European Cities of Culture for the Year 2000 - Giannalia Cogliandro - Ποιειν Και Πραττειν

European Cities of Culture for the Year 2000 - Giannalia Cogliandro

A wealth of urban cultures for celebrating the turn of the century

FFIINALL REPORTT

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The publication is available in the following official languages of the European Union: English and French.

Publisher: Association of the European Cities of Culture of the year 2000, AECC/AVEC

Content: Mrs. GiannaLia COGLIANDRO, AECC General Secretary

Introduction: Mrs. Viviane REDING, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth, Media and Sport.

Situation as of March 2001

General information about the Cultural action is available on internet:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/index_en.html

Contact data can be found at the end of this publication.

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

This report has been produced in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our cooperation during the past 3 years and ultimately to use our experience to facilitate the development and the implementation of cultural networks in Europe. This document is primarily intended for international readers, including the following: European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Europe, councillors of culture at the Permanent Representations to the EU , public authorities in the 9 countries , ECC2000 local authorities; ECC2000 cultural community, European cultural networks, future European Cities of Culture, students.

The method of study included a review of all the available published and unpublished documentation from the nine ECC offices and from the EU archives, interviews with the nine directors, cultural operators and local authorities.

I wish to thank a number of people who have helped me. The nine Directors for their constructive ideas and comments and with whom I have discussed about many of the themes covered and the ECC offices for their generous support in exchanging information and for their help in editing this book . Others I would like to thank include the local artists with whom I have frequently discussed about their city of culture and the culture of their city.

Contents

Preface by Mrs Viviane Reding

Introduction by the Author

PARTT II

A EUROPEAN PROGRAMME FFOR CIITTIIES O FF CULLTTURE

_________

CHAPTER I

THE EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE PROGRAMME

1. Background……………………………………………………………………………….

2. Procedures…………………………………………………………………………….….

3. European Cultural Month programme…………………………………………..……..

4. Organisation………………………………………………………………………………

5. Resources…………………………………………………………………………….…...

6. ECCM Network………………………………………………………………….………..

7. House of the European Cities of Culture and ECC on Line project…………………

CHAPTER II

THE FUTURE POLICY OF THE PROGRAMME

1. A new decision…………………………………………………………………………….

2. Role of the European Commission…………………………………………………..…

PARTT IIII

TTHE EUROPEAN CIITTIIES OFF CULLTTURE FFOR TTHE YEAR 220000 00

_____________

CHAPTER I

CITIES AND APPROACHES

1. History……………………………………………………………………………………

2. Nine cities of culture, nine cultures of the cities……………………………………..

3. Avignon…………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Bergen……………………………………………………………………………………

5. Bologna…………………………………………………………………………………..

6. Brussels………………………………………………………………………………….

7. Krakow…………………………………………………………………………………...

8. Helsinki…………………………………………………………………………………..

9. Prague……………………………………………………………………………………

10. Reykjavik………………………………………………………………………………...

11. Santiago de Compostela………………………………………………………………

CHAPTER II

THE STRUCTURES BEHIND THE CULTURAL YEAR

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….

2. In house model…………………………………………………………………..…….

3. Independent approach………………………………………………………………..

CHAPTER III

RESOURCES

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....

2. ECC 2000 Financial structures……………………………………………………..

3. Financial support from the Commission……………………………………………

PARTT IIII II

TTHE ASSOCIIATTIIO N OFF TTHE EUROP EAN CIITTIIES OFF CULLTTURE O FF TTHE YEAR 22000000

_______________

CHAPTER I

THE STRUCTURE BEHIND THE COOPERATION

1. History………………………………………………………………………………....

2. Formal organisation…………………………………………………………………..

3. AECC Secretariat……………………………………………………………………..

4. Web office……………………………………………………………………………..

CHAPTER II

THE JOINT COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………

2. AECC logo…………………………………………………………………………….

3. Thue & Selvaag Report………………………………………………………………

4. Joint promotion ……………………………………………………………………….

5. Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………

CHAPTER III

A WEALTH OF PROJECTS FOR THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

1. AECC Joint projects…………………………………………………………………..

2. Other European Projects ……………………………………………………………

CHAPTER IV

NORDIC COUNTRIES: A SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP IN THE YEAR 2000

1. Northern Dimension………………………………………………………………….

2. Northern Dimension in the year 2000………………………………………………

3. Nordic joint projects ………………………………………………………………….

PARTT IIV

AFFTTERTTHOUGTTS

_____________

ANNEX ES

Annexe 1: EU LEGISLATION

Annexe 2: AECC STATUTE

Annexe 3: LIST OF THE AECC MEETINGS

Annexe 4: CONTACTS IN THE NINE CITIES

Foreword

The “European Capital of Culture” event goes back to 1985 and was an initiative by the then Minister for Culture in Greece, Melina Mercouri. Since that time, one or two cities have been chosen each year by intergovernmental decision of the Ministers of Culture meeting within the Council.

From the outset, the Commission has granted financial support for this cultural event and the “Culture 2000” programme, adopted by the European institutions for the period 2000–2004, has included this event among the “special cultural events” of European and international importance.

For the year 2000, the Ministers of Culture decided to mark this symbolic date in a special way by choosing nine cities: Avignon, Bergen, Bologne, Brussels, Crakow, Helsinki, Prague, Reykjavik and Santiago de Compostella.

This decision has considerably increased the cultural impact of the event. Many European people took an active part last year in the cultural events organised by the nine “European Cities of Culture”. These events have brought together and generated cooperation between thousands of cultural players around live performances, theatre, historical monuments, urban culture, street arts and new forms of artistic expression. Dozens of events and projects were carried out jointly, others toured from one city to another. This profusion of initiatives shows the vitality of cultural activity in Europe and the eagerness of Europeans to step up their cultural exchanges.

The cooperation of the nine “European Cities of Culture” for the year 2000 was made easier by the pooling from the outset of a range of specific coordination and promotion tools which include the AECC association set up in 1996, a system of Intranet communication “Weboffice”, and a common logo. As can be seen from this final report, the European

Commission has been providing financial support for these cultural cooperation actions since 1997.

But the success of this cooperation lies not only in what it has achieved. It has provided a platform for European networks of artists and institutions which are pursui ng their activities and will far outlive the year 2000.

In addition, this cooperation has not jeopardised the diversity of approaches and programmes implemented by each city: the organisational approaches and structures, and the themes and priorities defi ned, have made it possible to clearly identify the cultural features peculiar to each “capital”: as Avignon was celebrating “Beauty” , Brussels was focusing its action on “The City”, Prague on “Cultural heritage”, Reykjavik on the relationship between “Culture and nature”, to name but a few.

The report now published is the history of a wonderful adventure and an undeniable success. However, I am fully aware of how difficult the initial challenge was and how many problems, including financial problems, were generated by the joint designation of nine European cities of culture for the year 2000.

The merit of this report is precisely the frankness with which it also mentions the failures, mistakes and disillusions which are part and parcel of any project or venture on this scale. I have no doubt that it will stand as an invaluable guide for the cities which in the years ahead will in turn have the privilege and the responsibility to be a “European Capital of Culture”. The European Commission will do its utmost to support them just as it did in the year 2000.

Thank you, all of you, for your endeavour and your commitment.

Viviane Reding

Introduction by the Author

« The cultural health of Europe requires two conditions: that the culture of each country be unique and that the different cultures recognise the relation between them”.

T.S. Eliot

The conception of the European City of Culture programme was not the result of a carefully developed plan to solve urban problems, but rather a simple idea and far-sighted vision of the Greek Minister Melina Mercuri and the French Minister Jacques Lang. The idea involved the selection of one European City to be awarded each year with the title of the European City of Culture. The vision came in anticipation of a renewed focus by cities on their own cultural heritage and their distinctive cultural identity and vitality.

Although its first aim was to , “highlight the cultural wealth and diversity of the cities of Europe whilst emphasising their shared cultural heritage and the vitality of the arts ”, it became evident that the impact of this programme went beyond this educational bond. It gave the city a marketing opportunity to improve its image on a national and European scale, and constituted a sort of regeneration tool for the principal areas around which the main events occurred. Since 1985 one Euro pean capital has been selected each year, sometimes twinned with a second city that has hosted a cultural month . For the year 2000, no fewer than nine cities announced their interest: Avignon (France), Bergen (Norway), Bologna (Italy), Brussels (Belgium), Helsinki (Finland), Krakow (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Reykjavik (Iceland), and Santiago de Compostela (Spain). Early 1995 gave the particular symbolic importance of the year 2000, the EU ministers decided to give all nine of these cities the Cultural capital title for the year 2000. This unprecedented inter governmental decision provoked strong reactions from the previous Cultural Capital, which argued that the original concept was being abandoned.

According to the resolution governing the programme, each city is free to determine its own emphasis and theme and to organise programmes and projects within the time scale and budget that each city decides. Due to the fact that the nine Cities of Culture of the year 2000 were different in size, ambitions, needs and tastes regarding the local and international

community, they focused on different directions. Inevitably the cultural programmes and approaches of the cities varied massively, thus resulting in nine rich and wide cultural program mes reflecting the nine different cultures of the cities.

The city of Avignon, vibrant home to artistic creation, decided to celebrate the year 2000 under the motto, “Art and creativity”. The city of Bergen, the Grieg’s home-town decided to welcome the new millennium under the sign of, “Art, Work and Leisure”. The cultural city of Bologna, “la dotta”, selected the motto, “Culture and Communication”, focus ing on young people and used the chance to open an array of new cultural spaces including a covered salt warehouse. The capital of Europe, Brussels, decided not to present a great millennium festival but concentrated on initiatives which, under the theme, “the City”, will have long term impact after decades when it has been ripped apart to make way for the EU institutions.

Prague looked to its past heritage and built up a rich and ambitions programme under the theme of Cultural Heritage . The Nordic city of Helsinki decided to use this opportunity to bring Finnish culture to an international awareness level and to foster the link between culture and, “Knowledge, Technology and Future”. Santiago de Compostela, well known for

being the end of the St. James’ pilgrim road questioned itself on the place of, “Europe and the World”. The city of Reykjavik placed all the events under the theme “Culture and Nature” , while Krakow, the city with its tradition of various cultures and religions existing together for over a thousand years chose the theme of, “Thought, Spirituality and Creativity”.

The collaboration on pan-European level is not an easy task. Different cultures, different expectations and goals, and multiplying costs can jeopardise ideas and projects. However, after the first shock, the nine cities of the year 2000 soon combined their forces and started to plan collaborative actions and projects. In particular, in 1996 the nine Cities decided that the core of their cooperation would consist of nine co-peration projects. As a project leader, each city had to propose such an international project to its eight partner cities. The nine cities were free to determine their participation in the proposed international projects depending on their own cultural city emphasis, programmes and budgets. This unique and rich cultural cooperation between nine different cities resulted in twelve joint projects big or small, covering different fields: Technomade, Coasts and waterways, Café9.net, Walkabout stalk, Communication , Codex Calixtinus, Citylink, Voices of Europe, The faces of Earth, Kide, The House of the Nine cities, Bologna gala Dinner .

Apart from the twelve AECC joint projects, this cooperation resulted in more than sixty international projects and in some long-term synergies between cultural institutions and artists living and working in the nine ECC2000 . Moreover, some new networks were also established and the sharing of experiences and dialogue between the Cities – Mayors, directors, producers, artists gave some positive ingredients to this , “forced marriage”. Today, in the light of these results and this unique experience we can reinforce the idea that European cul tural diversity should not be viewed merely as a source of ethnic and national conflicts, but it is also something of positive that enriches our continent. The core of European ideology is in recognising this diversity in tolerance and personal richness. This is what we learned during these past four years, this is the message that we would like to transmit to the future European Cities of Culture .

GiannaLia Cogliandro

AECC General Secretary

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