rooted in the city’s experience, its history and tradition. In building a four season programme, we will accelerate and expand these ongoing processes and support new initiatives.
Developing the cultural life over four seasons is essential for the citizens’ quality of life, as well
as for the city’s economic growth. An increase in tourism results in immediate and measurable
economic profits. Prolonging the high season allows for more effective use of tourist infrastructure.
This will lead to new outputs for cultural tourism and new solutions for improved planning and better coordination of events. Furthermore, the programme for 2016 will serve as a template in the future programming of the city’s regular cultural life.


What, for it, would be the main challenge of this nomination?


Gdańsk already has the infrastructure, organisational capacity and experience to manage an
enormous event like this.
The main challenge of this nomination and set objectives will be: How to use the programme
as a catalyst for the deep and profound changes we envision for the city.
The solution to this challenge is to engage the city and citizens on all levels, and doing so
together with Europe. This work has been progressing at full speed since 2008, and the candidature has already had a visible impact on the city’s development.

All along, the course of our activities has been determined by the principal philosophy of the programme: Freedom of Culture. Culture of Freedom.

 

Idea

Conscious of its spiritual and moral heritage, the Union is founded on the indivisible, universal
values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; it is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice.

Charter of Fundamental Rights of The European Union

BEARING IN MIND our history and traditions of freedom, especially the social movements at
the end of the last century triggered by the events in Gdańsk in August 1980;
DETERMINED to support the process of convergence for building European identity with respect for the cultural diversity of nations;
SETTING freedom of culture as our key objective;
ACKNOWLEDGING that breaking down barriers and obstacles, restricting development and access to culture is a challenge which the information society has to face;
INTENDING to contribute to increasing competitiveness and sustainable development of regions by innovative activities in the sphere of culture;
EMPHASISING the significance of culture, in economic and social dimensions, as the main sphere of international integration, freedom and solidarity;
EXPRESSING OUR STRONG WILL to support progress and freedom with respect for the provisions of the Treaty of the European Union and national, cultural and religious diversity, we
DECIDED to create the programme:


Freedom of Culture. Culture of Freedom.

This is our principal philosophy, our motto, and the main pillars of our European Capital of Culture programme.
Freedom of Culture. Culture of Freedom is a transposition of the division of freedom into
“freedom from” and “freedom to”. One involves liberation from something, the other striving
for something. We define our principal philosophy as seeking activities to achieve freedom from the monumental character of our city and from being narrowed down to a historical symbol, in order to give the citizens freedom to shape their own city – a place that actively participates in European culture.
We act towards freedom from inhibitions and restrictions of creative expression, both formal and customary ones. Our aim is to create a programme which will be an example of humanist values in practice.

Freedom of culture
Is it possible to create without limits?

To be European means to be creative and involved in the development of culture. Our idea is to focus the programme on the issues of creative freedom, freedom of the artist, art for freedom and, of greatest significance, the freedom of access to culture.
Due to technological development, particularly the Internet, there is a growing need for redefining the rules of functioning of a work of art and its autonomy. According to the concept of
the Gdańsk 2016 programme, our aim is to provide the space and conditions for development of spontaneous, accessible and multi-threaded culture. We want to balance high culture with the “underground”, tradition with the avant-garde and creative industries with free culture. At present, culture is spread between copyrights and open access, between the law and everyday practices. These issues have prompted us to seek an answer to the question: what is the role of culture in a knowledge-based society? Simultaneously, we postulate freedom and development of art and culture with respect for the rights of individuals, such as self-realisation and personal development.
The idea of freedom in culture offers the opportunity to engage freedom movements, for which culture is a way to manifest their presence and vision of the world, regardless of origin, religion or sex. Therefore, each of our activities is carried out with respect to three rights: the right to create, to participate and to act freely.

Gdańsk is a city where debate is a practice for solving disputes and initiating cooperation. We want Gdańsk to be a city which restores the role of debate in the development of societies. We see debate as a tool for interpersonal communication and as cultural adhesive. Therefore we promote festivals dedicated to specific ideas – “festivals of idea”, where the interdisciplinary character of activities is not only a post-modern combination of artistic genres, but stems from
issues of great importance for the individual in the post-industrial world.


Culture of freedom
What culture do we create when we are free?


The creative tension among the citizens of Gdańsk has the potential to break the spell of the
monumental character of Gdańsk. Culture of Freedom is indispensably linked with the city and its character. It is about improving the conditions that are necessary to attract people, artist, projects and ventures.
We want to show our city as a place of freedom and solidarity, a place which inspires and makes life enjoyable. We perceive culture as a driving force of economic and social development in Gdańsk.
Our proposal stems from a reflection on everyday life in the city of Schopenhauer and Fahrenheit, in the city of a thousand-year tradition of tolerance, in a city that resisted Stalinist concepts of an industrialised working class, in the city that started a bloodless revolution and led to the fall of the communist system. We are interested in everyday solidarity, as a method and a challenge for the present and future of our citizens. We are neighbours ready to change our district, our city, our region. We believe that freedom and solidarity are values which should not be taken for granted but demand we work on them on a daily basis. We see Gdańsk on the map of Europe as a place where these values have been put into practice.
We understand Culture of Freedom as openness and diversity. Therefore, we believe that Kashubian culture deserves broader international exposure and a stronger status among the inhabitants of the metropolitan area, particularly the younger generation.
Culture of Freedom also covers free time, and highlighting projects related to active leisure and tourism – activities that substantially broaden the issue of freedom in everyday life.
Freedom of Culture. Culture of Freedom is not just a motto. It is a roadmap for local and pan-European changes. It is a result of reflections on the state and development of culture in creative, economic and social dimensions. It is a way to meet the needs of the city and its inhabitants. Freedom of Culture. Culture of Freedom is a multi-threaded and open idea. It is a platform for integrating communities and is firmly set within contemporary Europe, for which Gdańsk is the symbol of freedom and solidarity towards individuals, societies and nations.

Themes
Programme themes – from motto to programme

The programme themes stem from and complement the principal philosophy of Gdańsk’s candidature, which is expressed by the motto Freedom of Culture. Culture of Freedom. The programme is the fulfilment of this concept. It serves to present those aspects, which have an influence on the city’s development and European integration. The themes categorise these aspects, give them a dynamic character and create a special network of values, creations and modern technologies.
The programme themes define the way Gdańsk 2016 interprets and delivers the objectives of the European Capital of Culture, which are: “the European dimension” and “City and Citizens”.
Freedom of Culture represents mainly “the European Dimension” and Culture of Freedom refers to the “City and Citizens” dimension.

 

Freedom of culture programme

Themes
Our programme engages Gdańsk in an important debate contemporary Europe is facing – the
debate on freedom of culture. We propose five programme themes to classify projects and
provide answers to issues connected with freedom of culture. This section presents projects
related to European identity, exchange, solidarity of artists, diversity of national cultures, creative explorations and new technologies.

Debate
Gdańsk is an ideal place for presenting and exchanging ideas. It was here Arthur Schopenhauer
was born and spent his early life. It is here that Solidarity was founded – the movement that changed a political system through peaceful means. It is the city that by the attitude of its citizens proved the constructive role of debate. Today, it is the European Capital of Culture that also provides a perfect opportunity to initiate new models, processes and solutions in the sphere of culture. Therefore, a part of our programme is devoted to a reflection on the condition of culture and the direction it is taking in a united Europe. It is particularly epitomised in the Debate theme, which includes:

society, developing discussion skills and creating space for dialogue

FREEDOM OF CULTURE
(European Dimension)
Debate
Solidarity of Artists
The Internet Communities
Beyond the EU
Creations
Space
Free Time
Neighbours
Generations
CULTURE OF FREEDOM
(City and Citizens)
Programme themes
Themes

 

Solidarity of Artists

Solidarity is a fundamental value in contemporary Europe, but it is only in Gdańsk that it assumes a particular meaning. We are interested in solidarity as a foundation for organising everyday life, but most of all as a means for cooperation. Taking into consideration the diversity of European culture, as well as the need for exchange, and intending to enable a broader presentation of its output, our proposal is: delivering projects based on co-productions, residencies, exchanges and team work, projects realised by creative groups, initiatives for increasing the mobility of artists, gathering together artists representing various disciplines. We strive for balance between the past and the present, between what is considered high and underground. The art of yesterday and today. The art of tomorrow.

The Internet Communities
The Internet is a tool that facilitates contacts and exchange of experiences, as well as spreading
information and sharing passions. The web has become a space of creation based on new rules of: fragmentariness, simultaneity and availability. Here, the distribution of cultural goods comes about in a democratic way. In this theme we pay particular attention to projects connected with cooperation through the Internet, information exchange networks, activities creating systems of augmented reality (AT) and also projects in the sphere of cyber culture.

Beyond the EU
To be in solidarity. To support and interact with European countries outside the European Union. Our task is to build a bridge between the northern and southern parts of our continent and to create an eastern partnership.
Being European citizens, it is also our particular concern to highlight common aspects of European culture. Projects referring to European cooperation with other regions of the world,
intercultural dialogue and promotion of democratic ideas – this is another body of tasks we set ourselves in delivering the European Capital of Culture programme.

Creations
Gdańsk is a city whose atmosphere has always been particularly favourable for avant-garde
movements and creative experiments. It was here that Poland could see jazz and rock and roll concerts for the first time, and also where the first Polish jazz and Big-beat (Polish music genre from the 1960s, combining pop with rock and roll) bands came from. Gdańsk was also the birth-place of Polish punk rock and of such revolutionary phenomena in Polish culture as TotArt movement or yass music.
Gdańsk is a city where citizens are particularly open to new explorations in art. The Creations
theme includes projects whose primary principles are their innovative character and artistic
explorations based on new technologies and new tendencies in the arts. These are projects related to creative industries and science, as well as those referring to new models of participation in culture based on the active audience participation.

Culture of freedom programme themes

Culture: Gdańsk is heading towards a new turn in its history. The city, which in more than a thousand years of history was changing Europe, now needs Europe to change itself. We want the city to be strong with the strength of its inhabitants. Although we all want it, we will not succeed without the vital impulse of the European Capital of Culture. We do not want to stay in the shadow of history and on Poland’s margin. Yes, we are changing ourselves and the city in order to participate in culture and not only to be its historical point of reference.
Our priority are the citizens as a community with European aspirations and as a creative force
for change, as well as the city as the common concern of its inhabitants and the metropolitan
area as a space for synergy. Our focus is culture of freedom. It is all epitomised in projects which change our environment, integrate people and boost their pride, which regenerate districts and highlight the tourist values of the city and the region. The section below presents
4 themes showing the major goals of our projects.

Space
Our goal is a city that is friendly to its citizens. Here the focus is cooperation for improving the quality of life through projects connected with the city space and public areas, i.e.: squares, streets, pedestrian, seashore and riverside areas, canals, clubs, cafes, cultural institutions.
These projects will result in a permanent transformation and democratization of public space
through art.

Free Time
Gdańsk and the metropolitan area are Poland’s major summer holiday destination – mainly because of the seaside location, unique climate and landscape qualities. We are interested in the culture of spending free time and a city which is alive all year long. Our task is to encourage
and facilitate the development of new possibilities for participation in culture. Our focus are projects connected with active leisure, addressed both to tourists and city residents. Our intention is to stimulate the solutions which facilitate the planning and delivery of new projects-offers in culture tourism.

Neighbours

This theme focuses on projects connected with activities on the level of districts, cities and the metropolitan area. Our goal is everyday solidarity among citizens. Firstly this entails district projects on the basis of neighbourhood cooperation, activities for preventing social exclusion, projects connected with districts’ regeneration, “face to face” multiculturalism, integration of local communities and presentation of the region’s cultural wealth. The theme also includes initiatives for building metropolitan area identity. Cooperations and numerous grassroots initiatives related to the candidature contribute to closer consolidation of the metropolitan area and improving the equality of access to culture for the inhabitants of the entire region.

Generations

Gdańsk is a city with a stormy history. Sixty-five years ago, as a consequence of the Second World War it was almost totally erased and experienced an almost complete exchange of population.
The process of rebuilding continues to the present. Because of population displacements and
Stalin’s decision of city’s new role of a highly industrialised centre, within only a few months
the German-speaking inhabitants were replaced with newcomers from central and eastern Poland. The present citizens of Gdańsk live with respect for the history of the city and create
a new story, based on ideas of tolerance and openness. This is why it is so important for us to
built transgenerational bonds. Consequently, the main goals of this theme are a pragmatic way of preventing social exclusion because of age and establishing solidarity between generations.
On one hand, we present family projects promoting models for common participation in culture, on the other, there are also projects exploring the sphere of memory, focusing on relations between people’s memory and the history of the place, as well as building identity.

Gdańsk Town Hall
Nowe Ogrody 8/12
80-803 Gdańsk
www.gdansk.pl

 

Coordinated, written and edited by
The Office of Gdańsk and the Metropolis, the European Capital of Culture 2016 – Candidate
(2016 Management GP)
Długi Targ 39/40
80-830 Gdańsk
Phone: + 48 58 740 2016
esk@gdansk2016.eu
www.gdansk2016.eu

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