Panels

Manfred Gaulhofer studied business administration before working as an assistant professor at the University of Graz from 1986 to 1991. From 1992 to 2004, he managed an international consulting firm specialising in advising former socialist countries with the support of international donor organisations. From 2001 to 2004, he was Managing Director of Graz 2003 - European Capital of Culture. He then headed ICG Culturplan, a consultancy specialising in the cultural and creative industries, from 2004 to 2008. From 2008 to 2013, he was a member of the European Commission's jury for the selection of European Capitals of Culture and was its chairman from 2011 to 2013. From 2008 to 2014, he was managing director of an industrial company in Austria before joining its supervisory board.

Suvi Innilä, born in 1974, has more than 25 years of experience in managing cultural development projects as well as large international events and festivals. From 2004, she worked for Turku 2011 - European Capital of Culture for over a decade: first as head of the application phase, then as programme director during the implementation and later for securing the long-term legacy of the project. From 2015 to 2018, she worked as Programme Manager for Finland 100 in the Prime Minister's Office and was responsible for the programme celebrating the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence in 2017.

Today, Suvi Innilä is the director of the 800 Years of Turku project, which is preparing the city for its big anniversary year in 2029. Since 2021, she has also been a member of the European Commission's expert panel for the selection and monitoring of European Capitals of Culture.

Dr Virginija Vitkienė is an art critic, curator and manager of international cultural projects based in Kaunas, Lithuania. She was the initiator and director of Kaunas 2022 - European Capital of Culture, a project that included over 1,500 events in 2022 alone. These were realised by 77 Lithuanian organisations in cooperation with 500 European partner institutions. As part of this initiative, she also curated the exhibition That Which We Don't Remember by William Kentridge at the National M.K.-Čiurlionis Art Museum (January-November 2022), which attracted 95,000 visitors.

From 2010 to 2018, she was the artistic director of the Kaunas Biennial, one of the leading visual arts festivals in the Baltic States. She is also the conceptual initiator and artistic director of Magic Carpets (2017-2024), a platform of the Creative Europe programme that brings together 15 European partners. This project supports emerging curators and artists in the collaborative development of creative processes in public space.

Virginija Vitkienė was recently appointed Commissioner General of the Lithuanian Season in France 2024. She is responsible for a programme with over 200 cultural and artistic projects throughout France, which promotes long-term partnerships between more than 240 cultural institutions from France and Lithuania. She has also taken on the position of Deputy Director of the National M.K. Čiurlionis Art Museum.

Xabier Paya Ruiz is a cultural manager, translator, poet and screenwriter. He has a degree in Translation and Interpreting from the University of the Basque Country and complemented his education with several further studies, including a Master's in Modern European Cultures and an MBA. These qualifications enabled him to develop a strategic perspective in cultural management.

He was the Cultural Director of Donostia/San Sebastián's bid to become European Capital of Culture 2016 and was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise by the Spanish Ministry of Culture for his services to this project. He has also worked with other European Capitals of Culture such as Rijeka and Novi Sad.

He is currently Managing Director of Getxo Kultura, a public cultural organisation in Getxo, Spain. In this role, he manages an organisation with 120 employees and an annual budget of 14 million euros and is responsible for cultural projects in the region.

Emma Beverley is a producer and curator for various art forms. She currently lives in Finland and is the Director of the Helsinki International Artist Programme.

She has held several senior positions including Director of Programmes for LEEDS 2023 and Co-Director and Co-CEO of East Street Arts. For LEEDS 2023, she developed and led a year-long programme of over 1,800 projects and events, including the development of more than 50 international partnerships.

In both her professional and volunteer work, she has a particular focus on climate action and social justice.

Thorunn Sigurdardottir received her theatre training in Reykjavik and Stockholm. She was a director and playwright at the National Theatre of Iceland and the Reykjavik City Theatre before being appointed director of the Reykjavik European Capital of Culture in 2000.

She was Artistic Director of the Reykjavik Arts Festival for several years, Chair of the Board of Directors of the new Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik and currently heads the preparatory committee for the new National Opera in Iceland.

Thorunn Sigurdardottir is the grandmother of seven grandchildren and swims every day.

Irena Kregar Šegota is an experienced cultural practitioner with extensive expertise in cultural management, international relations and cultural policy. She holds a degree in English and French Language and Literature from the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb. To further develop her expertise, she completed advanced studies in cultural management, policy and relations at prestigious institutions, including the Chambre de Commerce de Paris, the Observatoire des Politiques Culturelles de Grenoble, the École Nationale d'Administration in Paris and the University of Zadar.

Irena Kregar Šegota played a crucial role in Rijeka's successful bid to become European Capital of Culture 2020, where she served as Executive Coordinator. She later took on the position of Director of Partnerships and Development and led key initiatives in the areas of capacity building, audience development, volunteer programmes, civic participation, international relations and fundraising. She was also instrumental in establishing the ECoC Business Club, fostering partnerships and overseeing programme evaluation. Finally, as Managing Director of RIJEKA 2020, she led the programme to a successful conclusion.

Currently, Irena Kregar Šegota is Head of the Cultural and Artistic Development Sector at the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, where she continues to promote cultural and artistic initiatives at the national level.

Aiva Rozenberga was an advisor and communications expert for three Latvian presidents and the Prime Minister. She also headed the Latvian Institute and shaped the country's international image. She was a member of the international jury for the selection process of the European Capitals of Culture, the jury of the Baltic Cultural Fund and chairwoman of the Artistic Council of Riga 2014 - European Capital of Culture.

Previously, she worked as a journalist at Latvijas Radio, where she was a special correspondent in Estonia. She is currently responsible for the international relations and strategic communication of Latvia's largest volunteer movement, Lielā Talka/Big Cleanup, and advises the 500 Years of Latvian Books project.