Nine European countries have launched a joint initiative to strengthen the long-term impact of the European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) on regional development beyond the title year. The ECoC Echo project focuses on solutions to maintain and strengthen the momentum created during the title year, which promotes growth in the cultural sector, regional development and international co-operation.
The project brings together past, present and future European Capitals of Culture. In addition to Chemnitz, these are Leeuwarden 2018 (Netherlands), Novi Sad 2022 (Serbia), Veszprém 2023 (Hungary), Tartu 2024 (Estonia), Oulu 2026 (Finland), Liepāja 2027 (Latvia), Évora 2027 (Portugal) and Bourges 2028 (France). In addition to the ECoC cities, the project also includes partners at local and regional level who play a key role in cultural policy.
"The preparation and realisation of a European Capital of Culture has given a strong boost to the cultural life and economy of many regions. Now it is equally important to channel this momentum into sustainable, long-term development," says Sille Talvet-Unt, representative of Tartu 2024 and project manager of ECoC Echo.
The participating countries plan to develop strategies to maintain the networks, knowledge and energy they have gained during their ECoC year. The aim is to find effective ways to embed the legacy of the European Capital of Culture into local frameworks, support regional growth and develop new systems of co-operation between city and region.
"ECoC Echo offers a unique opportunity to learn from past and future ECOC and to provide our cities with new knowledge in the fields of cultural management and international co-operation," added Talvet-Unt.
The total budget of the project is around 2.27 million euros, which will be shared between the nine participating countries and their twelve partner organisations. In this project, the cultural and urban development strategies of the participating European Capitals of Culture will be updated to ensure the realisation of the agreed long-term objectives. The results will be presented in Bourges (France) at the end of 2028 to coincide with the opening of the next European Capital of Culture year.
Several political and regional partners are also involved in the project, including: the Association of Municipalities of the Tartu Region (Estonia), the National Development Centre (Hungary), the Centre-Val de Loire Regional Council (France), the Alentejo Central Intermunicipal Community (Portugal) and the cities of Chemnitz (Germany), Novi Sad (Serbia), Oulu (Finland) and Liepāja (Latvia).
The project is co-funded by the European Union's Interreg Europe programme, which supports interregional cooperation and helps authorities across Europe to develop better strategies.
www.chemnitz.de/eu-projekte
www.interregeurope.eu/ecoc-echo
