On Tuesday, 13 May at 7.30 pm, Chemnitz and Nova Gorica, the two European Capitals of Culture 2025, will present their programmes for the European Capital of Culture year in the European Parliament (Room PHS 3C50). The evening will also focus on the presentation of the "Chemnitz White Paper", which contains recommendations for the further development of the European Capitals of Culture programme.
Media representatives are invited to attend the presentation in Brussels and can register here until 9 May: Registration
The programme includes two panel discussions with political guests. In addition to Lord Mayor Sven Schulze and the Mayor of Nova Gorica, Samo Turel, these include Dr Andreas Handschuh, Head of the Saxon State Chancellery, Andreja Viher White, Deputy Ambassador of Slovenia to the EU, and Nela Riehl, Chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education in the EU Parliament.
The Capital of Culture programmes will be presented by the managing directors of Nova Gorica 2025, Mija Lorbek and Stojan Pelko, and of Chemnitz 2025, Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke. Researcher Dr Valentina Montalto will present the "Chemnitz White Paper" on the 40th anniversary of the European Capitals of Culture programme (ECoC). It summarises the results of an extensive research project and provides impetus for the future orientation of the European Capitals of Culture.
The original version of the white paper with 35 recommendations was further developed following a European conference in Chemnitz on 4 April. More than 200 ECoC managers, artistic directors and jury members came together. In workshops, they jointly developed five new recommendations, so that the paper now comprises 40 concrete proposals. These relate to five key political priorities:
- Strengthen the ability of the Capitals of Culture to shape a diverse and united Europe,
- ensure the long-term impact of the projects in a sustainable manner
- increase the transparency and accountability of the selection process
- consolidate political support at all levels
- and permanently improve the transfer of knowledge through an official ECoC online archive.
Key legislative recommendations include anchoring European exchange in all selection criteria, introducing a uniform yet customisable ECoC logo and revising the payment date for the Melina Mercouri Prize in order to stabilise the implementation and long-term impact of the projects (see also press release 243).
The presentation in the European Parliament is part of a three-day delegation trip from 12 to 14 May. To kick off the trip on Monday, 12 May, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will meet the Prime Minister of the Brussels Capital Region, Rudi Vervoort. The discussion will focus on experiences with the organisation of large-scale cultural programmes.
On Tuesday, 13 May, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will meet with Kai Mindel, Head of the Saxon State Representation in Brussels, to discuss the European Capital of Culture and the hydrogen strategy. He will then meet a group of pupils from Saxony and Styria, including students from the Karl-Schmidt-Rottluff-Gymnasium in Chemnitz. The meeting will be organised and accompanied by the Saxon State Office for Schools and Education.
This will be followed by an exchange between Lord Mayor Sven Schulze and the Saxon MEPs Anna Cavazzini, Matthias Ecke and Oliver Schenk in the European Parliament. He will then take part in the presentation of the "Chemnitz White Paper" at the Council of the European Union. Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer will present the paper at the meeting of the Ministers for Youth, Education, Culture and Sport of the EU Member States before the presentation at 7.30 pm in the European Parliament.
Further information on the "Chemnitz White Paper"