European Capitals of Culture info-day

1. European Capitals of Culture info-day Tuesday 11 January 2011 Jacqueline Pacaud European Commission « Culture Programme and Actions Unit

2. Agenda • What is an ECOC? • Who can be one? • Why should you want to be an ECOC? What are the benefits? • How to become one? • What can go wrong? What are the risks?

3. What is an ECOC?

4. A large scale cultural programme • awarded to one city in 2 MS p.a. • lasts a full year • very strong European dimension • based principally on cultural cooperation • designed specifically for the year • Not about what a city looks like, but what it does during the year

5. A simple idea …. « to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures and the features they share, as well as to promote greater mutual understanding between European citizens »

6. … but an ambitious event! • One of the most visible European cultural events, substantial in scale and scope • Very high artistic and cultural quality requirements • Considerable financial investment (1995-2004): • Total operating expenditure: between 8 and 74 million euros • Total capital expenditure: between 10 to 220 million euros

7. Who can be one?

8. Which cities will be one? • 2011: Turku and Tallinn • 2012: Guimaraes and Maribor • 2013: Marseilles and Kosice • 2014: Umeå and Riga • 2015 : Mons and Pilsen

9. Which cities can become one? • 2016: Spain, Poland • 2017: Denmark, Cyprus • 2018: Netherlands, Malta • 2019: Italy, Bulgaria

10. Why should you want to become one? The benefits

11. Cultural benefits • New audiences for culture, more vivid cultural life • New cultural infrastructure • New cultural management skills and more international cooperation

12. Economic benefits • Regeneration and urban development • Tourism: +12% on average compared to previous year, • Knock-on effects for other sectors, new jobs • Improved image for the city, (« creative » city, welfare environment)

13. Social benefits • Social cohesion and intercultural dialogue • Outreach programmes • Children, young people • the elderly • minorities • the disadvantaged • Volunteer programmes

14. How to become one?

15. A competition in 2 stages at national level • The competition starts 6 years before the event : in 2011 for 2017 • Proposals assessed by an international panel (13=7+6 members) against the criteria • 2 stages : pre selection and final selection

16. One example : the 2017 title • Cyprus and Denmark • 2010 : call for submission of applications to be published by the MS • End 2011 : pre selection panel’s meeting => list of pre selected cities • Autumn 2012 : final selection panel’s meeting => one recommended city • 2013 : Designation by the EU Council of Ministers

17. Evaluation based on criteriaThe European dimension • 2 aspects • The themes : role/links of the city in Europe, European identity, participation in European cultural life; • The way of implementing : cooperation, trans borders projects • Examples in the Guide for cities applying for the title

18. Evaluation based on criteria City and citizens • 2 aspects • Attractivity at European scale and participation of people • Sustainability/ long term cultural and social development of the city

19. How to apply • Reply to the call for submissions of applications filling in the « Proposed Application for the title » (in EN) : overview of the programme • Completed by a file for further details • The pre selected cities will have to provide the same documents to complete/go further

20. Monitoring • After designation, 2 meetings with a panel of 7 international experts (in 2014 and 2016 for the 2017 title) • 3 objectives : assessing the progress/giving guidance/checking compliance with the commitments • A prize « in honour of Melina Mercouri » (1.5 millions euros?) to reward the quality of the preparation.

21. Keys to success : concept • Devising clear objectives and concept for the event on the basis of the criteria (European dimension etc.) and the specificities of the city • A forward looking programme • An attractive programme at European scale • A sustainable project for the city (thinking together urban and cultural problems) • Consulting and associating cultural operators and the socio economic world from the beginning

22. Keys to success :implementation • Public commitment to the programme and the budget must be firm and constant • Seeking for sponsorship well in advance • Independence from the political authorities of the artistic director • A clear and strong communication strategy

23. Keys to success :ethic rules • The title cannot be hold by a group of cities nor a region • The title cannot be hold before the formal designation by the Council (important to specify candidate city) • A logo to be used • A clear visibility of the EU

24. Keys to success Information and best practices • The Guide to the cities applying for the title • http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc629_en.htm • The Palmer study • The ECOC library in Brussels • Sharing of good practices

25. What can go wrong?What are the risks?

26. Risks • Instability in governance structures • Weak public commitment • Financial deficits • Delays in getting sponsors • Weaknesses in cultural content • Delays in building infrastructure • Weaknesses in communication: lack of European visibility • Disappointment • → Need excellent concept and planning, time, money, political consensus

27. Advice from two panel members- Sir Bob Scott - Mary McCarthy

28. Thank you! http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and actions/doc413_en.htm