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Concept and Spirit of the 25 Years of European Capitals of Culture by Spyros Mercouris (2010)

 

The European Capitals of Culture began as a vision, developed into a big cultural event and became an institution of the European Union.

On November 23, 1983 at the Zappeion Megaron in Athens, the then Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri gathered all the Community Culture Ministers together in order to submit to them the following question: “How is it possible for a Community which is deprived of its cultural dimension to grow?” and continued: “our role as Ministers of Culture is clear. Our responsibility a must. Culture is the soul of Society. Therefore, our foremost duty is to look at the foundations and nature of this Community. This does not mean that we should impose our ideas. On the contrary, we must recognize the diversity and the differences amongst the people of Europe.

The determining factor of a European identity lies precisely in respecting this diversity with the aim of creating a dialogue between the cultures of Europe. It is time for our voice to be heard as loud as that of the technocrats. Culture, art and creativity are not less important than technology, commerce and the economy.

Cultural diversity is the basic heritage of thousands of years of history. It is the collective product of mankind.

The European community, a commercial and economic community up to that point, had not given special attention to its cultural dimension and Cultural Ministers met informally.

When Melina proposed to the Ministers of Culture to designate each year a European city as a European Capital of Culture, she did so in the belief that a real contribution would be made which would enhance the reinvigoration both of the individual citizen and of the peoples of Europe.

Also, it was certain that through efforts to achieve a higher quality of life the event of the Cultural Capital would expand to cities of European countries outside the Community according to the principles of Democracy, pluralism and rule of law.

The proposal was unanimously accepted and the institution of European Cultural Capital was created with Athens being chosen as the first European Capital of Culture for the year 1985. Thus, I had the honor of being its first director and coordinator. Athens was a big success. Two Presidents were present for the opening ceremony on the 21st of June 1985 at the Acropolis; the President of France, Francois Mitterand, and of Greece, Hristos Sartzetakis. The Prime Minister of Greece, Andreas Papandreou, the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Belgium and Ireland, and all the Ministers of Culture of the European Community with their presence gave their support to this event. With the success of Athens and the cities that followed, the institution of Cultural Capitals was assured.

Although she was first on the list, Athens had from the beginning a wide vision of this cultural event and its prospects.

The institution of European Capital of Culture was created, so as to show the character of each city which had been nominated. This included its history, traditions and its contemporary creativity.

We especially wanted the event of Cultural Capitals, NOT to be a Festival, but a meeting place for discussion, exchange of ideas and communication, where artists, intellectuals and scientists would bring their work and efforts together towards the promotion of European thought.

To be a tool which would allow the citizens of Europe to be more than mere spectators, to participate, to understand, to feel, to define and shape new ideas and relationships in the process for a politically unified Europe.

In 1990, another decision was taken by the Ministers of Culture of the European Union. Every year and for one month, one city of Europe, but outside the Community would organize cultural events and have direct contact and dialogue with the nominated Cultural Capital for that year. So, Cultural Month was created.

During that same year a meeting of the up to then coordinators and organizers of Cultural Capitals took place, to benefit and interchange from their experiences. As a result the ECCM Network (European Cultural Capitals & Months) was formed to link former, current and future European Capitals of Culture. Its aim was to serve the institution of European Capitals of Culture and thereby deepen the understanding of Europe’s cultural diversity.

From what we have said up to now, it is clear that the event is not only what a Cultural Capital offers and does on its own, but the contribution of all the European Cultural Capitals offer together as a whole.

To enhance cultural co-operation and the promotion of culture on a European wide basis the ECCM network undertook to share information and pass on experiences made during that year. This was another way of interpreting and promoting European Cultural projects. For that reason the ECCM has organized European programs.

As examples: projects such as solidarity with Sarajevo meant collecting money in support for the rebuilding after the Yugoslavian War, the library of Sarajevo. The waves of the Black Sea and the Art Gender Biennale brought together 14 cities around the Black Sea to show works of young artists. Also the Aegean Archipelago Symposium focused on the Aegean world in order to protect its environment. Then the EU-Japan festival produced numerous projects during Antwerp ’93, Lisbon ’94, Luxembourg ’95, Thessaloniki ’97 and Stockholm ’98.

Milestones of the ECCM network are:

Rodolfo Maslias, ex General Secretary of the Network of Cultural Capitals of Europe, suggested in 2007, to the present Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis, the establishing in Athens of a Documentation Centre which would include all the programs and activities of all the Cultural Capitals of Europe. This has now been achieved.

The Documentation Centre is a panorama of cultural activities of all the Cultural Capitals of Europe up to now. It shows the huge amount of cultural events, infrastructures, editions, experience, know-how etc. that has been produced during the past 25 years. A unique Cultural Reference Centre.

Up to the year 2000, the whole spirit from the cultural cities and their directors was enthusiasm, inspiration and imagination. I want to thank Ingo Weber, Berlin 1988; Bob Palmer, Glasgow 1990; Eric Antonis, Antwerp 1993; Max Aufischer, Graz Cultural Month 1993; Ivonne Fehlman, Lisbon 1994; Guy Dockendorf, Claude Frissoni and Simone Beck, Luxembourg 1995; Simone Beck, also served as General Secretary of the Network, Thanassis Papadopoulos, Thessaloniki 1997; and Carin Fisher, Stockholm 1998, for the close collaboration which created a deep understanding of the tasks ahead and a tremendous friendship over the years.

Unfortunately this way of networking, as above, had to face a new situation. The European Commission in the year 2000, the new millennium, had designated nine cities for this year to become European Capitals of Culture, and naturally they formed their own communication so as to be in contact with each other.

Many directors and coordinators of past cities that participated in the ECCM ceased being connected with the cultural capital cities they had worked for. Thus it became an issue whether any network connecting European Capitals of Culture should be official and formal or informal. By the time the ECCM held its General Assembly in Patras 2006, a schism prevailed. On the one hand, the ECCM faced demands to live up to its formal character, while the newly designated cities tended towards the creation of just an informal network. But once there were so many cities, such an idea to continue networking at an informal level was deeply flawed. The ECCM network struggled to exist but it became, after Patras, very clear that it was impossible to continue in the same way.

Undoubtedly the Network of European Capitals of Culture is a success story. For the members of the network involved were people who had the abilities to think, to innovate, to create, to develop, to communicate, to understand, to exchange ideas, to create a constructive dialogue between cultures and above all to respect the opinion of others and the diversity of cultures which makes up Europe.

I strongly believe that a new network of ECOC is much needed to link the future ECOC to form a communication with the Documentation Centre and the past ECOC and to create European Programs.

In 2007 the European Commission published a study which confirmed that culture is of central and growing importance to the European economy. The study speaks about no less than 5.8 million people who are employed in the cultural sector. While elsewhere unemployment increased, the cultural sector had started to employ more and more of Europe’s best educated and most flexible workers, namely artists, film makers, designers, writers etc. The facts speak for themselves.

The study merits a welcome. But those of us who are involved and concerned about the future of European culture, the study carries with it, a certain risk. It comes at a time when progress is too often defined in purely commercial and material terms, and the study may reinforce this tendency to look upon cultural activity as being merely another form of economic activity. This would be a mistake. In the long run of history culture has never been a mere or even primarily an economic activity.

Here we must be careful. Culture is much deeper and wider. The Productivity of culture is generated by culture’s own power to renew itself and to create out of itself a momentum to go forward. This is culture’s perennial strength.

We must never forget that culture is horizontal. Culture is at the centre of our social, economic and political life. It goes straight to the human being for the betterment of the quality of life.

Despite this productive role of culture the newer European Capitals of Culture have narrowed the goal of ECOC. Especially, Liverpool 2008 and Essen 2010, concentrated on strengthening the economic impact. Of course, this had a considerable success, but it is only one factor of the philosophy of the European Capitals of Culture.

Today, developed countries of the world form a global village. Never in the history of mankind has there ever existed such easy contact. Each country and each continent is in constant communication. But it is doubtful if such communication promotes a straightforward and constructive dialogue between peoples and civilizations.

We live in a time that is dominated by cynicism, mistrust, insecurity and fear. The pursuit of profit corrupts and changes the characters of people.  We must understand that when there is an increase in material goods, which is not followed with a parallel development of ideas and values, then the lifestyle created flattens every cultural creation and is doomed to wither and decline.
Unfortunately, with the political, economic and social relations of today –and especially because of the economic crisis– the transnational capital, controls and checks the world economy, and thus is ostracizing culture from the decision making process.

We have to react.

We have to believe in the power and productivity of culture.

Civilization – culture absorbs from the past, shapes the present and perceives the future.

Throughout the ages, mankind has consistently sought progress and renewal.

In the long history of human civilization there has been a whole series of renaissances, each one making its contribution to moral and intellectual regeneration and to the betterment of the quality of life.

Man is the driving force.

If man wants to develop and progress he must not forget the eternal values that he himself has created. If he wants to dream again he must create new ideas and values.

And who knows?  Perhaps the institution of European Capitals of Culture may assist the old Continent of Europe with new ideas and values so essential for nations, communities and especially man.

 

Spyros Mercouris

First Director  & Coordinator of “Athens – Cultural Capital 1985”

The speech was given at Melina Mercouri Culture Centre during the meeting of the Cultural Parliament on the subject matter: "Europe and its Greek Legacy"

Athens, 18/09/2010

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