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Friday, 26.04.2024, 22:12
The Danish and Cypriot cities hosting popular EU’s cultural project
The idea of European Capital of
Culture has a long and fascinating history:
initiated in 1985 by the then Greek Minister of Culture, Melina
Mercouri the European Capital of Culture has become one of the most
high-profile cultural initiatives in Europe. The cities are selected on the
basis of a cultural programme with strong European dimension; they foster the
participation and active involvement of the city's inhabitants and contribute
to the long-term development of the selected city.
It is also an excellent opportunity
for the cities to change their image, put them on the world map and attract
more tourists and rethink the cities’ development through culture.
The European Capital of Culture’s
title has a long-term impact, not only on culture but also in social and
economic terms, both for the city and for the surrounding regions. For example,
a study has shown that the number of tourists visiting a European Capital of
Culture for at least one night increased by 12% on average compared with the
year before the city held the title.
Both cities have come up with programmes
which showcase centuries of culture while using different art forms to address
the socio-economic problems facing Europe today.
In 2016, Wroclaw in Poland and San
Sebastian in Spain were European Capitals of Culture.
Commissioner for culture, Tibor Navracsics underlined
that the title
of European Capital of Culture has been a unique opportunity to bring
communities together through culture and to foster strong local, European and
international partnerships.
Danish expectations
“Rethink” is the central theme of
Aarhus 2017. The Danish city will show how arts, culture and the creative
sector can help us to re-think and shape our basic social, urban, cultural and
economic patterns of behavior and find new solutions to common challenges. A
rooftop Viking saga performance, an art exhibition stretching across the city
and the coastline, a "Creativity World Forum" and an international
children's literary festival are just some of the many events which will bridge
the past with creative ideas for the present and future.
Aarhus 2017 will launch its
cultural programme with children at the heart of the celebrations. Hundreds of
children from the Central Denmark region will gather in Aarhus to imagine the
future in a series of events entitled "Land of Wishes". As night
falls during the opening ceremony, a spectacular show filled with pageantry,
Viking spirits and gods in the sky will mark the start of the city's year as
European Capital of Culture.
The cultural programme will
officially begin on 21 January in Aarhus.
Cyprus’ expectations
“Linking Continents, Bridging
Cultures” is the motto of the capital of culture in Cyprus with hundreds of
events organised by Pafos 2017. The first Cypriot city to host a European
Capital of Culture embraces its experiences of multiculturalism and its
geographical proximity to the Middle East and North Africa to strengthen
relations between countries and cultures.
Pafos is set to become an immense
open stage, an 'Open Air Factory', where a tradition of thousands of years of
cultural life in open spaces meets contemporary ways of creating, thinking and
living.
The opening ceremony for Pafos 2017
is inspired by one of the themes for the year's cultural programme: 'Myth and
Religion'. New life will be given to the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea
and other narratives from the history of Pafos in a unique spectacle of music
and dance.
The opening ceremony for Pafos-2017
will take place on 28-29 January with Christos Stylianides, Commissioner
for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, and (probably) Nicos Anastasiades,
President of Cyprus. During the opening weekend the city will be
converted into an Open Air Factory with numerous shows and artistic
performances.
Perspectives
Following Aarhus and Pafos in 2017,
the future European Capitals of Culture will be Valletta (Malta) and Leeuwarden
(Netherlands) in 2018, Plovdiv (Bulgaria) and Matera (Italy) in 2019 and Rijeka
(Croatia) and Galway (Ireland) in 2020.
Timisoara (Romania), Elefsina
(Greece) and Novi Sad (Serbia, candidate country) were recently recommended to
become the three European Capitals of Culture 2021 and are awaiting their
official nomination by the relevant EU and national authorities.
More information on the following sites:
- Aarhus 2017 - European Capital of Culture;
- Pafos 2017 - European Capital of Culture;
- European Capitals of Culture - Factsheet;
- European Capitals of Culture – Thirty
years of achievements brochure.
General reference: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-4449_en.htm/
Brussels, 30 December 2016.