Thirteen cities have already put themselves forward for the award of European Capital of Culture to be decided next March by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Andrew Kelly discusses the benefits of the award to the winning city and the criteria the bidding cities have to satisfy.
It can have escaped the attention of few in the arts that a British city will be made European Capital of Culture in 2008. Until recently, the annual competition was open to all countries in Europe, but from 2005 onwards an EU country has been given the award and a competition should be held internally to agree the nomination. The prime minister of that country then presents its winning city to the EU.
The competition for the British nomination is already stiff. Bidders declared so far include ? in alphabetical order only ? Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Canterbury, Cardiff, Inverness, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Newcastle/Gateshead, Norwich and Oxford. Past holders of the title include Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Dublin and Weimar, with Rotterdam currently holding the title.
Benefits of bidding
Why is there such competition? The award offers status and standing that can be used to plan and implement a long-term cultural programme. It celebrates European culture, boosts tourism, promotes economic development and regeneration, develops communities, delivers social inclusion, and even repositions cities. Whichever city wins, it could be the focus of attention world-wide in 2008.
Chris Smith saw the benefits of bidding for 2008 when he launched the competition two years ago. ?Cities have great cultural potential?, he said. ?Through creating a shared vision they can encourage participation in cultural experiences, learning opportunities, growth and regeneration. They can celebrate the richness and diversity of our cultures, and the talent and creativity of our artists and performers.?
The oft-quoted ?Glasgow effect? is one that many cities wish to emulate. Glasgow?s transformation into a world-class city was helped by being 1990 City of Culture. Some cities of culture have used the year as well as Glasgow did, but with others the impact seems to have been more limited. One that was a success was Weimar. I saw the impact first hand when I visited in 1999.Their year as City of Culture was a celebration of German reunification ten years on, but was used also to build the city economically and culturally: a major arts programme, better road and rail links, and a town where seemingly every building was being renovated. It was a year-long celebration of German culture, addressing the very best with Goethe, Schiller, the Bauhaus, and the very worst with the sensitive use of the Buchenwald concentration camp. It all led to better cultural facilities in the town itself and a massive increase in tourist numbers.
Questions and criteria
Here in the UK the DCMS has drawn up guidelines and questions for bidding cities. We have to be able to plan and deliver a year-long programme in an ?event of excellence? which has an impact on residents and visitors, and which promotes participation especially by young people and community groups. We have to promote learning and development. We must have the partnerships, infrastructure, tourism and media strategies and financial resources to deliver, manage and promote the programme. Whatever we do, we must ?display the city?s cultural wealth within a European context and encourage other European states? participation?.
We have eleven questions to answer. These include describing our concept of culture and how this fits within a European context; our themes and objectives; and the organisations we will involve. DCMS also wants to know how we will ensure participation and local commitment, especially in the promotion of social inclusion, and how we will involve people from the rest of the UK, Europe and the wider world. We have to describe our city?s cultural, transport and tourist infrastructure and how we would use and develop these in 2008.
We also must demonstrate how 2008 will use the historic heritage, urban architecture and quality of life of the city. In addition to describing our plans for distribution and dissemination, we have to state what we believe will be the long-term outcome of 2008.
We will be measured on these questions but also on other evaluation criteria. These include:
? an ability to organise cultural events
? plans for improved promotion and management of the arts
? promotion of artistic innovation
? the ?organisation of initiatives designed to promote dialogue between the cultures of Europe and the cultures of other parts of the world?.
Unlike previous cities of culture, there is a runner-up prize. Some cities will be awarded the title ?Centre of Culture? in recognition of creative and innovative plans and a commitment to deliver these. Some bidders have already said that they will deliver what they plan irrespective of the result; this award will help encourage that commitment.
Better thinking
Many of the cities planning to bid excel already in cultural activity and some have prior experience of organising large-scale events. 2008 offers something beyond this: an inclusive programme celebrating culture and cultural excellence locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. The successful city will be a model for future urban development, highlighting the creative solutions that all cities need to create future prosperity and quality of life for all ? whether they live and work in the city, or visit it as a tourist. It is this city building ? and city excellence ? that makes 2008 so exciting.
It is most of all about engagement. Bidding cities that fail to use this opportunity to promote debate internally about the future of the city, about the meaning of culture, about art for art?s sake, about culture as an economic driver, will be missing a chance not only for a successful bid, but to promote better thinking about culture in Europe in the future.
It will be at least fifteen years before a British city will have another chance at the title. For most this is a once in a generation opportunity to become a European Capital of Culture. It is little wonder that there is such competition, and between now and March 2002, when bids have to be submitted, this competition will intensify.
Andrew Kelly is Director of Bristol 2008 t: 0117 988 1569; e:andrew.kelly@bristol2008.com For more information see the DCMS document, ?European Capital of Culture 2008: criteria and information for applicants?, available at http://www.culture.gov.uk
Sorry, sorry, sorry? In ArtsProfessional, issue 9, we failed to point out that Porto, as well as Rotterdam, is a current European Capital of Culture. This omission was our error, and not that of the author.