Navigation
- Home
- Institution of European Capitals of Culture
- ECoCs contributions to Europe connected through culture
- Europe under construction
- EU Commission
- Candidate cities
- Imprint
Stiving for Depth by Suzana Zilic Fiser
Introductory speech
Striving for Depth
Suzana Žilič Fišer, PhD.
"This is an extraordinary opportunity for us all to develop
culture on different levels of society: in public dialogue, by
stimulating cultural norms and values needed in an area, with
education, by lifting people´s perception about cultural
awareness, and by giving equal weight to everyone´s opinion."
I believe that the most important elements and goals of running the ECOC Institute successfully are the production of artistic contents, a rational business management gaining and using all potential means of funds, a widely recognized ECOC Maribor 2012 brand, and cooperation with different segments of the local public.
The program contents are based around four main sections: Terminal 12, Urban Furrow, LifeTouch and TownKeys. Their common mainframe includes and offers program contents for different goal audiences in Maribor and its partner cities. It is important to note that the particular features of the local environments in Maribor, Novo Mesto, Murska Sobota, Velenje, Slovenj Gradec and Ptuj will be considered in the planning and execution of the project. The established and rich artistic production in the entire “ECOC region”, if you will, will be further strengthened by different programs and a long-lasting artistic selection in 2012, which should bring new possibilities and conditions for a sustainable development of the artistic selection in the local environment.
The ECOC Institute is dedicated to a rational business management and an effective use of the human and financial resources, provided by public and private sources. For this reason, I cannot imagine our operation without a thorough and meticulous management of the set financial project plan. Acquiring funds from private sources is very limited due to the financial crisis; therefore we take great care in this.
The ECOC brand signifies the capital of culture and its partner cities, but also the entire country. Let us make it more recognizable and friendlier to all! It is clear that neither Maribor nor the other culture capital cities are immediately recognizable to the wider European public. This does not strike me as a detriment, quite the opposite; I see this as the project´s advantage, because we need not fear stereotypes. The present mediocre recognition in the European area is more of an advantage and a challenge to us to open Maribor, the region, and the country to all the possible opportunities through an entire year of activities.
The European capital of culture prides itself with an incredible depth, further varied and enriched by educational, economic, media, political and all other institutions. We deeply appreciate the local and foreign artists and their art, but we never forget that our project invites and speaks to a much broader society. This is an extraordinary opportunity for us all to develop culture on different levels of society: in public dialogue, by stimulating cultural norms and values needed in an area, with education, by lifting people´s perception about cultural awareness, and by giving equal weight to everyone´s opinion. Universities, high schools and elementary schools education, sport, religions, the economy and all the subculture groups, from culture and art to other areas: we all weave the complete content selection for different segments of the public, for the majority and the minorities, and look for social synergy.
A clear structure of the ECOC Institute organization is crucial for the execution of different program contents. When managing the ECOC Institute, we must strive for effective management with modern management techniques based on business rationality and social responsibility.
« Preparation with concept "Re-animation of the City" | Tomaz Pandur: the City of Future »