Post by pigeonpie on Dec 17, 2009 7:05:18 GMT
Balearic Islands in bid for European Capital of Culture
During his weekend visit to the island, German businessman Hubert Georg Feil talked about the Balearic bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2016, an initiative led by him which is already in progress.
Feil, who lives partly in Germany and partly in Mallorca, is the president of the company Culturebrand and has previous experience in participating in bids of this nature, such as that of the Austrian city of Graz, the winning candidate for the 2003 title. He is adamant that “Balearic Islands 2016. Islands of Culture” is “not a fantasy” but a serious bid put forward to win that will have to meet the strict criteria laid down by the European commission which states that the project “must reflect the European character of the event and involve the participation of the people who live there”, adding that the programme “must also have a lasting and sustainable impact on the city’s long-term cultural, economic and social development”.
The businessman stated that he is “enamoured” of a project which will strengthen cultural tourism in a way that has not been done until now and stressed that it will attract people to the islands who are creative, interested in cultural activities, respectful of the destination and who will form the main backbone of tourism in the future. As an example he cited Liverpool, European Capital of Culture in 2008, where 15 million people participated in the various acts organised during the year the city held the title.
When he started work on the scheme two years ago he inititally thought of Palma as the candidate, but then realised that it would be a mistake to restrict it to one island, hence the birth of the “Balearic Islands 2016. Islands of Culture” project which will be “unique” as it is the first time that a group of islands has been put forward as a candidate. In its favour will be the cultural and historic variations to be found in the archipelago.
In respect of each island’s contribution, Feil highlighted the opera, a high standard of cuisine, the care of nature and a mixture of cultures throughout its history as being some of Menorca’s strengths that would enrich the Balearic bid.
The purpose of his visit to Menorca is to seek support for the project and to make its existence known. One of his first interviews was with the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Magdalena Pons Quintana, the Chamber having given the project its full backing in Mallorca.
With the machinery now in motion the group of cultural managers who are promoting the candidature have a schedule to follow to publicise the project on each island. At the end of January 2010 a meeting will be held in Menorca to present the project to society and start a campaign to attract volunteers to help in the organisation of the candidature. Feil also announced that a committee of ten experts would be set up on each island and called on all the institutions to co-operate to ensure that the bid is successful.
Candidate selection
The European Capital of Culture was started in 1985, with Athens being the first city to be awarded the title.
From 2011, the format will change slightly in that two cities, from different countries, will be recognised. In 2016 the two countries will be Spain and Poland.
The Balearics are competing against 15 other cities to be the Spanish selection - Alcalà de Henares, Burgos, Cáceres, Córdoba, Cuenca, Tenerife, Malaga, Murcia, Pamplona, San Sebastián, Santander, Segovia, Tarragona, Zaragoza and a joint bid from Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés.
In July 2010 a jury in Madrid will narrow the field down to five. These finalists will then have to produce a definitive cultural programme by October 2011 which will be passed on to the European Commission . This body will then select the city which will be the European Capital of Culture 2016, with the decision being made known in 2012.
During his weekend visit to the island, German businessman Hubert Georg Feil talked about the Balearic bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2016, an initiative led by him which is already in progress.
Feil, who lives partly in Germany and partly in Mallorca, is the president of the company Culturebrand and has previous experience in participating in bids of this nature, such as that of the Austrian city of Graz, the winning candidate for the 2003 title. He is adamant that “Balearic Islands 2016. Islands of Culture” is “not a fantasy” but a serious bid put forward to win that will have to meet the strict criteria laid down by the European commission which states that the project “must reflect the European character of the event and involve the participation of the people who live there”, adding that the programme “must also have a lasting and sustainable impact on the city’s long-term cultural, economic and social development”.
The businessman stated that he is “enamoured” of a project which will strengthen cultural tourism in a way that has not been done until now and stressed that it will attract people to the islands who are creative, interested in cultural activities, respectful of the destination and who will form the main backbone of tourism in the future. As an example he cited Liverpool, European Capital of Culture in 2008, where 15 million people participated in the various acts organised during the year the city held the title.
When he started work on the scheme two years ago he inititally thought of Palma as the candidate, but then realised that it would be a mistake to restrict it to one island, hence the birth of the “Balearic Islands 2016. Islands of Culture” project which will be “unique” as it is the first time that a group of islands has been put forward as a candidate. In its favour will be the cultural and historic variations to be found in the archipelago.
In respect of each island’s contribution, Feil highlighted the opera, a high standard of cuisine, the care of nature and a mixture of cultures throughout its history as being some of Menorca’s strengths that would enrich the Balearic bid.
The purpose of his visit to Menorca is to seek support for the project and to make its existence known. One of his first interviews was with the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Magdalena Pons Quintana, the Chamber having given the project its full backing in Mallorca.
With the machinery now in motion the group of cultural managers who are promoting the candidature have a schedule to follow to publicise the project on each island. At the end of January 2010 a meeting will be held in Menorca to present the project to society and start a campaign to attract volunteers to help in the organisation of the candidature. Feil also announced that a committee of ten experts would be set up on each island and called on all the institutions to co-operate to ensure that the bid is successful.
Candidate selection
The European Capital of Culture was started in 1985, with Athens being the first city to be awarded the title.
From 2011, the format will change slightly in that two cities, from different countries, will be recognised. In 2016 the two countries will be Spain and Poland.
The Balearics are competing against 15 other cities to be the Spanish selection - Alcalà de Henares, Burgos, Cáceres, Córdoba, Cuenca, Tenerife, Malaga, Murcia, Pamplona, San Sebastián, Santander, Segovia, Tarragona, Zaragoza and a joint bid from Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés.
In July 2010 a jury in Madrid will narrow the field down to five. These finalists will then have to produce a definitive cultural programme by October 2011 which will be passed on to the European Commission . This body will then select the city which will be the European Capital of Culture 2016, with the decision being made known in 2012.
