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Unity in Diversity
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
The Flemish Community committed itself fully to ‘Bruges European
Capital of Culture’ in 2002. The project was a success and Bruges 2002
was a marvelous year. It showed intense dynamics to change ‘Fair
Bruges’ forever. The city known for its impressive and enjoyable world
heritage became a contemporary city of culture as well. The results
of the conference ‘The Decade After’ made that clear once again. The
contributions of the many international and national participants added
to the discussion and grasped the essence. Therefore I would like to
thank them.
It takes courage and vision for a city to evaluate the long term effects
of the cultural capital year before an informed and international
audience. It’s exemplary of how Bruges continues her cultural policy.
Who can imagine Bruges without the Concertgebouw, without the daily
programmes of music, theatre, dance, films… Culture, in all its diversity,
is everywhere in the city from its five-year large-scale cultural festivals
to its cultural festivities in the suburbs. Above all it’s a city with splendid
museums who complement their highly valued collections with temporary
exhibitions of contemporary art as well as old masters.
Today success on a local scale is only convincing if it’s embedded in a
European reality. This is appreciated very well by the city of Bruges.
Bruges is not the sole cultural capital of Europe but can continue to
inspire many other European cities, old and new alike.
JOKE SCHAUVLIEGE
Flemish Minister of Environment, Nature and Culture
Source: Documentation of the conference "The decade after", Published by Bruge Plus, 2012
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