I. Basic principles 2 / 3 Table of Contents I. Basic principles 4 II. Structure of the programme 32 III. Organisation and financing 76 1. Organisational structure 76 2. Financing 80 IV. City infrastructure 93 V. Communication strategy 97 VI. Evaluation and monitoring 106 VII. Additional information 110 Traditional houses in Plovdiv’s Old Town For text and pictures we used 99 pages. Additionally we used 10 supplement pages for the artistic programme and 5 supplement pages for the chapter on financing. I. Basic principles 4 / 5 I. appeal to its citizens, fellow Bulgarians Plug into Europe … by working on and Europeans. The people of Plovdiv European issues that concern many – need to rediscover their identity, sense of together with our European partners Basic principles ownership, purpose and belonging, to boost including our neighbours in the Balkans. their spirit of entrepreneurship and attitude towards the future – in order to be able to Stop the brain drain … by giving space contribute to Europe – not only consume it. to the ideas of young and innovative The ECoC title would be a good start. It people and offering opportunities for 1) a) Why does the city which space... We are proud of the past, but we would show the citizens that culture is education and for building capacities. you represent wish to take part approach it without relating it to the present. still a huge driving force in Europe and in We are proud of the European culture that Plovdiv. This is why we are taking part in Wipe off the dust … by using artistic in the competition for the title built Plovdiv over the millennia, but now the European Capital of Culture competition. interventions to revitalise isolated landmarks of European Capital of Culture? culture seems dispensable to many citizens Here we are, ready to meet the challenge. and neighbourhoods of the city and reconnect and Europe feels far away. We are proud the built heritage to contemporary life. You would think Plovdiv has to have a beautiful, unspoiled Old Town – everything you can wish for in a city but it is a sleeping beauty, not really filled 1) b) What, for it, would Open new horizons … by fostering cultural Plovdiv is one of those European cities with life. We have a huge European cultural be the main challenge entrepreneurship and creative industries. popular with families who want to raise heritage – Plovdiv is older than Athens of this nomination? their children in a large but relaxed city. It and Rome – but like many other historic Mobilise resources … by initializing is the second largest city in the country with cities in Europe it lacks the connection with The main challenges of the effective public-private partnerships for 338,153 inhabitants, favourably located on the contemporary. The ancient heritage is nomination would be: successful management of cultural resources a modern transport route between Zagreb perceived as “merely historic”, an attraction and find ways to get Bulgarian businesses and the Black Sea. It offers all the services for tourists. And yet we dwell on those long • attracting a European audience acquainted with cultural sponsoring. and commodities of big city life along past days of glory and are totally surprised • long-term capacity building with a peaceful atmosphere. It is Southern when we hear that many of our fellow and audience development Enjoy the city TOGETHER … by Bulgaria’s cultural and business centre, with Europeans have never even heard of Plovdiv. • connecting the offers of the moving events from the city centre five important museums, a large variety And even when we talk about people and cultural institutions with the needs into the residential areas in order to of theatres, cultural institutions, an opera togetherness it is problematic. We are proud of their audience/visitors revitalise the suburbs and enhance the and the only Centre for Contemporary Art of the microcosm of European cultural • stimulating diversity and flexibility accessibility to culture for all groups, of its kind in Bulgaria. Despite all this it diversity gathered in our city: of ethnic in the offers of tourism operators especially marginalised ones. lacks the hectic restlessness of other large minorities (Roma, Jews, Armenians, Turks), • letting go of the hand-to-mouth cities in the country. Plovdiv has the largest of new migrants (Ukrainians, Russians, mentality and focussing on long- number of cafés, restaurants, and clubs per Italians, British), of religious communities term strategies for culture 2) Explain the concept capita in Bulgaria and is known as the city (Christian Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern • keeping the project clean and straight of the programme which of Ayliak – a Turkish word, used to express Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish) – and avoiding too much political influence would be launched if the city a relaxed, laissez-faire attitude to life. The including all the different social groups was nominated European city is distinguished by an 8,000 year old and generations. But looking closer, there Capital of Culture? history as one of the oldest, still-inhabited is no dialogue. One of these groups that 1) c) What are the cities in the world. We seem to have it all: makes up around 20% of the population city’s objectives for the Our whole programme is dedicated to Thracian, Greek, Roman, Slavic, Byzantine, – the Roma minority – even lives in year in question? the simple, but very ambitious concept and Ottoman heritage, a multi-ethnic ghettos where the rest of the citizens avoid The city’s objectives for “Together”. The major idea which all our population and all the richness that cultural going at all – Plovdiv Together? This the year 2019 are: projects and activities are based on is to diversity holds, a lively arts and culture is supposed to be Europe? The diverse, change our city – making a difference in scene, a beautiful Old Town that looks like multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, ‘together’ Blast the ‘ghettos’… by creating long- the way people in the city connect with straight from a catalogue. Plovdiv Together. Europe that Plovdiv claims to be part of? term projects with excluded social groups one another, in the strength and vibrancy of using artistic means to involve and create their communities, and their physical and So what’s the problem? Plovdiv needs and wants to ‘re-join’ cultural capacity, as well as using social emotional wellbeing are more essential for us Everything we are proud of in Plovdiv is Europe – but on a much deeper level than innovation, educational and economic than the increasingly tired arguments about problematic: history, diversity, culture, urban the political. The city has to regain its measures to create long-term resilience. economic benefits. Behind our candidacy I. The Roman Amphitheatre in Basic principles 6 / 7 Plovdiv’s Old Town simply lies the idealistic aim to make the city that keep it connected to its history. ‘Plovdiv With our concept we want to fuse the ethnic a better place for living, and for us culture Together’ has local, regional, national, and social groups in Plovdiv to create is the means to achieve this practical but European and international implications. ‘Plovdiv Together’, transforming the also mental change. At the same time we are It does not only mean ‘Plovdiv Together’ urban space into a cityscape that supports aware of one of the most important problems locally, but also: Plovdiv together with the togetherness, which in turn leads to of the city – the lack of togetherness in Bulgaria, Plovdiv together with Europe. reviving the heritage that gives identity and the Plovdivian context of diversity. a sense of ownership and helps us relax in In practical terms this means going far these times of pressure in order to create If ‘Plovdiv Together’ is a vision, how beyond “original ideas” or “cultural events sustainable growth and development on a can we find our special Plovdivian in unusual places”. With our concept we human scale with and for the citizens. path of unity – among the majority and want to address real strategic issues in From this storyline we have developed minorities (Roma, Turks, Armenians, Jews, Plovdiv. In our programme we do this for four programme platforms: Greeks), different generations (who have example by taking projects out to areas different speeds and lifestyles, different in the city which seem to have the lowest FUSE – breaking down borders upbringings with or without communism), rates of cultural and civic participation (e.g. between social, ethnic and minority people with disabilities, disadvantaged Social Innovation Challenge and the Cultural groups to create ‘Plovdiv Together’ people, but also unity with our fellow HUB), programmes which build bridges citizens in Bulgaria and in Europe. between different communities or groups TRANSFORM – transforming the which are characterised by disconnection city and the people through urban The other question of high importance for and suspicion (e.g. Backyard Stories, the development and education us is how do we re-conquer the urban space Circus School), and programmes which seek and make it a city for all citizens – especially to use participation and engagement as ways REVIVE – bringing culture and heritage considering Plovdiv’s background as being to increase physical, mental and emotional back into everyday contemporary life one of the oldest still-inhabited cities in the well-being (e.g. ART E.R., Animate the world. In this sense it is our ambition to City and Ayliak City). To strengthen this RELAX – promoting sustainable