4318) Oulu, Finland: "European Capital of Culture - 2026":
Oulu, Finland - designated as the 2026 European Capital of Culture (ECOC):
A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension.
Being a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for a city to generate considerable cultural, social, and economic benefits, and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image, and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. Multiple cities can be a European Capital of Culture simultaneously.
In 1985, Melina Mercouri, Greece's Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea of designating an annual City of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values.
The Commission of the European Union manages the title, and each year the Council of Ministers of the European Union formally designates European Capitals of Culture: more than 60 cities have been designated so far.
Selection process:
An international panel of cultural experts is in charge of assessing the proposals of cities for the title according to criteria specified by the European Union.
For two of the capitals each year, eligibility is open to cities in EU member states only.
From 2021 and every three years thereafter, a third capital will be chosen from cities in countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership, or in countries that are part of the European Economic Area (EEA) - an example of the latter being Stavanger, Norway, which was a European Capital of Culture in 2008.
A 2004 study conducted for the Commission, known as the "Palmer report", demonstrated that the choice of European Capital of Culture served as a catalyst for cultural development and the transformation of the city.
Consequently, the beneficial socio-economic development and impact for the chosen city are now also considered in determining the chosen cities.
History:
The European Capital of Culture programme was initially called the European City of Culture and was conceived in 1983, by Melina Mercouri, then serving as minister of culture in Greece.
Mercouri believed that at the time, culture was not given the same attention as politics and economics and a project for promoting European cultures within the member states should be pursued.
The European City of Culture programme was launched in the summer of 1985 with Athens being the first title-holder.
In 1999, the European City of Culture programme was renamed to European Capital of Culture.
The following cities have been identified to be the European Cities of Culture in the next four years:
Designated European Capitals of Culture:
European Capitals of Culture have already been designated until the year 2028.
They are as follows:
2026: Oulu (Finland) and Trenčín (Slovakia)
2027: Liepāja (Latvia) and Évora (Portugal)
2028: České Budějovice, Broumov, Brno, Liberec (Czech Republic), Skopje (North Macedonia) and Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier, Rouen, Saint-Denis (France)
2029: Kiruna, Uppsala (Sweden), Lublin, Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Kołobrzeg (Poland).
Two Cities have been designated as the European Capital of Culture in 2026:
Oulu, Finland Oulu 2026 (Theme: "Cultural Climate Change") Savonlinna, Tampere.
Trenčín, Slovakia Trenčín 2026 (Theme: "Cultivating Curiosity") Nitra, Žilina
Trencin, Slovakia:
The European Capital of Culture 2026: Oulu, Finland:
Based on a recommendation given by a European panel of experts, the Ministry of Education and Culture designated the City of Oulu as a 2026 European Capital of Culture.
The other Capital of Culture in 2026 is Trenčín in Slovakia.
- The central government in Finland will provide EUR 20 million to finance the Oulu Capital of Culture project.
- The Oulu2026 project is themed around Cultural Climate Change.
The project’s main goals are to inject new energy into the region by means of arts and culture and to meet cross-border demands through cooperation.
The project plan covers 39 municipalities in Northern Finland. Clusters of creative industries will be created in Oulu and partner municipalities, cultural heritage will be harnessed more extensively and made more visible, and numerous projects combining arts and culture advocating sustainable development, tourism, technology and science will be launched.
The body responsible for preparing and implementing the Oulu2026 project is Oulu Cultural Foundation. The Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore and the University of Oulu will carry out an impact assessment of the project and produce new cultural policy research data.
Oulu2026 will have an extensive impact on Northern Finland.
- Leveraging art and culture, the project will help increase the vitality of the region, and create jobs and attractive living environments especially for young people, encouraging them to stay in the local area.
- The
project's outcomes will help regions and cities to become more culturally,
economically and socially sustainable. The European Capital of Culture projects
generally have a significant impact on the image, tourism and employment of cities
and regions.
- The Oulu2026 programme already includes 110 projects.
- The cultural programme's key message is Cultural Climate Change with three main themes: Brave Hinterland, Wild City and Cool Contrasts.
The programme's largest projects are Boost! (2023–2024) and Equal Oulu2026 (2023–2025).
- The European panel of experts, which also served at the ECOC selection stage, monitors project preparation and provides support and advice.
The Commission will invite the expert panel and designated cities to three monitoring meetings. After each meeting, the panel will issue a progress report on the preparations and advice on the next steps. The Commission may ask panel members to visit to the new host cities.
- Government Resolution:
- The central government will contribute to the Oulu2026 finances.
- The Government adopted Resolution on contributing EUR 20 million to the project funds between 2020 and 2026.
- A precondition for the funding is that the City of Oulu finances the project in 2020–2026 by a sum that at least matches the sum allocated in central government funding.
The project will require the participation of a large number of regional, sub-regional and local stakeholders, who are prepared to inject their own resources into the project too. Under the Oulu2026 programme, the central government funding must benefit all municipalities participating in the programme.
Central government support for the project will be
awarded to Oulu Cultural Foundation in the form of special grants under the Act
on Discretionary Government Grants.
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Santosh Khanna has commented:
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DeleteRajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Wonderful post👍"
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