Timisoara is the Romanian city designated European Capital of Culture in 2021.
Timisoara is the Romanian city designated European Capital of Culture in 2021. The announcement was made by Steve Green, the head of the EU's international jury of experts. Three other Romanian cities, Baia Mare, Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, competed, alongside Timisoara, for the title. According to the Romanian Culture Minister, Corina Suteu, it is an honour to have this title granted for the second time to a city from Romania. Corina Suteu also said that after the city of Sibiu held this title in 2007, it became clear that this title was a great opportunity for a city, in cultural, social and economic terms. Corina Suteu:
"Well, I first believe European cultural capitals are important because they make the proof that Ministries of Culture are still useful. I am of those who don' t forget that, in fact, Melina Mercouri and Jacques Lang, both visionary ministers of culture, met once and out of this meeting grew the idea of having a contest of European capitals of culture. So I am a believer in the fact that, if the state can be an architect for culture, and if a state can grow inside this architecture, freedom of creation, this is a label that European countries still have. Also, I am a believer in the fact that today, in the global context, having European capitals of culture, and here I am greeting also the representatives of Greece, Montenegro and Serbia, who are going to be European capitals of culture together with Romania in 2021, so I am still a believer in the fact that culture is in fact the one that generates a sense of European belonging. If any generates a sense of European belonging, it is culture. Through culture we are European and Europe is what it is, because this kind of diversity brings us together."
The title of European Capital of Culture is granted to a city from the European Union, or from a pre-candidate or candidate country for the duration of one year. 60 cities will have been awarded this title by 2019. The programme is considered the European Union's emblematic cultural initiative. Since 1985, the European Union has designated one or two cities each year, from candidate or pre-candidate countries, as European Capitals of Culture.
For the duration of one year, the designated cities are expected to come up with innovative and intense cultural programmes meant to highlight the richness, diversity and similarities of European culture before an international audience. Karel Bartak is Head of Unit with the Creative Europe Programme, part of the Directorate-General Education & Culture. He emphasised the importance of the title of European Capital of Culture.
"It started in 1985 and it has become one of the most prestigious year-long international events in the field of culture and we think that for all of us today, in these challenging times for Europe, this scheme is very, very valid and even more than ever before. We think that this is a good moment to come back to the basics, to come back to the core values of the EU and we think as well that the concept of the European Capital of Culture is a very good contribution to this. These capitals provide opportunities for Europeans to meet, to discover the fantastic cultural diversity we have across the continent, the fresh look at our common history and common values, promote mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue among our citizens and the feeling of belonging to one commune. We have the feeling, at this period of time, that some of these values are being questioned, that they are being lost, we can see also the rise of populism in many countries, and as a response, as part of the response to this is to promote the scheme of the European capitals of culture as a kind of inclusive and citizen-oriented initiative to bring Europe closer to the people. It also opens our cities to the world, illustrating the European Union's willingness to promote culture as something which is embedded in the core of the EU action and we see that every Euro invested in culture is bringing benefits to communities, to our countries, and at the same time we see that the culture sectors, above all the creative sectors have been resisting the pressure of the recent economic crisis mo re than many other traditional branches."
As a city winning the title of European Capital of Culture, Timisoara will also receive a prize of 1.5 million euros from the European Union.
"We have imagined an extraordinary journey, from loneliness to belonging, from light, through darkness and back, travelling through three theories dealing with the challenges Europe is facing today: people, places and connections. Timisoara is the perfect place for the initiation of a strong and systematic cultural endeavour seeking to bring hope back to troubled European communities. We focus on the public, on people, on citizens, on voices - unheard, but not lost. We have a story to tell - that of a cosmopolitan city, a city that has resisted and reinvented itself at the frontiers of central and South-Eastern Europe."
This was a quote from Timisoara's bid for the title of European Capital of Culture. And we continue with another quote from the team of the European Capital of Culture Association:
"Sometimes, great changes begin at the street corner. In 1884, Timisoara was the first city in continental Europe with electric streetlight. In 1989, the Revolution against the Ceausescu regime flared up on the streets of Timisoara. Starting from the strong metaphor of light, we intend to export the values we believe in to other cities across Europe, in order to encourage an open and visionary attitude among citizens. The slogan of the campaign is the very essence of our message: Enlighten the city through yourself!"
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