European Capital Of Culture Programme Research Articles

The European Capital of Culture and Transnational Networks

In Europe, building transnational networks has become a crucial means for realizing bottom-up Europeanization and implementing the European Union (EU) policy at the grassroots. The value of transnational networks lies in clarifying political exchanges, decision making and policy transfer below the EU level. As a core element of the EU’s cultural action, the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) is an important vehicle to promote transnational cooperation. However, whether in theory or practice, transnational networks among ECOC host cities have not received much attention from academia. Based on a qualitative meta-analysis, this study offers a holistic overview of the experiences of the ECOC programme over 40 years. It aims to answer two sets of research questions: (1) What types of transnational networks have been established among ECOCs? How do they operate? What functions do they have, and what are their impacts and limitations? (2) How do these transnational networks reflect the multilayered nature of European governance and the dynamics of Europeanization? Through this article, ECOC research can have a closer relationship with recent innovations in disciplines that are studying the EU’s political and societal processes.

Towards an “Evaluation Dilemmas Model” – designing an evaluation scheme for a European capital of culture

PurposeDuring the evaluation of European Capital of Culture (ECoC) Aarhus 2017, the evaluation organisation rethinkIMPACTS 2017 formulated a set of “dilemmas” capturing the main challenges arising during the design of the ECoC evaluation. This functioned as a framework for the evaluation process. This paper aims to present and discuss the relevance of the “Evaluation Dilemmas Model” as subsequently applied to the Galway 2020 ECoC programme evaluation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes an empirical approach including auto-ethnography and interview data to document and map the dilemmas involved in undertaking an evaluation in two different European cities. Evolved via a process of practice-based research, the article addresses the development of and the arguments for the dilemmas model and considers its potential for wider applicability in the evaluation of large-scale cultural projects.FindingsThe authors conclude that the “Evaluation Dilemmas Model” is a valuable heuristic for considering the endogenous and exogenous issues in cultural evaluation.Practical implicationsThe model developed is useful for a wide range of cultural evaluation processes including – but not limited to – European Capitals of Culture.Originality/valueWhat has not been addressed in the academic literature is the process of evaluating ECoCs; especially how evaluators often take part in an overall process that is not just about the evaluation but also planning and delivering a project that includes stakeholder management and the development of evaluation criteria, design and methods.

„Semmi különös? A Bakony ékkövei” társadalmi innováció és hálózatos együttműködés a VEB2023 programban

What is it about villages in East-Central Europe that makes them attractive for residents as well as visitors? How can they become communities that are able to keep up with the vast changes and challenges of our times whilst maintaining their best cultural assets and communal cohesion? These were the fundamental questions that drove our interest in conducting an interdisciplinary research project in the Bakony Mountains of Hungary, financed and supported by the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture Programme. Through the capitalization of those methodologies associated with the KRAFT (‘creative cities-sustainable regions’) program, the overall aim was to study four villages and their potential for endemic, culture-based development. As the four villages are geographically close to one another, with plenty of interaction and networks of cooperation. The research team aimed at uncovering patterns and dynamics of economic, social, cultural and environmental subsystems that have been influential in connecting these places and making them ‘a distinct region’ and highlighting these patterns. Furthermore, researchers and experts were also interested to discover and collect important cultural heritage elements –material and immaterial, natural and human alike– that might serve as fertile grounds for economic, social, or development strategies, those that locals can relate to, find familiar and those that resonate with their communities and cultural narratives. The proposed study will describe and analyse this piece of fieldwork, which was conducted in interdisciplinary teams, combining desktop research, a set of empirical methods, a diverse array of academic, artistic and practical competencies, and creative ways of cooperation with locals.

Citizens’ motivation and attitude as potential host volunteers in the preparatory years of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture Programme

This study is focusing on volunteering as a host in the local tourism industry. The Hungarian city, Veszprém and the Lake Balaton region won the title ‘Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture’ (hereinafter VEB2023 ECoC) in 2018. Creating and managing an effective volunteer programme is one of the keys to the success of an ECoC project. The research aims to uncover the motivations and willingness of Veszprém citizens as potential host volunteers and their interest in the VEB2023 ECoC events during the preparatory years. In 2020, an online and offline survey was conducted to answer the following questions: Are those interested in the proposed ECoC events more likely to volunteer as a host? Are they willing to remain volunteers until and beyond 2023? Does the prestige of VEB 2023 ECoC motivate residents to be host volunteers? In May 2020, a case study was carried out on the opportunities for students of the University of Pannonia in Veszprém to participate in the VEB2023 ECoC programme. The findings and the practical recommendations help to develop a successful, sustainable and smoothly operating volunteering system in Veszprém and its surroundings, and can be beneficial for other future European Capitals of Culture or major event organisers as well.

Legacies of failure to win the city of culture: Liminality, civicism and change

The European Capital of Culture Programme and the UK Cities of Culture Programme have emerged as important vehicles in the realisation of the promise of culture led regeneration. However, while value of bidding both in terms of cultural value and public value is well documented, less attention has been given to those cities that loose in their attempts to become Capital of Culture. Drawing on the works of Turner, we conceive of the bidding phase of a competitive cultural mega event competition as a liminal phase; where the ‘old’ rules of cultural organising are put into flux, and where novel or creative solutions can be re-imagined. Using a case study methodology, the paper draws attention to the ways the bidding process shapes the cities, and the legacy effects made possible through engagement in the process. We show how the competitive nature of the bidding process (often with cities competing with their close neighbours), enables a particular form of civic pride, that is, civicism to enrol stakeholder support to ‘do it for the bid’ and set the scene for transformation. We propose that the legacy of bidding is not just about winning (or not) but leveraging the process for sustainable change. We discuss how two places, in competing to host a cultural mega event, used the bid to create change to redress structural and social inequalities. While the emphasis in the current discourse is a ‘winner takes all’, we evidence that this does not do justice to the transformative effect of bidding for those cities that do not go on to host the event. The framework presented in this work offers cities a model to reflect on the transformative potential of bidding for yearlong cultural events. • Mega event bidding process as creative, liminal phase that bring about transformations in the configuration of culture in places. • Local authorities in bidding cities experience altered routines and expansion of expertise in cultural policy and management. • of citizen engagement through civicism and comparison between competing cities is a key feature of the bidding phase. • Increased visibility and internationalisation of the local arts and culture sector shown as key legacy effects of bidding process regardless of outcome of the competition.

Can festivals bring social change in an ECoC city? Emotional intelligence and willingness to volunteer among university students

ABSTRACT Veszprém in Hungary was awarded the title of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) in the year of 2023. The project aims to involve a wide range of audience, with special attention to younger people including university students, however, this depends on their willingness to be involved both as participants and volunteers. The current study aims to assess the willingness of university students to participate as volunteers in the ECoC programme Furthermore it explaines the factors that can influence students' willingness to volunteer, including their cultural consumption patterns, their cultural- and emotional intelligence levels. A survey on the willingness to volunteer in the ECoC project was conducted among Hungarian and international students of the University of Pannonia in 2018 to determine the factors influencing their intentions to participate in the programme. This was followed by a second survey in 2020, focusing on the influence of emotional and cultural intelligence levels of students on their willingness to volunteer in events. The results reveal that the most popular events for both participation and volunteering are pop- and rock concerts, sport and travel programmes, and motivations are stronger when programmes bring mutual benefits to organisers and volunteers. There is a significant positive relationship between cultural intelligence levels as well as emotional intelligence levels of university students and their participation in community leisure activities and cultural events. However, emotional intelligence is not significantly related to willingness to volunteer.

The Impact of Cultural Event on the Creation of European Identity: A Case Study of the European Capital of Culture Programme ― Valletta 2018

The Impact of Cultural Event on the Creation of European Identity: A Case Study of the European Capital of Culture Programme ― Valletta 2018

Indikatori interkulturizma u lokalnim kulturnim politikama

Iako se o utjecaju multikulturalnosti i interkulturizmu sve više raspravlja, razlike između tih dvaju pojmova te njihov utjecaj na gradske kulturne politike ne istražuju se dovoljno. Vijeće Europe nastoji promicati Intercultural Cities Index (Interkulturni indeks gradova), no taj instrument sagledava samo neke aspekte kulturnih politika iz interkulturne perspektive. S obzirom na to, u radu se predlažu sveobuhvatniji indikatori koji bi mogli procijeniti razinu interkulturizma u lokalnim kulturnim politikama. Indikatori slijede analitičku shemu kojom se nastoji utvrditi kako su dva moguća pristupa kulturnoj raznolikosti (multikulturalnost i interkulturizam) ugrađena u tri dimenzije lokalnih kulturnih politika (dimenzije diskursa, upravljanja i kulturnih sadržaja). Indikatori se odnose na eksplicitniju dimenziju kulturnih politika koja se bavi kulturnim nasljeđem i oblicima umjetničkog izražaja, no mogu se također primijeniti na implicitnu definiciju kulture kao načina života. Predlaže se dvanaest indikatora pomoću kojih su autori usporedili razine interkulturizma u tri hrvatska grada (Rijeci, Osijeku i Puli) tijekom razdoblja njihova statusa grada kandidata za Europsku prijestolnicu kulture. Ovaj europski program nudi uvjete za usporedbu promjena gradskih kulturnih politika pod istim uvjetima i pritiscima. Kao prvo, pregled tih triju gradova naglašava snažnu međusobnu povezanost različitih dimenzija lokalnih kulturnih politika. Čak i kada je nedvojbeno prisutan u dimenziji diskursa, interkulturizam se ne može u potpunosti postići bez upravljačke dimenzije koja potiče stvaranje zajedničkih kulturnih sadržaja. Kao drugo, podaci govore o povratku gastronomije kao sektora koji eksperimentira s ultikulturnim i interkulturnim pristupima. Ključna uloga hrane u promicanju kulturnih susreta ističe potrebu za razmatranjem širega spektra načina života, tradicija i običaja prilikom proučavanja multikulturalnosti i interkulturizma u lokalnim kulturnim politikama.

Measuring the impact of the European Capital of Culture programme on overnight stays: evidence for the last two decades

ABSTRACTThis study explores the effects of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) on tourism demand, measured as overnight stays, for the years 1998–2014. The analysis includes 34 ECoC hosts and makes use of data on approximately 800 European cities. A difference-in-differences propensity score matching estimator shows that hosting the ECoC leads to an increase in overnight stays of 8% on average during the year of the event but does not stimulate tourism demand in subsequent years. To account for deviations in the distribution of tourism inflows between ECoC and other cities, the quantile difference-in-differences estimator is used. This leads to similar but somewhat stronger results, especially for the year of the event and for the year after. Separate estimations of ECoC hosts reveal that there is a certain degree of heterogeneity in the effect. Long-term impacts can only be observed for a small group of cities (Essen, Guimarães, Salamanca and Tallinn).

Evaluating three decades of the European Capital of Culture programme: a difference-in-differences approach

We measure the regional impact of the European Capital of Culture programme using a difference-in-differences approach. We compare the regions of cities that hosted the event with the regions of cities that tried to host it but did not succeed. GDP per capita in hosting regions is 4.5 % higher compared to non-hosting regions during the event, and the effect persists more than 5 years after it. This result suggests that the economic dimension of the event is important and supports claims that the event serves as catalyst for urban regeneration and development.

Marseille, European Capital of Culture 2013 Ins and Offs: A case for rethinking the effects of large-scale cultural initiatives

Recent studies on urban change have emphasised the importance of culturally driven initiatives in the development of economic and social change. Concerns, however, have been raised in popular urban studies discourse that these strategies prioritise the economy and tourism over and above the needs of local residents and lead to the redefinition, and even the eradication, of local cultures. This paper looks at the case of the French city of Marseille as host of the European Capital of Culture programme in 2013. It analyses some of the cultural practices that arise at the intersection of a transnational cultural programme and localised cultural acts, and documents how some of Marseille’s residents have responded to the European cultural event through cultural performances that address and highlight community concerns.

Examining the Success of the European Capital of Culture in Sustaining the Cultural Foundations of the European Identity: An Analysis of Media Representations and Journalists’ Views on Liverpool 2008

This article examines the European Capital of Culture programme in relation to its success in sustaining a sense of European cultural identity. This is done by examining the case study of Liverpool 2008. The study is conducted by combining a discourse analysis of a sample of articles of four British newspapers (two regional newspapers and two national newspapers) published in 2008 with interviews conducted with eight journalists in 2012. This research argues that the European Capital of Culture programme is a way in which a city can adopt a sustainable European cultural identity. There are a number of cultural factors that lead to this; some of the most prominent include visual discourse, the degree to which the community embraces the programme, the creation of desirable venues and the adoption of long-term cultural activities, festivals and schools. The analysis underlines that the city of Liverpool still adopts a cultural identity closely associated with the EU programme.

100 Year City (Maribor): The Virtual Concourse Reframed

For interactivity, the virtual world so often relies on a physical component, but how might virtual spaces be made more tangible as spatial environments for exchange? Under the direction of architect and RMIT University professor Tom Kovac, in 2012 the 100 Year City project rose to this challenge as part of the Maribor European Capital of Culture programme. Here, Guest‐Editor and Deputy Curator of the project, Fleur Watson, describes how this ‘super studio’ incites cross‐disciplinary exchange and the sharing of progressive design ideas for sustainable blueprints for our cities. It is an initiative that is to be continued under Kovac's directorship with the 100 Year City‐themed Malaysian Biennale in the summer of 2015.

Evaluating the European capital of culture that never was: the case of BrabantStad 2018

Major events such as the European capital of culture (ECOC) are becoming more important as tools for economic, social and cultural regeneration, and therefore it also becomes more important to monitor and evaluate their effects. This article analyses the development of the evaluation process for the ECOC programme in general, and then analyses a specific case study in the BrabantStad bid for the 2018 ECOC. It shows that event evaluation programmes have gradually grown in terms of scale and complexity as the ECOC has developed to the stage where multifaceted and longitudinal monitoring and evaluation have become the norm. However, as the analysis of the BrabantStad case shows, even with longitudinal monitoring of cultural, economic and social impacts, it is still difficult to provide a complete picture of the different types of effects being generated by the programme. In particular, this case illustrates the problem of paying adequate attention to a wide range of indicators, and the problems that can stem from over-concentration on the political dimensions of event effects.

Poetics and Politics of the European Capital of Culture Project

The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) project was designed to promote European identity and integration. Hosting cities have since carried a variety of visions and objectives, ranging from the improvement of material infrastructure and urban revitalization, over the enhancement of cultural life to the alleviation of poverty through increasing employment, and the attraction of more tourists. This variety of hopes is repeatedly articulated, as cities compete to become the next ECoC. Being an ECoC is seen to offer invaluable marketing opportunities to improve the city and its image. This paper situates the ECoC programme both within and beyond its marketing functions. We review a range of ECoC documents, reports and academic publications with two broad foci. The first deals with the ‘poetics’ of ECoC, that is, the presentation of ECoC in an attractive manner to win local support and attract outside attention. The second is on the ‘politics’, the grubby business of seeking legitimacy, mobilizing community support and managing local dissatisfaction. The review shows a remarkable lack of consensus as to how successful past ECoC tenures were, partly reflecting profound disagreement as to the appropriate methods and criteria for such evaluations.

Culture-led regeneration through the young generation: Košice as the European Capital of Culture

The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) initiative, which is aimed at highlighting the diversity of European urban cultures, has brought positive effects in many of the supported cities over the past 30 years. These include the dissemination of positive features from other ECoC models, such as city regeneration, an improved urban image, a boost to tourism and an increase in the influence of the creative sector in the city economy and culture. There are several areas of consideration (which we call “dilemmas”) within the ECoC programme, which can be summarised under the headings of cultural, economic and spatial dilemmas. Through an analysis of the Košice 2013 ECoC in this way, we identify a shift to the concept of culture-led regeneration, which is stimulated by the young organisers and entrepreneurs, who are bringing in knowledge from other European cultural centres.

Cultural activism as a counter-discourse to the European Capital of Culture programme: The case of Turku 2011

Each year the European Union designates one or more cities with the competed-for city brand of European Capital of Culture (ECOC). In several recent ECOCs, such as in Turku, Finland, the management and organisation of the events have caused tension among the citizens regarding decision-making, financing and power over use of the urban space. The focus of the article is on analysis of the discursive dynamics of local activists and their project ‘Turku – European Capital of Subculture 2011’. By emphasising the cultural analysis of activism, the article indicates how the counter-discourse of the activists was produced through cultural production. The project produced a strong movement culture with common practices, anti-neoliberal values and world views. Through cultural production and movement culture, the project participated in the creation of subculture as a fluid and flexible cultural category expressed through stylistic and lifestyle choices.

Imaginary Success?—The Contentious Ascendance of Creativity

This paper posits that a set of “creative industries” centred around cultural practice have played a key role within a dominant “economic imaginary” in recent years. The success and stability of this role is considered, and a coherent position regarding the nature of creativity is outlined. Examination of the “evidence” gathering projects used to bulwark this position, however, reveals how the data which emerge from such projects may no longer appropriately serve to support the position the creative industries have come to occupy within the dominant imaginary. It is argued that this imaginary persists in providing a coherent framework for understanding and for action, however, regardless of the contradictions it contains. A tangible example of this “imaginary success” is briefly considered within the UK context, via an examination of developments around the staging of the European Capital of Culture programme in Liverpool, England in 2008. In this case, it is also argued that apparent contradictions are successfully concealed by dominant positions regarding culture and creativity. In conclusion, some explanations for this state of affairs are considered, and it is argued that the increased attention being paid to cultural creativity may render the continued concealment of these contradictions untenable.

Discourses of Europeanness in the reception of the European Capital of Culture events: The case of Pécs 2010

Europeanness has been determined in various ways in academic, political and everyday discussions. The concept has become profoundly current in European Union (EU) policy during the past few decades: the EU is paying more and more interest in creating cultural coherence in Europe. The EU has various cultural instruments, such as the European Capital of Culture programme (ECOC), which aim to produce and strengthen Europeanness and cultural identification with Europe among its citizens. The ECOC programme creates an ideological frame for an urban cultural event: the frame directs the reception and experiences of the festivals, exhibitions and performances in the ECOC. Pécs – a city in southern Hungary – was selected as one of the ECOCs in 2010. In the article I analyse the discourses of Europeanness in the reception of the ECOC events in Pécs. The found discourses indicate how transnational spatial categories, such as Europe, and their spatial identities are constantly constituted in local settings through multiple processes in which sensory, perceived, materialized space is intertwined with linguistic and symbolic representations of space, and its subjective experiences, beliefs and uses.

Introduction: European cities and capitals of culture – a comparative approach

Recent years have seen significant interest among urban policy-makers and researchers in the relationships between culture and urban strategies. The articles contained in this special issue address this theme being evolved versions of selected papers presented at workshops organised by the French and British Planning Studies Group in Liverpool and Lille during 2008 on the theme of 'European Cities and Capitals of Culture'.1 The French and British Planning Study Group (FBPSG) is a thematic group of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) and brings together academics and practitioners from both sides of the channel who have an interest in Franco-British comparative study. It does this through a network of members and bi-annual meetings held alternately in France and Britain. Membership of the group is defined only by an interest in, and a willingness to discuss, the differences between spatial planning and urban policy in France and Britain. Themes to be studied in the French and British contexts are selected for each year and papers are invited from members of the group and from outside experts in the chosen theme. Presentations and participant interventions may be made in either French or English, as individuals prefer reflecting a commitment to intercultural dialogue and exchange and ongoing debates on the internationalisation of planning research in recent years (Kunzmann, 2004; Yiftachel, 2006; Stiftel and Mukhopadhyay, 2007). The group's activities can also be seen against the backdrop of recent work that emphasises the importance of different 'planning cultures' in conditioning the nature of planning practices and the nature of the issues or problems that planning is called upon to address in different societies (Knieling and Othengrafen, 2009; Sanyal, 2005; Healey and Upton, 2010). As noted above, in 2008 the theme selected to guide the group's activities was 'European Cities and Capitals of Culture'. The theme and the location of the meetings were particularly appropriate and timely given that Liverpool was European Capital of Culture (ECoC) in 2008 and that Lille had been designated as such in 2004. The potential for cross-national learning and comparison was therefore felt to be great and papers were invited on a range of topics relating to culture, planning and urban development. The papers gathered together in the present issue recount the experiences of past and forthcoming ECoCs in France and Britain and other cities that have pursued cultural initiatives as part of their wider urban development strategies. Situating European cities and capitals of culture In his book Europe, une mauvaise marque? ['Europe, a bad brand?'], the French marketing expert and academic Georges Lewi argues that 'Europe' has become a well-known but unattractive 'brand' for citizens that no longer conveys a clear sense of purpose or direction (Lewi, 2004). With the original goals of European integration of securing peace and prosperity having been broadly achieved, the merits and goals of the maturing 'European project' have become the subject of more divergent and contested readings among citizens and political parties in the EU member states. The 2000s were a difficult and contradictory decade for the idea and practice of European integration and governance, during which the largest-ever single enlargement of the EU contrasted with a growing 'euroscepticism' in a number of longstanding member states - most dramatically manifested by the rejection of the EU Constitutional Treaty by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005. However, regardless of the vagaries and controversies of wider processes of European integration and governance and the mediation of different nations' and groups' relationships with, and understandings of, 'Europe' and the EU (which it is far beyond the scope of the present issue to address), the ECoC programme provides a striking example of cities and regions proactively seeking to associate the term 'European' with their particular places and territories. …