Aniel, Bečarovičová Ľubomíra, Bielik Ján, Blšťák Matúš, Borčányová

Credits to every citizen, artist and cultural worker and organisations, who contributed with ideas and enthusiasm: Antonín Marek, Bačkádyová Anna, Bajtalová Kristína, Balaga Daniel, Bečarovičová Ľubomíra, Bielik Ján, Blšťák Matúš, Borčányová Lívia, Borovský Tomáš, Brestovanská Stanislava, Brestovanský Brian, Brešťanská Katarína, Bukovanová Katarína, Cvechová Dagmara, Čečetková Iveta, Černá Kamila, Daniška Jozef, Drgoň Miloslav, Duchoň František, Duráková Simona, Dvoran Peter, Erben Karol, Fergusson Erika, Filip Andrej, Fulierová Jana, Gaál Oskar, Gajarský Tomáš, Gažová Lívia, Görög Daniel, Gregor Lisa, Gregor Ľubo, Hadvigová Juliana, Halásová Lucia, Halmo Roman, Hanáková Gabriela, Hanáková Zuzana, Hesko Jozef, Hesko Lukáš, Hodúlová Kristína, Hrabovská Radka, Hrabovský Ľuboš, Hrinková Siebenstichová Zuzana, Hromada Adrián, Hromadová Annamária, Chalányová Soňa, Chmela Peter, Chudá Martina, Chylík Adam, Janček Vlado, Ježík Marián, Kamenčík Marián, Kamenčík Stanislav, Kamendyová Ingrid, Karnet Bosáková Monika, Karnet Róbert, Klostermannová Lívia, Kmeť Jakub, Kojnok Arnold, Kolišťanik Peter, Kollárová Dana, Kollár Miro, Komarňanská Jana, Kováčiková Alena, Kováčová Lucia, Kováčová Martina, Kramár Tomáš, Krišková Emma, Kršáková Lucia, Kurinec Marián, Kuruc Alexandra, Kuruc Peter, Kvasňovská Nadežda, Lavagnini Gloria Veronica, Le Van Alan, Libant Michal, Loskotová Lucia, Lukačovič Adam, Lukačovič Matúš, Magulicová Zdenka, Machovec Dávid, Marek Jankovič, Marek Levčík, Martinkovič Marián, Matyasovszký Pavol, Mičková Oľga, Milan Viktor, Minarovská Karin, Mingaleev Marat, Moder Ľudovít, Moravcová Iveta, Moravčíková Marta, Moravčíková Veronika, Múdra Vaňková Miroslava, Nikodémová Oľga, Nižňanský Viktor, Nosková Zuzana, Papalová Katarína, Pavelka Ivan, Pekarovič Tomáš, Pisarčíková Nikola, Petrík Karol, Pintérová Simona, Polák Tomáš, Potocká Jana, Rybová Eva, Selnekovič Július. Sobotovičová Dana, Struhár Ladislav, Střelec Jozef, Střelec Pavol, Svetlík Jakub, Šabo Jozef, Ščasný Mário, Šebestová Anna Mária, Šimon Petr, Šiška Juraj, Šťastný Róbert, Tassy Martin, Tomašovič Anton, Tupý Bystrík, Turzová Katarína, Tutura Pavol, Tvrdý Dominik, Urminský Dávid, Urminský Jozef, Valachová Slavomíra, Vašková Martina, Vaverková Miroslava, Viselková Eva, Vladovičová Terézia, Vozárová Mária, Vyskočová Soňa, Začko Martin, Začko Miroslav, Zelenay Matej, Zmeček Andrej, Žampachová Jana, Žažová Zuzana, Apoštolská cirkev na Slovensku – zbor Hlohovec, Bazenprojekt, Bétel, CD Karolko s.r.o., Cech vinárov Hlohovecka, Centrum voľného času Dúha, Cyklisti z okolia Hlohovca, Detský folklórny súbor Inovček, Divadlo Fľoč, Dobré veci Elky Fulierovej, Dobrovoľné väzenské spoločenstvo Dismas, Dolnopovažské združenie – talent a láska pramene v tradičnej kultúre, Dozor HC, Elokované pracovisko Fraštacká, Materská škola Nábrežie, Espinta, Fraštačania, FS Šulekovo, Gymnázium Ivana Kupca, Harmónia – Zariadenie pre seniorov, Humanus, Hvezdáreň a planetárium M. R. Štefánika, Iniciatíva Odložení v meste, “Ja sám”, Komunálne, výskumné a poradenské centrum, Komunitný domov Esther, Maker Space, Materská škola Hollého, Materská škola Kalinčiakova, Materská škola Nábrežie, Mesto Leopoldov, Mesto Piešťany, MTK Leopoldov , Národné osvetové centrum, Newageadvertising, Obecný klub Kľačany, OOCR Resort Piešťany, Reedukačné centrum Hlohovec, Región Pondus, Sašetky, Slovenské stredisko AITA/IATA, Šachový klub Zentiva Hlohovec, Škola umeleckého priemyslu Hlohovec, Trnavský samosprávny kraj, Ústav na výkon trestu odňatia slobody a ústav na výkon väzby Leopoldov, Vlastivedné múzeum Hlohovec, Xtra slovakia, Základná škola M. R. Štefánika, Základná škola s materskou školou Koperníkova, Základná škola Vilka Šuleka, Základná škola Podzámska 35, Základná umelecká škola, Zámocký jazdecký klub Hlohovec, Združenie pri 3. ZŠ v Hlohovci, ZŠ sv. Jozefa, Zukovec Antonín Marek, Bačkádyová Anna, Bajtalová Kristína, Balaga Daniel, Bečarovičová Ľubomíra, Bielik Ján, Blšťák Matúš, Borčányová Lívia, Borovský Tomáš, Brestovanská Stanislava, Brestovanský Brian, Brešťanská Katarína, Bukovanová Katarína, Cvechová Dagmara, Čečetková Iveta, Černá Kamila, Daniška Jozef, Drgoň Miloslav, Duchoň František, Duráková Simona, Dvoran Peter, Erben Karol, Fergusson Erika, Filip Andrej, Fulierová Jana, Gaál Oskar, Gajarský Tomáš, Gažová Lívia, Görög Daniel, Gregor Lisa, Gregor Ľubo, Hadvigová Juliana, Halásová Lucia, Halmo Roman, Hanáková Gabriela, Hanáková Zuzana, Hesko Jozef, Hesko Lukáš, Hodúlová Kristína, Hrabovská Radka, Hrabovský Ľuboš, Hrinková Siebenstichová Zuzana, Hromada Adrián, Hromadová Annamária, Chalányová Soňa, Chmela Peter, Chudá Martina, Chylík Adam, Janček Vlado, Ježík Marián, Kamenčík Marián, Kamenčík Stanislav, Kamendyová Ingrid, Karnet Bosáková Monika, Karnet Róbert, Klostermannová Lívia, Kmeť Jakub, Kojnok Arnold, Kolišťanik Peter, Kollárová Dana, Kollár Miro, Komarňanská Jana, Kováčiková Alena, Kováčová Lucia, Kováčová Martina, Kramár Tomáš, Krišková Emma, Kršáková Lucia, Kurinec Marián, Kuruc Alexandra, Kuruc Peter, Kvasňovská Nadežda, Lavagnini Gloria Veronica, Le Van Alan, Libant Michal, Loskotová Lucia, Lukačovič Adam, Lukačovič Matúš, Magulicová Zdenka, Machovec Dávid, Marek Jankovič, Marek Levčík, Martinkovič Marián, Matyasovszký Pavol, Mičková Oľga, Milan Viktor, Minarovská Karin, Mingaleev Marat, Moder Ľudovít, Moravcová Iveta, Moravčíková Marta, Moravčíková Veronika, Múdra Vaňková Miroslava, Nikodémová Oľga, Nižňanský Viktor, Nosková Zuzana, Papalová Katarína, Pavelka Ivan, Pekarovič Tomáš, Pisarčíková Nikola, Petrík Karol, Pintérová Simona, Polák Tomáš, Potocká Jana, Rybová Eva, Selnekovič Július. Sobotovičová Dana, Struhár Ladislav, Střelec Jozef, Střelec Pavol, Svetlík Jakub, Šabo Jozef, Ščasný Mário, Šebestová Anna Mária, Šimon Petr, Šiška Juraj, Šťastný Róbert, Tassy Martin, Tomašovič Anton, Tupý Bystrík, Turzová Katarína, Tutura Pavol, Tvrdý Dominik, Urminský Dávid, Urminský Jozef, Valachová Slavomíra, Vašková Martina, Vaverková Miroslava, Viselková Eva, Vladovičová Terézia, Vozárová Mária, Vyskočová Soňa, Začko Martin, Začko Miroslav, Zelenay Matej, Zmeček Andrej, Žampachová Jana, Žažová Zuzana, Apoštolská cirkev na Slovensku – zbor Hlohovec, Bazenprojekt, Bétel, CD Karolko s.r.o., Cech vinárov Hlohovecka, Centrum voľného času Dúha, Cyklisti z okolia Hlohovca, Detský folklórny súbor Inovček, Divadlo Fľoč, Dobré veci Elky Fulierovej, Dobrovoľné väzenské spoločenstvo Dismas, Dolnopovažské združenie – talent a láska pramene v tradičnej kultúre, Dozor HC, Elokované pracovisko Fraštacká, Materská škola Nábrežie, Espinta, Fraštačania, FS Šulekovo, Gymnázium Ivana Kupca, Harmónia – Zariadenie pre seniorov, Humanus, Hvezdáreň a planetárium M. R. Štefánika, Iniciatíva Odložení v meste, “Ja sám”, Komunálne, výskumné a poradenské centrum, Komunitný domov Esther, Maker Space, Materská škola Hollého, Materská škola Kalinčiakova, Materská škola Nábrežie, Mesto Leopoldov, Mesto Piešťany, MTK Leopoldov , Národné osvetové centrum, Newageadvertising, Obecný klub Kľačany, OOCR Resort Piešťany, Reedukačné centrum Hlohovec, Región Pondus, Sašetky, Slovenské stredisko AITA/IATA, Šachový klub Zentiva Hlohovec, Škola umeleckého priemyslu Hlohovec, Trnavský samosprávny kraj, Ústav na výkon trestu odňatia slobody a ústav na výkon väzby Leopoldov, Vlastivedné múzeum Hlohovec, Xtra slovakia, Základná škola M. R. Štefánika, Základná škola s materskou školou Koperníkova, Základná škola Vilka Šuleka, Základná škola Podzámska 35, Základná umelecká škola, Zámocký jazdecký klub Hlohovec, Združenie pri 3. ZŠ v Hlohovci, ZŠ sv. Jozefa, Zukovec Antonín Marek, Bačkádyová Anna, Bajtalová Kristína, Balaga Daniel, Bečarovičová Ľubomíra, Bielik Ján, Blšťák Matúš, Borčányová Lívia, Borovský Tomáš, Brestovanská Stanislava, Brestovanský Brian, Brešťanská Katarína, Bukovanová Katarína, Cvechová Dagmara, Čečetková Iveta, Černá Kamila, Daniška Jozef, Drgoň Miloslav, Duchoň František, Duráková Simona, Dvoran Peter, Erben Karol, Fergusson Erika, Filip Andrej, Fulierová Jana, Gaál Oskar, Gajarský Tomáš, Gažová Lívia, Görög Daniel, Gregor Lisa, Gregor Ľubo, Hadvigová Juliana, Halásová Lucia, Halmo Roman, Hanáková Gabriela, Hanáková Zuzana, Hesko Jozef, Hesko Lukáš, Hodúlová Kristína, Hrabovská Radka, Hrabovský Ľuboš, Hrinková Siebenstichová Zuzana, Hromada Adrián, Hromadová Annamária, Chalányová Soňa, Chmela Peter, Chudá Martina, Chylík Adam, Janček Vlado, Ježík Marián, Kamenčík Marián, Kamenčík Stanislav, Kamendyová Ingrid, Karnet Bosáková Monika, Karnet Róbert, Klostermannová Lívia, Kmeť Jakub, Kojnok Arnold, Kolišťanik Peter, Kollárová Dana, Kollár Miro, Komarňanská Jana, Kováčiková Alena, Kováčová Lucia, Kováčová Martina, Kramár Tomáš, Krišková Emma, Kršáková Lucia, Kurinec Marián, Kuruc Alexandra, Kuruc Peter, Kvasňovská Nadežda, Lavagnini Gloria Veronica, Le Van Alan, Libant Michal, Loskotová Lucia, Lukačovič Adam, Lukačovič Matúš, Magulicová Zdenka, Machovec Dávid, Marek Jankovič, Marek Levčík, Martinkovič Marián, Matyasovszký Pavol, Mičková Oľga, Milan Viktor, Minarovská Karin, Mingaleev Marat, Moder Ľudovít, Moravcová Iveta, Moravčíková Marta, Moravčíková Veronika, Múdra Vaňková Miroslava, Nikodémová Oľga, Nižňanský Viktor, Nosková Zuzana, Papalová Katarína, Pavelka Ivan, Pekarovič Tomáš, Pisarčíková Nikola, Petrík Karol, Pintérová Simona, Polák Tomáš, Potocká Jana, Rybová Eva, Selnekovič Július. Sobotovičová Dana, Struhár Ladislav, Střelec Jozef, Střelec Pavol, Svetlík Jakub, Šabo Jozef, Ščasný Mário, Šebestová Anna Mária, Šimon Petr, Šiška Juraj, Šťastný Róbert, Tassy Martin, Tomašovič Anton, Tupý Bystrík, Turzová Katarína, Tutura Pavol, Tvrdý Dominik, Urminský Dávid, Urminský Jozef, Valachová Slavomíra, Vašková Martina, Vaverková Miroslava, Viselková Eva, Vladovičová Terézia, Vozárová Mária, Vyskočová Soňa, Začko Martin, Začko Miroslav, Zelenay Matej, Zmeček Andrej, Žampachová Jana, Žažová Zuzana, Apoštolská cirkev na Slovensku – zbor Hlohovec, Bazenprojekt, Bétel, CD Karolko s.r.o., Cech vinárov Hlohovecka, Centrum voľného času Dúha, Cyklisti z okolia Hlohovca, Detský folklórny súbor Inovček, Divadlo Fľoč, Dobré veci Elky Fulierovej, Dobrovoľné väzenské spoločenstvo Dismas, Dolnopovažské združenie – talent a láska pramene v tradičnej kultúre, Dozor HC, Elokované pracovisko Fraštacká, Materská škola Nábrežie, Espinta, Fraštačania, FS Šulekovo, Gymnázium Ivana Kupca, Harmónia – Zariadenie pre seniorov, Humanus, Hvezdáreň a planetárium M. R. Štefánika, Iniciatíva Odložení v meste, “Ja sám”, Komunálne, výskumné a poradenské centrum, Komunitný domov Esther, Maker Space, Materská škola Hollého, Materská škola Kalinčiakova, Materská škola Nábrežie, Mesto Leopoldov, Mesto Piešťany, MTK Leopoldov , Národné osvetové centrum, Newageadvertising, Obecný klub Kľačany, OOCR Resort Piešťany, Reedukačné centrum Hlohovec, Región Pondus, Sašetky, Slovenské stredisko AITA/IATA, Šachový klub Zentiva Hlohovec, Škola umeleckého priemyslu Hlohovec, Trnavský samosprávny kraj, Ústav na výkon trestu odňatia slobody a ústav na výkon väzby Leopoldov, Vlastivedné múzeum Hlohovec, Xtra slovakia, Základná škola M. R. Štefánika, Základná škola s materskou školou Koperníkova, Základná škola Vilka Šuleka, Základná škola Podzámska 35, Základná umelecká škola, Zámocký jazdecký klub Hlohovec, Združenie pri 3. ZŠ v Hlohovci, ZŠ sv. Jozefa, Zukovec Antonín Marek, Bačkádyová Anna, Bajtalová Kristína, Balaga Daniel, Bečarovičová Ľubomíra, Bielik Ján, Blšťák Matúš, Borčányová Lívia, Borovský Tomáš, Brestovanská Stanislava, Brestovanský Brian, Brešťanská Katarína, Bukovanová Katarína, Cvechová Dagmara, Čečetková Iveta, Černá Kamila, Daniška Jozef, Drgoň Miloslav, Duchoň František, Duráková Simona, Dvoran Peter, Erben Karol, Fergusson Erika, Filip Andrej, Fulierová Jana, Gaál Oskar, Gajarský Tomáš, Gažová Lívia, Görög Daniel, Gregor Lisa, Gregor Ľubo, Hadvigová Juliana, Halásová Lucia, Halmo Roman, Hanáková Gabriela, Hanáková Zuzana, Hesko Jozef, Hesko Lukáš, Hodúlová Kristína, Hrabovská Radka, Hrabovský Ľuboš, Hrinková Siebenstichová Zuzana, Hromada Adrián, Hromadová Annamária, Chalányová Soňa, Chmela Peter, Chudá Martina, Chylík Adam, Janček Vlado, Ježík Marián, Kamenčík Marián, Kamenčík Stanislav, Kamendyová Ingrid, Karnet Bosáková Monika, Karnet Róbert, Klostermannová Lívia, Kmeť Jakub, Kojnok Arnold, Kolišťanik Peter, Kollárová Dana, Kollár Miro, Komarňanská Jana, Kováčiková Alena, Kováčová Lucia, Kováčová Martina, Kramár Tomáš, Krišková Emma, Kršáková Lucia, Kurinec Marián, Kuruc Alexandra, Kuruc Peter, Kvasňovská Nadežda, Lavagnini Gloria Veronica, Le Van Alan, Libant Michal, Loskotová Lucia, Lukačovič Adam, Lukačovič Matúš, Magulicová Zdenka, Machovec Dávid, Marek Jankovič, Marek Levčík, Martinkovič Marián, Matyasovszký Pavol, Mičková Oľga, Milan Viktor, Minarovská Karin, Mingaleev Marat, Moder Ľudovít, Moravcová Iveta, Moravčíková Marta, Moravčíková Veronika, Múdra Vaňková Miroslava, Nikodémová Oľga, Nižňanský Viktor, Nosková Zuzana, Papalová Katarína, Pavelka Ivan, Pekarovič Tomáš, Pisarčíková Nikola, Petrík Karol, Pintérová Simona, Polák Tomáš, Potocká Jana, Rybová Eva, Selnekovič Július. Sobotovičová Dana, Struhár Ladislav, Střelec Jozef, Střelec Pavol, Svetlík Jakub, Šabo Jozef, Ščasný Mário, Šebestová Anna Mária, Šimon Petr, Šiška Juraj, Šťastný Róbert, Tassy Martin, Tomašovič Anton, Tupý Bystrík, Turzová Katarína, Tutura Pavol, Tvrdý Dominik, Urminský Dávid, Urminský Jozef, Valachová Slavomíra, Vašková Martina, Vaverková Miroslava, Viselková Eva, Vladovičová Terézia, Vozárová Mária, Vyskočová Soňa, Začko Martin, Začko Miroslav, Zelenay Matej, Zmeček Andrej, Žampachová Jana, Žažová Zuzana, Apoštolská cirkev na Slovensku – zbor Hlohovec, Bazenprojekt, Bétel, CD Karolko s.r.o., Cech vinárov Hlohovecka, Centrum voľného času Dúha, Cyklisti z okolia Hlohovca, Detský folklórny súbor Inovček, Divadlo Fľoč, Dobré veci Elky Fulierovej, Dobrovoľné väzenské spoločenstvo Dismas, Dolnopovažské združenie – talent a láska pramene v tradičnej kultúre, Dozor HC, Elokované pracovisko Fraštacká, Materská škola Nábrežie, Espinta, Fraštačania, FS Šulekovo, Gymnázium Ivana Kupca, Harmónia – Zariadenie pre seniorov, Humanus, Hvezdáreň a planetárium M. R. Štefánika, Iniciatíva Odložení v meste, “Ja sám”, Komunálne, výskumné a poradenské centrum, Komunitný domov Esther, Maker Space, Materská škola Hollého, Materská škola Kalinčiakova, Materská škola Nábrežie, Mesto Leopoldov, Mesto Piešťany, MTK Leopoldov , Národné osvetové centrum, Newageadvertising, Obecný klub Kľačany, OOCR Resort Piešťany, Reedukačné centrum Hlohovec, Región Pondus, Sašetky, Slovenské stredisko AITA/IATA, Šachový klub Zentiva Hlohovec, Škola umeleckého priemyslu Hlohovec, Trnavský samosprávny kraj, Ústav na výkon trestu odňatia slobody a ústav na výkon väzby Leopoldov, Vlastivedné múzeum Hlohovec, Xtra slovakia, Základná škola M. R. Štefánika, Základná škola s materskou školou Koperníkova, Základná škola Vilka Šuleka, Základná škola Podzámska 35, Základná umelecká škola, Zámocký jazdecký klub Hlohovec, Združenie pri 3. ZŠ v Hlohovci, ZŠ sv. Jozefa, Zukovec

We are not on the front pages of lifestyle magazines, we are not the first in the offers of travel agencies, nor are we in the headlines of the daily news. But we are a place where one can daily feel the living roots of European culture. We are one of the tens of thousands of European small towns that may be invisible, easily overlooked at first glance from metropolises and tourist portals. However, we are a town where the key features of the European soul are being revived today and every day. We meet each other face to face, intimately, in neighbourhoods, in cooperation, and everyday multi-layered dialogue across generations, across social and cultural strata, is natural. We are writing a manifesto of towns, which, as a hallmark of the roots of the European way of life, are similar in scale and complexity, and thus meet our Hlohovec “HC” criteria. We write about these small and old towns because in them one finds the fundaments of the culture of life in the EU. The small towns and cities are the bearers of traditions, the source of talent, and their small scale enables community life. At the same time, their smallness causes conflict and confinement. And this “balance on the edge” is a European theme that is manifested, for example, in the fact that in these cities one finds radicals and reactionaries, talents and visionaries, living next to each other and mutually intertwined. Therefore, in the space of our “HC” archetype of a town but also that of an European “HC” archetype, we can show ourselves and the EU how to cope with this type of balance and maintain it so that the town remains a town and does not become a village or an ordinary suburb of the town, both of which can mean the same thing – a hole in the middle, at the end, or on the edge. Balancing between these two poles – smallness and openness vs. smallness and confinement – allows us to monitor processes on the HC format scale, animate them, learn from them and set examples for the whole EU environment. Especially because HC-like towns are often ridiculed, stripped, squeezed, and condemned as places of hillbillies, places that are provincial, laid-back, and simply “outdated”. But for big cities, they are a source of residents, talent, and provoking minds. They bring a sense of order, tradition, and awareness of continuity to big cities, as a set of typical features of European life. It is about dynamics in tradition, and conflict in the motion of two worlds. In HC-like towns, it is possible to monitor, record and learn from this with relatively small investments, and to do this more quickly, through personal contact, non-anonymously, without barriers created by distance or relationships. In the global world, HC-like towns are in danger of being affected by changes – economic, environmental, and social – much more than large centres. That is why we are already preparing for a time which will mean the Destabilization of the environment, Demotivation towards relationships, a lack of respect for culture, the Dehumanization of the population, and a time that will enable the dominance of Disinformation. And we want to prepare for this together with other European cities and towns that will understand our manifesto and join us. 4 0/Introduction (Q01–Q04) 13 1/Contribution to the long-term strategy (Q05–Q09) 20 2/Cultural and artistic content (Q10–Q13) 30 3/European dimension (Q14–Q16) 37 4/Outreach (Q17–Q19) 42 5/Management (Q20–Q35) 54 6/Capacity to deliver (Q36–Q38) Slovak Towns and Municipalities and national organisations involved

Academy of performing arts//Bojničky municipality//Červeník municipality// Dolné Otrokovce municipality//Dolné Trhovište municipality//Dolné Zelenice municipality//Dvorníky municipality//Horné Otrokovce municipality//Horné Trhovište municipality//Horné Zelenice municipality//Jalšové municipality//Kľačany municipality// Koplotovce municipality//Madunice municipality//Merašice municipality// Ministry of justice//National Non proffesional culture Centre//Pastuchov municipality// Prison and Court Guard Service, Leopoldov//Ratkovce municipality//Regional Center for Tourism Piešťany Resort//Sasinkovo municipality//Siladice municipality// Slovak centre AITA/IATA//Tekolďany municipality//Tepličky municipality//The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, STU//Town Leopoldov//Town Piešťany//Trakovice municipality//Trnava self governing region//Žlkovce municipality

International and Slovak network, inspirations and advices

Eva Mair/AT/Bad Ischl//Kris Donaldson/AUS/Insead//Bram De Grieck/BE/De Panne// Geert Vanthuyne/BE/De Panne//Victor Yankov/BG/Plovdiv 2019//Ivo Dimov/BG/ Dimitrovgrad//Jasho Minkov/BG/Dimitrovgrad//Dorian Celcer/CRO/Rijeka 2020// Nino Preložniak/CRO/Varaždin//Sandra Malenica/CRO/Varaždin//Yannis Sakelis/CY/ Paphos//Georgia Doetzer/CY/Paphos 2017//Jiří Kudláček/CZ/Hranice// Vladimír Juračka/CZ/Hranice//Lene Øster/DK/Aaarhus/2017//Martin Lundsgaard–Leth/ DK/Ikast – Brande//Carsten Jensen/DK/Ikast – Brande//Erni Kask/EE/Tartu/2024// Silvia Binder/ESP/Madrid//Imanol Galdos/ESP/Donostia – San Sebastian// Jaime Otamendi/ESP/Donostia – San Sebastian//Reko Tammi/FI/Saimaallmio/2026 candidate//Anu Anette –Varho/FI/Saimaallmio/2026 candidate//Samu Forsblom/FI/ Oulu/2026 candidate//Henri Turune/FI/Oulu/2026 candidate/Piia Rantala–Korhonen/ FI/Oulu/2026 candidate//Petr Šimon/FI/Tampere/2026 candidate//Philippe Bouvier/ FRA/INREGU//Cécile Finot/Bourduche/FRA/Clermont–Ferrand/2028 candidate// Nico Degenkolb/GER/Nurnberg/2025 candidate//Yannis Koukmas/GR/Elefsina 2021// Angeliki Lampiri/GR/Elefsina 2021//Kelly Diapouli/GR/Elefsina 2021//Tóth Miklós/ HU/Vészprém/2023//Berecz Mátyás/HU/Eger/2023 candidate//Törőcsik Gábor/HU/ Eger/2023 candidate//Mikróczki Ádám/HU/Eger/2023 candidate//Marilyn Gaughan– Reddan/IRL/Galway 2020//Patricia Philbin/IRL/Galway 2020//Rosa Tarantino/ITA/ Matera/2019//Claudia Di Perna/ITA/Matera/2019//Ana Kočegarova/LT/Kaunas/2022// Daiva Jeremičienė/LT/Jonava//Kristina Jaskūnienė/LT/Jonava//Aiva Rozenberga/LV/ Riga/2014//Aleksandra Abramova/LV/Cesis/2027 candidate//Sarah Caron/LX/ Esch 2022//Philip Lingard/MT/Insead//Oeds Westerhof/NL/Leeuwarden 2018// Mireille Pallandt/NL/Insead//Jurjen van der Weg/NL/Leeuwarden 2018//Sjoerd Bootsma/NL/LF 2028//Henrik S Dagfinrud/NO/Bodo 2024//Andreia Garcia/PT/Guarda 2027 candidate//Pedro Gadanho/PT/Guarda 2027 candidate//Carlos Chaves Monteiro/ PT/Guarda 2027 candidate//Ştefan Teişanu/RO/Cluj Napoca 2021 candidate//Claudiu Salanță/RO/Turda//Márton Mehes/SLO/Piran candidate 2027//Devor Buinjac/SLO/ Ljublana 2025 candidate//Zora Jaurová/SK/Košice 2013//Michal Hladký/SK/Košice 2013//Svetlana Waradzinová/SK/Academy of performing Arts//Vuk Radulovič/SRB/ Novi Sad 2021//Avakum Kvas/SRB/Irig//Fredrik Lindgren//SWE/Umea 2014// Helen Marriage/UK/Artichoke//Claire McColgan/UK/Liverpool 2008// Sandra Fogarty/UK/Artichoke

European organisations, towns and cities involved

Association Eustachia, SRB//Bad Ischl 2024//Bodo 2024//Cesis Municipality, LA// Culturenext//Dimitrovgrad Municipality, BG//Donostia Kultura, San Sebastian, ESP// Ikast – Brande Bibliothek, DK//INREGU Institute//Kimonos Arts Centre, Paphos, CY// Leeuwarden–Fryslan 2028//Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation, ITA//Mesto Hranice, CZ// Municipality of Guarda//Municipality of Piran – Pirano, SLO//Nurnberg region 2025 Oulu 2026//P4 – centar za mlade i nezavisnu kulturu Varaždin, CRO//Public Library of Jonava District Municipality, LT//Saima–ilmio 2026//Tampere Region 2026// The city of Varaždin, CRO//The town of De Panne, BE 7 1/ Why does your city “My name is Michal, like to strengthen blood circulation and the we are dying? Perhaps because due to that of the saint who heart and to increase overall physical the fact that we have one of the two or activity. In other words – it has a positive three most powerful telescopes in Slo- Hlohovec wish to take part in the protects the town of effect on the symptoms of the current vakia in our town, we are looking beyond Trnava competition for the title Hlohovec. They called me to state of our town. And, it heals both fe- the horizon, where it is clear that these male and male problems. times are coming to an end. And if we see if I could help prepare Nitra of European Capital of our bid book. I work in cul- start solving the problem only when it becomes visible to the naked eye, ture; I was born here; I help Culture? then it will be too late. Are we dealing when I can. I will be your then with threats that have not yet oc- guide through this application. curred? Yes, that too. But not only that. Bratislava I will tell you what I think of it, Since the end of 2014, we have been and I will tell you everything trying to reverse this development and I know. If the corona crisis al- give our town a new perspective. Our lows, I will also do this in per- goal is to make it an inspiring, attractive son. But not until February. Ei- town for a good European life with the prospect of surviving even after its cur- ther way, we’ll see each other. rent, five-decade long industrial phase only participant from the former “Eastern And that is why – the European Capital My guiding words will be comes to an end. We have opened our bloc”, part of the international univer- of Culture. blue, like our coat of arms. town to active, creative people, we sity project “Building competencies for Just like the mood I am in at have relied on participatory processes, effective governance in small and medi- brought native Hlohovecians back home um-sized cities”. Have you already looked at the map? the moment. I’m not sure we from abroad so that they give a helping should be applying for this, hand to the town. However, this is just a change in the We were asked this question when we at all. These days have been hardware. We won’t be able to make announced our intention. Sure, we see extremely overwhelming. The On the one hand, we learn from the a move without an updated software. three regional cities running for the Hlohovec needs to find its own medi- best – our first study trip was to the We have been working on smaller be- ECOC within a 30-45-minute drive, and pandemic has been grind- cine. And yes, even those who are small Copenhagen studio of the legendary havioural interventions in the life of the we also see the Capital City within less ing us, and we don’t know have the right to dream big. architect Jan Gehl since we want to cre- town in cooperation with the best aca- than an hour-drive from us. It would be what’s coming or how serious ate a “city for people” through quality demic teams in the country. As Edward most comfortable for us to sit back and the crisis will be. So, why are we trying to become the Eu- urban design. We were the first Slovak Glasner writes in the Triumph of the City, relax and wait for those who will win; ropean Capital of Culture? Because we town that subsequently adopted the successful cities are successful because a small part of the town’s cultural elite Michal has been protecting don’t want our town to die. Concept of Public Spaces – a manual a great deal of human capital is found in would be happy to go and effortlessly Hlohovecians for centuries. for the creation of public spaces. We them. Some industrial cities managed to enjoy the great cultural life in the town Therefore, I will be the dev- When you start reading the Atlas of Lost have been following this manual in or- change their orientation in the past, and of our neighbours. Until they won’t return il’s advocate for the project, Cities by Aude de Tocqueville, dozens der to revitalize our public spaces. For today they focus on the creation of ideas one day. of examples of places pass in a parade two years, a well-known architect of and concepts instead of manufacture. if you will.” before your eyes whose raison d’être has Slovak origin, Peter Gero, has worked This is also the reason why we cannot ceased to exist at different times and on this manual and on the new urban However, any promising, innovative re- just be onlookers. Today, one third of for different reasons. And if what Tolstoy plan, together with our young architects, covery of society, even if only on the the population of the European Union Is it rude that a dwarf town makes claims in the case of families is true, whom we have brought back home scale of a city or urban region, must also lives in small towns like ours, and in Slo- a bid for such a spectacular project? namely that “happy families are similar, from abroad. For many years he was the take culture into account. After all, the vakia it is almost one half. If we are to Of course, it is. But it is in our genes. but every unhappy family is unhappy head of urban development in Hamburg, European Parliament’s declaration on remain a good place to live and maintain To be free and bold. The locals have in a different way”, then in the case of Germany, and led the transformation the European Cultural Recovery states Europe’s values of openness, sophisti- known Hlohovec rather as “Frašták”. It is towns the opposite is true – failures are of part of Hamburg’s port into the new that culture is not only an important sec- cation, and cohesion, we need our best a reminder of the city’s original name – similar, and success is rather an excep- Hafencity district. We were small then tor of the economy but also reflects our people to stay at home or return back. Freistadt an der Waag, that is, Free City tion. but European enough to enter into this European values, diversity, history, free- Then we can also be an inspiration for upon Vah. cooperation. dom and our way of life; it contributes our larger neighbours. The era of industrial cities and towns to the vitality of society, social cohesion Today, Hlohovec is named after a thorny is coming to an end, and at least in the On the other hand, we have already in- and intercultural dialogue. But most im- Yes, we are running for this project be- bush growing in the hills above the West it will never return. We are just now spired colleagues from the “old” democ- portantly, culture has been recognized cause we are concerned. We are con- town, hawthorn, Crataegus laevigata, experiencing the reverberations of the racies. Our strategic town management as one of the main accelerators of social cerned that there will be a destabiliza- or oxyacantha. Hawthorn is widespread golden era of our town’s industrial devel- has started to interest colleagues from change and of the creation of inclusive tion of our environment, and it doesn’t throughout Europe. Its flowers, leaves opment, and we may even be currently Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, and resilient societies. matter if this is in terms of nature or the and fruit are collected. They are used at its peak. Why are we saying then that when in 2017-2018 we became, as the economy. Whether it is rivers drying

8 9 up or investors leaving our town, it is Small Towns At the same time, their small- a set of typical features of Eu- In our view, the European Capital of Cul- 2/ Does your city plan to a change that will influence us. We are ness causes conflict and con- ropean life. ture project is not a project of short-term concerned that if such a change hap- Manifesto finement. And this “balance visibility and cultural enhancement of involve its surrounding pens, and people find themselves in on the edge” is a European the city. It is just a short stop on the way a place which cannot provide them with to transforming the city’s or town’s cul- area? Explain this choice. theme that is manifested, for It is about dynamics in tradi- a safe existence, they will be demoti- We are not on the front pag- ture. By changing the town’s climate and vated to build a relationship with their example, in the fact that in tion, and conflict in the mo- direction towards creative industries, we es of lifestyle magazines, we environment, create values, and stay these cities one finds radi- tion of two worlds. In HC-like will give people who can be an inspira- in a place that has disappointed them. are not the first in the offers tion to the town and the drivers of urban cals and reactionaries, talents towns, it is possible to moni- “Speaking of coopera- A town full of disappointed people would of travel agencies, nor are we tor, record and learn from this development a reason to stay or come in turn into a dehumanized space, a place and visionaries, living next to or return to Hlohovec. And such a trans- tion, why didn’t we join in the headlines of the dai- with relatively small invest- of social defence mechanisms, without each other and mutually information can better prepare the rest of forces with our bigger ly news. But we are a place a goal to make the environment around tertwined. Therefore, in the ments, and to do this more us to cope with the difficult value-relat- neighbours? It is said that they us thrive. This would be a place where where one can daily feel the ed issues and practical problems of the space of our “HC” archetype quickly, through personal con- were interested. We would the ultimate goal is to save what I can for living roots of European cul- tact, non-anonymously, with- next decade. myself, as an individual, who will eventu- of a town but also that of an have a better chance, and we ture. We are one of the tens out barriers created by dis- ally leave. And all this will be happening European “HC” archetype, we Our project is transferable to thousands would not be biting off more of thousands of European in the midst of an era with a crisis of can show ourselves and the tance or relationships. In the of other cities in Europe – and we would than we can chew.” small towns that may be invis- truth, in an atmosphere where no one EU how to cope with this type global world, HC-like towns start with this transfer to 26 European knows what is true and what is not be- ible, easily overlooked at first cities already during the project itself. of balance and maintain it so are in danger of being affected cause no one has to assume responsibil- glance from metropolises and This can be a valuable contribution to ity for using a “weapon of mass destruc- that the town remains a town by changes – economic, envi- the debate on a European vision for cul- Here we must start with a coun- tourist portals. However, we tion” – simple words?– but everyone can and does not become a village ronmental, and social – much ture and a guide on how to integrate cul- ter-question: What kind of a question is are a town where the key fea- use them for an attack. That is why we or an ordinary suburb of the more than large centres. tural, creative, and artistic principles into that – whether we plan to involve our are afraid of the rule of misinformation tures of the European soul are all areas of our lives. surrounding area in the project? We are town, both of which can mean which would send us into a space of ig- being revived today and every so small that we cannot exist without norance, uncertainty, and distrust. the same thing – a hole in the After gradually recovering from the an- cooperation in the region. day. We meet each other face That is why we are already middle, at the end, or on the ti-corona measures, it is important to re- to face, intimately, in neigh- preparing for a time which will And yes, this will all be happening in edge. alize that culture and art are not a luxury, If we want to prepare ourselves for what a small and insignificant town. However, bourhoods, in cooperation, mean the Destabilization of but, on the contrary, they are a neces- is to come, then we cannot prepare there are tens of thousands of them in and everyday multi-layered the environment, Demotiva- sary condition for the survival of people for it only within the town but must do Europe. Cities that no one cares much tion towards relationships, so within the entire urban region. The dialogue across generations, Balancing between these about, that exist and disappear, or get a lack of respect for culture, in the middle of European civilization. first policy that was adopted after the assimilated into larger units. across social and cultural stra- two poles – smallness and change in the style of the city’s man- the Dehumanization of the ta, is natural. openness vs. smallness and agement after December 2014 (the val- population, and a time that “And let's not forget But that will not be the fate of Hlohovec, confinement – allows us to ue revolution of November ’89 basically which is applying for the European Cap- will enable the dominance of to answer Michal: We did not take place in Hlohovec until monitor processes on the HC ital of Culture project! Is this the case of We are writing a manifesto of Disinformation. And we want are small, actually the 2014) was the strategy of development other similar Hlohovec-like towns across format scale, animate them, of the Hlohovec Urban Region. For towns, which, as a hallmark to prepare for this together smallest, but we are ready to Europe? And is anyone else concerned learn from them and set ex- a simple reason it is our essential belief of the roots of the European with other European cities and go for it. As musketeers – not but us? We believe there is. This is why amples for the whole EU envi- and life experience that real sustaina- we wrote the following Small Towns way of life, are similar in scale towns that will understand our only for themselves but also ble development is possible only on the Manifesto: ronment. Especially because ground of natural urban regions. And and complexity, and thus meet manifesto and join us. for all similar European cities… 1 HC-like towns are often rid- a close cooperation of all the actors in our Hlohovec “HC” criteria. We you know what we are talking iculed, stripped, squeezed, the territory is anticipated. write about these small and about, because. and condemned as places of old towns because in them Certainly, the mayors of the 23 surround- hillbillies, places that are pro- one finds the fundaments of Small towns matter.” ing municipalities looked at us as if we vincial, laid-back, and simply were apparitions when we told them – the culture of life in the EU. “outdated”. But for big cities, the experienced politicians, curious The small towns and cities they are a source of residents, mainly about the financial benefits of are the bearers of traditions, such a cooperation – about the insuffi- talent, and provoking minds. the source of talent, and their cient tapping of the natural and cultural They bring a sense of order, small scale enables communi- tradition, and awareness of ty life. continuity to big cities, as 1 Within the boundaries of the Hlohovec urban region, on 267 km2, there are two towns - Hlohovec and Leopoldov, and 22 municipalities. All are within 15 km from the city centre. The region has a permanent population of almost 50,000, however, by 2035 there is a risk of a 4.5% decline. 10 potential of our urban region, about its of 10,000 to 49,999, important district of the Hlohovec chateau. At the turn of tial, which is above average in the small- art school. They play, sing, paint, take the 17th and 18th centuries, they rebuilt town category, and in this way, we can pictures… Paradoxically, families with strengths and weaknesses. centres with a catchment area, with- 3/ Explain briefly the the original 11th century castle (which show small towns everywhere in the EU children are a strong group. And 23% of out a university with full-time students, overall cultural profile of the Turks turned into a border fortress how this is possible. And watch the “all the city residents who have attended Today we have spent six years getting without a permanent art ensemble, lo- at one time) and turned it into a Baroque quiet” rise from the dead through culture. any cultural event in the city over the last to know each other and building coop- cated near regional centres, mostly with your city. manor house. They gradually collected Because if we have been able to invest year represent the “family background” eration. This is also why they no longer a manufacturing industry profile. many cultural artefacts for the chateau EUR 6 million in the last five years in the of our project. tapped their foreheads when we went and then turned it into the first museum renewal and construction of cultural in- to them with the offer to involve them Together we create a vision of our pro- “Cultural profile? We have in the town. On the occasion of the em- frastructure and cultural public spaces in the ECOC initiative, and they gladly gram flagship – Small Towns Coalition nothing that could be peror’s visit, in 1802, they commissioned without the ECOC project, then we can All these communities make up our joined us. We know each other, we trust with ECoC/EHcMK2 2026. the Italian builder Pietro Travagglio to handle multiples with this project. cultural profile. Without always having each other, and we know that we pull called a cultural profile. build an Empire Theatre, which saw professional ensembles surrounded by each other forward. One closed house of culture Ludwig van Beethoven, among others, a stable community of fans and support- “Yes, there were two of and one castle? There must perform. “The” Beethoven, who, accord- But most importantly – the ECOC pro- ers. The creative industry here is mainly ject is a “never ending game” for us. We represented by architects, photogra- Six years ago, we identified the following ing to contemporary legend, stopped off our competitors who surely be fifty other cities in do not see it as a final game with only phers, filmmakers, and youtubers. Two weaknesses of our urban region: here from his stay in the nearby Piešťa- sought cooperation. ny, which was already mentioned. The a single goal that we must catch up to by thirds of university students from Hlo- high representation of the popula- Slovakia more likely to apply • author of Symphony No. 9 in D minor 2026 with our tongues hanging out. It is hovec study at humanities universities in tion with a low level of education, There was also a “courting for the ECOC. with its famous final fourth movement. a continuous and never-ending process nearby candidate cities. The expansion • below-average number of university round”. But when we asked And who will catch on if we Though it may seem today that, “Wir sin- of strengthening the human capital in of the trans-regional secondary school graduates (for Slovakia as a whole about the logic of our connec- happen to get it? Everyone gen die Ode mit zu wenig Freude”. That is the town. of art and industry this year merely sup- the average is 13.9%, while for the tion, the motivation, the com- just likes to talk about what is also why the ECOC project needs a new ported the ambition of creating a new Hlohovec Urban Region it is 11.1%), centre for education in art in our region. mon theme of cooperation, impetus if European values are to be • low number of cultural facilities, needed here, but no one can spread through it effectively. We have strong communities of children The observatory with a planetarium, • underdeveloped tourism, we did not receive an answer. say how to do it…” and young people with whom we want which is unique in Slovakia, has been • no joint promotion or marketing of That is, if it were not just to re- to work so that in 2030 Hlohovec is transformed over the recent years into the region, Maybe that’s when for the first time Hlo- a town that people move to and do not a centre for the popularisation of science duce the number of candidate hovec was the cultural capital of Europe, leave. The silver generation, which will with an international dimension. • absence of an institution of higher At the beginning of the 21st century, we 3 be larger than the community of children education or university… towns. On the top of it, we made the headlines in television news if only for a moment. in 2030, will become ever stronger. But don’t play on the same pitch as the town with the largest number of Hlohovec Museum of National History by then, it will be a community that will pubs per capita in Slovakia. Social and and Geography representing overall That is why we work hard for further as our neighbours. Today, the Empire Theatre is the oldest not get lost in the digital world. Many art life gradually ceased to exist, and history of this region has been devel- cooperation. The triangle consisting But we keep our fingers surviving theatre building in Slovakia cyclists and fishermen represent a large investment in cultural infrastructure with oped by reconstruction of the Castle to of Hlohovec + Leopoldov and the spa that still serves its original purpose. group of friends of nature, who not only crossed for them!” it. Nothing ever happened in the pubs; a modern organisation presenting an town of Piešťany (lying just outside the Together with the castle and the entire use it, but also take care of it as a cul- people gave up looking for art and cul- augmented reality of their artefacts and borders of our urban region) has always castle grounds as a cultivated public tural space. Winegrowers are still an ture, and that’s why what we had was spaces for visitors. been here, and there has always been enough. An old cinema, a crumbling cul- space, the Theatre forms the foundation underappreciated category, and it is not local rivalry and/or cooperation. It is ac- ture house, a neglected castle. The first of the cultural infrastructure of the town. for nothing that we are referred to as the tually the town of Piešťany that gives us and last have already been renovated, Given its historical significance and mul- “undiscovered Provence of Slovakia”. And all this against the background of a chance to see the contours of world and art is finding its way into pubs. In the tifunctional use, the Theatre transcends In addition to the cultural festival, the the wandering river Vah, Terra Vagus – tourism on the face of a small town, and last five years we have invested an aver- the borders of the town, region, and punks from the Free Winemakers are the land of intertwining. The lands of no it is Leopoldov, with its railway junction age of more than country. By the way, two years ago, after conquering Michelin-starred restaurants one and everyone. (on the bastions of its fortress -- today 5 percent of the town’s budget in living almost four million euro were spent on in the world with their – “uncertified, reconstruction, we have permanently thus illegal” natural wines from Slova- a prison facility, which is “home” to the culture and cultural infrastructure. opened the castle to the general public kia. And at the entrance to the city, the We are a laboratory of Europe. most serious sinners – where once the for the first time in its history as a cultur- inscription “Welcome to the city with fortune of Tatar raids was tested), from The ECOC project will be the most fun- al centre in the region. a 1000-year-old wine tradition” awaits which we depart to go out into the world damental intervention in the life of the you. Honestly, we cannot say whether and to which we arrive when returning “Yes, it may not be town for many decades. Not primarily an this claim is not more ambitious than enough. Well, as we home. infrastructure investment (sure, cultural Does this suffice for the activities that this project of ours. the ECOC project would require? Cer- said, we’re at the be- spaces are needed, but the space for During the open call for project inten- Home, for us, is the Hlohovec Urban Re- tainly not, but this is a small-town profile. culture is the whole town), but a behav- tions for the ECC, we were in contact ginning. And we’re not even It is so small that it is said “all quiet in gion. As we say in Small Town Manifesto: ioural one. with 238 people about their interest in Frastak”. But we have five years to create quite at the beginning, we’re “… we are writing the manifesto of towns artistic and creative works. Almost 4% an example that demonstrates our poten- “faking” the “all quiet” a little that are the roots of the European way of the city’s residents attend elementary of life. Therefore, we found 26 cities in What was also essential, when viewed the European Union which we call “HC- from the cultural profile of the town, was the Erdödy family’s gaining control like towns”. Towns with a population 3 When mapping the needs of cultural policy, we found that in the urban region we have: 665 students at elementary art school developed, 28 art teachers, 5 kindergartens with art programs for children, 7 primary schools with art programs for children, 1 leisure centre offering art programs, 2 secondary schools with art programs,1 high school with focus on art, 1 requalification centre with an art program, 1 art industry school, 134 individuals operating in the region in the creative industries, 23 individuals from the region working in the creative industries outside the region, 1 private art school 31 civic associations with a cultural program, 20 business entities 2 Wordplay with Slovak abbreviation of ECoC – EHMK. operating in the creative industry, 2 organisations within the jurisdiction of the self-governing region offering a cultural program.

12 13 bit. We are already inspiring that is why the composition of individual der participation, based on which we have us – humaneness. For us, humaneness active work in learning about the world, cultural Slovakia today. At the 4/ Explain the concept teams will be fluid… identified other important topics therein. is not just an ordinary abstract concept, it which sets its image before us through the beginning of the pandemic, of the programme which is every unique person who refuses to be media and through behaviour and actions, we were among the leaders in We have been designing the programme as 1. Safe environment vs. Destabilisation just a part of the crowd, a wheel in a gear, which present the actors of various pro- would be launched if the a tool to change the nature of a small town. a number, a bar code, a workforce, a form cesses of informing the world about the the struggle for the non-dis- From a traditional, ridiculed, forgotten small The first programme pillar seeks solutions lining of abstracted progress. A person who world. crimination of culture in the city is designated as Eu- town, we want to create an experimental to the consequences of destabilising the uniquely perceives him- or herself vis-à-vis introduction of restrictive ground, a laboratory, where the anticipated environment we live in. We want to face the others and the world in specific activities, We approach the creation of the pro- measures. And when cultural ropean Capital possibilities of the future can be verified process of destabilising our known world through their unique qualities, abilities, and gramme and its pillars with a long-term and tested. That is why sharing is a key by defining and creating a safe environ- skills. vision for the years 2021 – 2030. We will institutions closed completely, of Culture. element for us. We will use the tools of ment. The safe environment that forms the monitor the continuous progress of the we decided not to take money experimentation, paradoxes, imagination first line will not be a cage, a fence, a pris- It is the very skills that have become town and the entire project according to from artists, launching instead to jointly prepare for a time that we don’t on, a padded room, but rather a living agar, a central motive for us in the renewal of the intentions of European not only cul- the Festival of (Un)Cancelled know much about today. We try to turn a garden, a grazing pasture, a test area, humanness. Skills that can be acquired, tural, but also artistic and creative values. “It would be great if we the fact that we are a small town to our a workshop of change. The environment deepened, shared, taught, preserved. Skills The very year 2026 is not the only decisive Culture – we’re doing culture got it. Huge. But so huge advantage – the impacts of the individual is defined, marked by signs of orientation, are imprinted into the world through spe- criterion and measure for us. One is the Eu- online so that the artists have programme lines are easily verifiable; we lighthouses, milestones, time (regular ac- cific materials, working with them, shaping ropean dimension, the other the ability to that I don’t know if we somewhere and something can be more personal, and we can share tivities, physical space) and a stable, clear them. address and communicate our goals with could do it. I guess it’s too to play for and we managed the outputs more easily. form. And at the same time, it is a space in the domestic public. much. Honestly, I can’t im- which people can freely create, where no Developing the human through skills leads to bring culture into peo- agine it. But it would be great Small Towns Matter is our heading. We one will put them down, and where they to mastery. In our programme, we identify Each year will have its own new identity ple’s homes, at least indirectly. are not here for ourselves, but we want us will be heard. Freedom in free space. You new masters of new skills. Our new mas- on the way to the overall transformation if we could. Finally, something We also invited other towns to to learn from one another and make pro- can take risks, and you don’t have to be ters cannot be people stuck in old routines, of the city’s culture, to which the main would happen in Hlohovec. do so, and a few of them were gress together. We want our programme to afraid of making mistakes. our new masters will be children, lunatics programme lines for the given year will re- But isn’t this year too much? be one from which a community of small and dreamers, experimenters, involved spond. inspired. I’m not sure myself.” towns across the EU can learn. We have 2. Hope vs. Demotivation experts, seniors, laymen and amateurs. And 2030? This is our time been creating it so that it can be an inspi- Their meeting will fashion new situations 2021 – Audacity and with us that of other small ration, a stimulus, a catalyst, a platform for We face the loss of desire to participate for sharing new paths. towns with their profiles. Time discussion, and a safe space for reflection in life together; the defence against the Perhaps recklessness, but also courage. The ambition of becoming the European and experiment with all our HC towns. We passive submission to change, against the 4. Trustworthiness vs. Disinformation to prepare together for what is Capital of Culture is motivated by the effort want to learn for the sake of small towns, haters and poisons of this world is the cul- The courage to dare to apply for the ECOC to come. Culture can help us to respond to 4D. The four threats we have and we want to be the ones the others tivation of hope. If we are to look for ex- How to learn to live in a world where noth- title as an outsider. The courage to over- with that. identified in the Small Towns Manifesto learn from. We are not merely interested in pression, articulation, then we find relation- ing of the past applies and nothing works come common stereotypes and the fear And even then, the game - Destabilization, Demotivation, Dehu- a pompous presentation that no one will ships, connections, and interconnections, as it has so far, in a world of the absolute of what is still acceptable and what is not manization and the dominance of Disin- even look at a year after the ECOC is over. and also an exceptionally live and sensitive relativisation of everything hitherto certain, will be a challenge for thousands of other doesn’t end. The transforma- formation. We are building a defensive wall space of interference, a diaphragm space fixed, and unchanging? similar towns and cities, but also for every- tion of the culture of the town against such identifiable, suspected, and We want to show how to counter the of transitions and intersections between one individually. There is the maximum is a “never ending game”.” possible threats through culture and art. destabilisation of small towns by creating past and future, between generations, This programme pillar intersects with all potential in us, as we are at the beginning a safe environment, preventing the demo- groups, interests, and departments. Bridg- others. It is the DNA of our direction, a cen- of the journey in many ways. This is our Hlohovec, that in the past was a free town tivation to live in small towns by providing ing different horizons, these are extended tral approach to life that permeates all. It advantage over other cities, which are well on the Vah river and to which the truly hope, confronting dehumanisation by fos- hands and soothing and strengthening has a model in critical thinking. We con- advanced already. “wandering river” Váh and its beneficial tering humanity, all against the domination embraces, these are the ways we wish to sider this a category that passes through location brought many influences and of disinformation, which we want to influ- explore, how not to lose illusions, visions, everything, it is a way of life, a method of 2022 – Shame cultural impulses in the imagination, even- ence by strengthening trustworthiness in the desire to create and shape oneself and approaching the world. It is associated with tually closed in on itself. We are reopening a space where anything can be doubted. the world. Hope does not come just for responsibility. That too may come. Shame to apply, be- Hlohovec with our project – as a training free, but rather hope is welcomed, praised cause we feel like we are small, we don’t ground, a creative laboratory, and a place We dare to do all this, because in small by activities, action, together on our com- We are looking for a way away from the have the disposition to compare ourselves of inspiration. towns, such big breaks can be achieved mon journey. formless amoeba of the flood of informa- with big cities. sooner, faster, cheaper, and perhaps the tion permeated by the relativisation of We do not perceive this project as a one- achievements will last longer. 3. Fostering Humanity vs. Dehumanisation values and irresponsibility from the dis- We are provincial people, and that is why off, but as a symbol of the continuous seminated “truths”. This orientation is only we close ourselves to the world, to ex- transformation of the town. That is why we And maybe not, but no one has tried it yet. This programme pillar responds to the possible through trust, through the oppor- ternal influences, but also to new trends have been creating it with a horizon of 10 gradual and progressive dehumanisa- tunity to lean back, rest for a while, calm and progress. Our protective shield is that years, and that is why it contains sustaina- We have built four basic programme pillars, tion. We want to emancipate humanity down. To begin believing in safety does not we pretend that we want to develop “our” ble and ongoing projects that will be open and we have gained 317 civic projects un- again with regard to the belief in the ir- mean sinking into a soft submission. We local “jewels” because they are essential to change and subject to verification, and replaceability and uniqueness of each of perceive trustworthiness as an important and important for maintaining tradition

14 15 and continuity. In fact, we’re just afraid that Our way will be action art, based on the 2027 – Concentration “Again, it will all be made into an attractive center of the urban re- we don’t have what it takes for more than process (after all, like our entire applica- 5/Describe the cultural up, all about marketing, gion in which, in addition to the innova- just that. Stuck in thinking – ““better not tion), on what is happening in space and The second half begins, we have gained strategy that is in place so that it looks good on tive industry, connecting history and the to do anything than do something again time. Participation, meeting, assembly, strength, spread our wings, gained expe- Facebook. Lots of question- future through culture and creative in- that will not be good enough, better not be and the creation of collective works. Art as rience, honed our skills. Now it’s time to dustry will increasingly play an important visible and ridiculed.” However, survival and a celebration and holiday that knows no focus. Meditation and mediation await us, in your city at the time of naires and meetings. And the role. We followed up on similar consider- continuity are necessarily associated with division into performers and spectators. self-esteem. Reflection, methodology. the application, including community centre is closed.” ations in the strategic documents adopt- change and progress. The festivities are not watched – the fes- ed before the corona crisis. However, the tivities are lived… Even spontaneously and 2028 – Cooperation the plans for sustaining welfare period at the time did not put so 2023 – Smallness passionately. The HCulture 2030 strategy which we much pressure on the implementation of The closed town became an open and co- the cultural activities prepared during 2020 and which is in the the recommended changes. On the oth- Smallness as inadequacy, incompetence, 2025 – Stubbornness operating town. Cooperation as a charac- finals of the legislative process at the er hand, the coronavirus pandemic in the or even exaggerated ambition. teristic feature of the programme and daily beyond the year of the town level, is part of a package of poli- first half of the year which sent a shock Uncompromisingness, stubbornness, but life. Intergenerational projects and projects cies and strategies that we have been wave through the certainties of every- We want to relativise the centralism in cul- also inflexibility, tenacity, and the ability to overcoming social exclusion and division title? systematically developing since 2015 in day social and economic life, helped us ture and art and rehabilitate the periphery. pursue one’s goal. await us. line with the standards of modern Euro- increase the interest of the public in the The paradox that we want to uncover in pean towns. debate how to better prepare for the ex- this programme line is to emphasize the We stubbornly pursue our goal of the cul- 2029 – Support pected new “coronaviruses.” importance of non-central or peripheral tural transformation of the town or the For us, strategic management is a tool areas and the periphery in the cultural-ar- transformation of the culture of the town. We can offer what we have learned where for transforming a town into a pleasant We we drafting the “cultural policy” of tistic process and development, and as We are stubborn and tenacious in fulfilling it is needed so that others can grow. town for living, a town with plenty of job the town and the region with prospects a small town we meet the ideal conditions our intentions. Cultural facilities and crea- Through art and culture, we will follow the opportunities, an innovative town the to 2030 in the team of experts (internal for this. And with us an additional 26 Euro- tive spaces are important components of path to an open society, drawing on our inhabitants of which are proud of. We experts from the strategy department, pean Hlohovec-like towns. We do not per- our development strategy. We are gradually experience of art in jeopardy in a country started with the Plan for the Hlohovec from the Municipal Research and Con- ceive the emphasis to be on the creative building a creative space out of Hlohovec, that has experienced a transition to de- Urban Region Development, followed sultation Center, members of the ECOC potency of peripheral, fringe areas as ideal- which has an important symbolic mean- mocracy, as well as a struggle to maintain by the Town Development Program until 2026 project preparation team). Howev- ized and utopian, but as necessary. ing, but above all, a functional one. It is not it – in cooperation with countries currently 2023, which was followed by ten other er, we engaged other parties via partici- enough to create a vibrant creative sector, undergoing such a process. partial but interconnected strategies, patory processes consisting of: From a shoddy and centre-dependent but it is an extremely necessary precondi- concepts and policies, for example the phenomenon, the periphery is changing tion. That is why we stubbornly create this 2030 – Dreaming schooling policy, the concept/plan of · individual and group meetings with into an equal and specific partner in both space and gradually fill it with people and urban region development, the pub- stakeholders representing arts, local culture and art, to which special attention content. Nothing ends here. We are merely at a van- lic space development policy (2016); politicians, seniors, young people needs to be paid. Egocentric attention to tage point high above the coast, these are the policy of inclusion of marginalized and creative, tourism and business the developmental processes within the 2026 – Hlohovec as a Dreamer, Bighead, the sails deployed for interplanetary flight, groups; the visual smog elimination pol- sectors; operation of the centres leads to a flat- Palalever4, Hlohovec as European Capital this is the new path to a new vision… Al- icy (2017), the community plan for social · a questionnaire survey for the gener- tening and deformation of the balance of of Culture ready as a result of the work of the Small services (2018); the public space design al public; forces and influence in culture and art. The Towns Institute. manual (2019); the plan for working with · individual meetings with representa- key moment for our candidacy is the fact of Maybe a lunatic, a man with unreal ideas, children and young people, the sports tives of all municipalities in the urban the historical variability of the peripheries – but also a man who can fulfil his dreams. development policy, the strategy for region. what is the periphery today could be the Answer to Michal: the development of culture HCulture centre in 2026. This year will be unique in our strategy, but “Yes, it will be great 2030 (2020); and the housing policy and The questionnaire survey which was not because it is the only and main goal cycling strategy for the town and the followed by a questionnaire focused on 2024 – Spontaneity of the whole project. It will be the turning if we could do it this region are in the pipeline (2021). the work with children and youth, has point, the peak of the Aristotle arc of dra- way. However, any part of the brought the following findings: Uncontrollability, savagery, but also natu- ma, from which there is no return. The pre- whole project that is imple- HCulture 2030 ralness, spontaneity, enthusiasm. paratory steps are behind us; Hlohovec is mented would be valuable, · a positive evaluation of cultural full of inspiration, interweaving of projects, Hlohovec as the center of a region with awareness prevails; The locals do not trust us, for others we meetings of people, unions, disciplines, since it will help change the almost 50,000 inhabitants lies in a rich · more than a third of the respondents are the competition. The spontaneity and and procedures. It is not a spectacular culture of the town. And can Central European region with high con- have enough opportunities for their enthusiasm with which we approach the meeting, but a meeting of multi-layered we do it? We will talk about centration of industry and educated cultural activities, about 53% do not; ECOC is what evokes feelings in people, dialogues, it is a fermentum, it is the capacities in the following population. However, direct competition · respondents aged 61–74 (three quar- whatever they may be. The path to them is fulfilment of the old name of the town – with the surrounding larger centers also ters) and 18–30 years (two thirds) creative and artistic freedom and passion Frastak, Freistadt, Free City on Vah river. chapters.” limits development opportunities. To- report the most about the lack of that has both heart and soul. Free space of creation and inspiration. gether with our history, these limits have cultural events; become the basis for reflection on the · almost two thirds prefer to seek cul- transformation of a monofunctional town tural activities outside Hlohovec; 4 According to Bohumil Hrabal’s (famous czech writer) Pábité/Palalevers.

16 17 · half of the respondents think that 5. There must be diversity of culture The Impact of the implementation of 3. Promoting innovation connecting the economic and social there is lack of cultural facilities in and of its stakeholders, which must the HCulture 2030 Strategy The cultural and creative industries 6/Describe the aspects with the creative ecosystem into Hlohovec; not, however, mean relegating qual- support innovation in various areas. a new tool for coping with the issues we · almost two thirds believe that there ity to a secondary place. The evaluation of the implementation of Perhaps this is most seen in infor- city’s plans to strengthen expect will soon arrive. is lack of events in Hlohovec for their 6. The support should be effective the culture development strategy will be mation and communication technol- age group; and transparent. carried out at least once every four years ogies. In our strategy, we see room the capacity of the · about 40% believe that the events 7. Economical use should be made of and will be part of the communication for strengthening the role of the cul- cultural and creative in Hlohovec are of good quality, 34% public resources, and there should to the City Council. The areas, in which tural sector in supporting innovation, It all starts with children. Our flagship think the opposite; be an increase in the volume of for- the impact of the implementation of the investments and regional economic sectors, including through Childhood Institute will not only mean · 36% of respondents evaluate the eign, private, and cultural resourc- “cultural policy” of the urban region inthe development. the development of the generation diversity of events positively, 44% es. mid–term should manifest themselves, 4. Education and democracy the development of long– from 0 to 11 years of age, but above all negatively. 8. Partnership and dialogue are need- are as follows (the long–term cultur- With our strategy, we emphasize the the creation of a system of education ed as a tool for removing barriers al, economic and social impact of the importance of culture and the arts term links between these and competences for teachers who will In addition, the specific survey among and for long–term cooperation. ECOC 2026 project itself are described for the positive, democratic, and organize and implement the programme children and young people (primary and 9. Political neutrality of support is in question 8, and the specific tools for a European, value–based develop- sectors and the economic itself through this institute. secondary schools) showed that in this a guarantee for the diversity and monitoring and measuring the results ment of society. Through it, we also age group: heterogeneity of cultural expres- are described in question 9): open up to multi–regional, national and social sectors in your In selected schools, we will introduce sion. and pan–European cooperation and a subject called Arts Entrepreneurship – · more than a third of the respondents 10. There should be support for a com- 1. Quality of life to mutual enrichment via experienc- city. based on a strategic document from have enough opportunities for their bination of “big” and “small” actors. The availability of high–quality and es, contacts and know–how. the Ministry of Culture. This subject will cultural activities, about 53% do not; 11. Culture should be open to foreign diverse cultural offerings increase 5. Reflecting on and supporting the create a space for education and training · 55% prefer to seek cultural activities experience. the quality of life of the inhabitants search for the meaning of life for those who want to work in the creative outside Hlohovec, 26.5% do not; of the towns. Currently, only half of Culture is a tool for reflecting on the “We should be industry, art or event management. We · 59% wish for more cultural opportu- Pillars of the HCulture2030 strategy the town’s population believes that accelerating social development and connecting everything. speak mainly about the local School of nities for young people, 14% do not; the cultural offerings are good, and growing contradictions in the global Well, it does not make Applied Arts and Design, the Elementary · 27% believe that there are enough (The partial goals of the individual pillars so there is much room for improve- world. sense to me. How would Arts School, and the Grammar School. cultural facilities in Hlohovec, 39% and their connection to the ECOC 2026 ment. 6. Mental health we connect factories with The partnership with the Academy of that there is not; project are described in question 7.) 2. Maintaining and creating employ- Life today is demanding, strenuous, Performing Arts in Bratislava will help us · one third wish for a Youth Club, 41.5% ment and full of stress, and our soul needs the Castle? Factories last to prepare a syllabus for the programme. not. The cultural and creative industries care. We not only perceive culture supported culture here twenty This programme will be our source for are generators of investments and as a challenge, but it also makes us years ago. I wonder how we leaders in the creative industry and arts The discussion highlighted the need to jobs. happy since it contributes to mental can handle it, or if at all.” for the next 10 years. take measures to better prepare the cit- relaxation. ies and towns of the region for expected Institute of Innovative Development – in trends and changes. It turned out that Based on the cultural profile of the town it cooperation with the Faculty of Electrical culture is perceived – in the broadest is clear that we have a sufficient number Engineering and Informatics of the Slovak Stability, quality of life, sustainable The Hlohovec Cooperation in the “Each of the Pillar sense of the word – as a potential “sec- development of the region Cultural Region region town’s previous of active communities and people for the University of Technology in Bratislava, ond leg” of sustainable development – The region, especially the towns of size of a small town or urban region. But we will create a kind of MIT of small given the history of the area and the Hlohovec and Leopoldov, is primari- public policies they are all fragmented and oriented to towns focused on connecting topics nature potential. ly perceived as industrial. The devel- has brought specific the individual needs of one’s own self– that will be most in demand with respect opment strategy of the urban region implies the need not only to adapt improvements to the lives realization, and not to creating conditions to employment in 2025––2030. We will Based on the SWOT analysis, we sub- industry to new conditions (inno- for self–realization. And thus, they are prepare voucher calls for proposals from vation, research, development ...), Establish the nation- of its inhabitants. There is sequently defined the principles of the Win over audi- without the possibility of interconnection, local companies for innovators from but also to pay increased attention al and international ences for the HCulture 2030 strategy: to supporting the specific features significance of the no reason why the strategy not only among each other but also all over Slovakia. AI, 5G, virtual reality, Strategic goal Hlohovec region of the region. Given the location, region should be any different.” between sectors. Moreover, we are robotics, IoT, and additive manufacturing history, and also the conditions 1. The bearers of culture are those (viticulture), there is an opportunity a homogeneous community that is will be the themes that will be subject to who make it. to develop services and culture in looking inside itself (we have only two the content of the creation of the syllabus relation to the specific nature of the foreign activities, almost no minorities, no 2. Promoting culture, creativity and region. The professionalization of for teachers upgrading programmes so innovation is one of the crucial the entire cultural sector and the significant escalations of social issues). that they can work on current topics in tasks of cities and municipalities in expansion of traditional culture with This community has not been forced to their teaching processes. This project modern elements are prerequisites. the region. think about what will come and what will will create a link between companies and Improve significantly Respect for and promotion of free- Provide an an- happen and how to grasp it. However, 3. cooperation in the those interested in upgrading their skills To create and establish an interna- chor for culture dom in culture are important. region, and strength- the 4Ds we define – Destabilization, in these fields. The relationship between Vision tionally recognized cultural desti- and the creative en the sense of co– 4. The main criterion for obtaining nation industries in the Demotivation, Dehumanization and the industrial sector and the creative ownership and joint region public support must be quality and management Disinformation – show us what to focus environment will be a partnership, not originality. on and what to do in order to make that of supplier–customer. In addition, it

18 19 will become the centre for programming living destination that you do not have industry to new conditions (innovation, Pillar II. Pillar III. the BELLA HC project in cooperation to physically visit; however, it can be a 7/How is the European research, development, etc.), but also to with suppliers. It will be a place where space for creative activities, meeting pay increased attention to the support of The Hlohovec Cultural Region Cooperation in the region programmers, testers, graphic analysts people and artists, to which you can Capital of Culture action the specific features of the region. Given and also traders or artists whose spaces always return. It will bring the possibility the location, history, and also the local Strategic goal: Win over audiences for Strategic goal: To establish the national will be part of BELLA HC will coexist of connection not via Skype, Zoom or included in this strategy? conditions (viticulture), the development the Hlohovec region and international significance of the and share, create with each other. MS Teams, but via Hlohovec, through the of services and culture in relation to the region Here they can learn and work on a new town as the first and only point that will specific nature of the region becomes Vision: To anchor culture and creative revolutionary platform for art and tourism. be the same and unique for everyone. an opportunity. The professionalization industries in the region Vision: To improve, significantly, “It all seems to me to be of the entire cultural sector and the cooperation in the region, strengthen MILLTECH PARK represents our effort The Erdödy Club will be an organization well thought out so that expansion of traditional culture with Goals the sense of co–ownership and shared to create an attractive space for the that will connect the Corporate Social modern elements are prerequisites. management connection of art, history, and science Responsibility (CSR) of large and it fits together. It is not 1. Expand the offerings of events, into one structure, the aim of which medium–sized companies with the just like designing one artis- Vision: To create and establish an culture for all. Goals will be to transfer popular science cultural events of the town . It will be a tic year, as a one–time event. internationally recognized cultural 2. Define the cultural highlights of the knowledge among all generations of partner in creating CSR strategies for We are a small town here, and destination region. 1. Establish network institutions and visitors to Hlohovec. It will not only be companies in the region. CSR plans will 3. Better working conditions for regional management (Association). Technopark, but it will also be a place for be interconnected through offers of everything can be done here Goals cultural and creative people. 2. Link projects with a regional an unconventional point in the region’s individual categories of programmes – if one has the right contacts. 4. Education focused on specifics. cultural program. tourism where we will be able to explore education, experience, and use of art. That is, if one has got them…” 1. Creation of a “passport” for the 5. Communication and work with the 3. Promote international exchanges the future through art and history with a These programmes will be directed to town’s cultural infrastructure. public. and partnerships (deepen the old scientific touch. the employees of companies that will use 2. Modernizing the existing 6. ECOC. ones and acquire new ones). these offers in connection with the HC infrastructure in the region. 7. Art virtualization. 4. Strengthen the sense of belonging Venues for events and conferences will Card, where it will be possible to obtain The HCulture 2030 strategy is part of 3. Adding missing elements to the to the region and restore a common be offered in a new conference centre benefits for visiting the programme. The a package of policies and strategies that infrastructure network. In this strategic pillar, there will be identity. focused on conference tourism. This plan Erdödy Club will also manage a grant fund we have been systematically developing 4. Upgrading current public spaces overlaps mainly in the ECOC program will be implemented by private investors, to support the arts, financed primarily since 2015 in line with the standards of and create new ones. pillar Fostering Humanity in its The project Material (the flagship of and its content will also include in part from the tax allocation of companies a modern town in the European Union. It 5. Establishing flexible management flagship – Childhood Institute, where we the Fostering Humanity pillar) will activities related to the ECOC title. and their employees or crowdfunding began with the Development Plan for the of culture and of a space for will develop the skills of children aged create the main space for increasing combined with fund matching from public Hlohovec Urban Region, followed by the learning in the area of culture 0–11 and, at the same time, the skills the sense of belonging to the region The flagship project ofHaCropolis sources. Town Development Program for management. of the teachers themselves. Another through the sharing of products and will offer a combined space for the 8 years until 2023, which was 6. Creating a model for the flagship of the same pillar of RE.ED.AA works of art made from materials with implementation of events and internship We will work with the town’s largest followed by a dozen other partial, but sustainable financing of will develop the possibilities of using art a local theme and of the local origin. programmes, creative stays or exhibitions communities – children and pensioners interconnected strategies, concepts and infrastructure. to include juvenile delinquents and adult In the project Castpod (the flagship and installations. Its spaces will remain – in a the long–term as part of the policies. The ECOC project has become prisoners in society after their return of the Trustworthiness pillar) we will available for SMALL TOWNS INSTITUTE Unused Generation project in which the an integral part of the cultural policy In this strategic pillar, we will mainly from prison. As part of the virtualization deal with the issue of sound in the local projects after the end of the term of the experiences of those who have already which was also prepared by people from use the projects of the program pillar of art, the flagship of theHope pillar – environment and its perception by the ECOC title. lived their productive part of life are the team that has drafted the ECOC Safe Environment and the HaCropolis the BELLA HC project will be the inhabitants of the region. International transferred to children and young people application. and Terra Vagus flagship projects. In gateway not only to the town but also to cooperation will be ensured by the ECOC The SMALL TOWNS INSTITUTE will be through art and creative activities. The ECOC fulfills the objectives of the the pillar Hope, it will be the MILLTECH the virtual creation of the town or virtual itself and the Small Towns Coalition as a successor organization of the SMALL cultural policy in the following items flagship, and in the pillarFostering outputs of individual artists even after part of which the exchanges of local TOWNS COALITION. Its aim will be to map (we list all the sections to make it clear Humanity it will mainly be the program the ECOC 2026 title year. All conditions artists and productions between cities and influence trends in the development “One of the most iconic in which areas of the strategy it is also for drafting a syllabus for the educational and processes should be improved will strengthen the sense of belonging to of small towns through culture and art. theater festivals in Slo- being fulfilled through the ECOC project): program Entrepreneurship in ARTS, through common learning during the the town and the region. Its main activity will be to organize and created in cooperation with the ECOC 2026 preparation process and at implement exchange, education and vakia is called Touches Academy of Performing Arts. the same time during the exchanges that research projects in the field of small– and Connections (Dotyky a spo- Pillar I. will take place as part of the flagship town development. jenia). And we also wish to cre- program the SMALL TOWNS COALITION, “All the world’s con- ate strong and mutually enrich- Stability, quality of life, sustainable in the pillar Safe Environment. tacts are useless if you BELLA HC as our flagship will become ing connections through the development of the region don’t have a strategy a milestone in creative industry and in virtual and real tourism. Perhaps we will touches of the world of culture Strategic goal: The region, especially and a plan. You have nothing be the first to connect the reality of the and art with the world of eco- the towns of Hlohovec and Leopoldov, to use them for meaningfully.” whole town with a virtual dimension. nomic and social partners.” is primarily perceived as industrial. The It will be a space where we will learn development strategy of the urban how to promote Hlohovec as a virtual region implies the need not only to adapt

20 21 We anticipate greater interest in can sell their physical produce as well a source of learning and know–how for The successor organization, the Small 8/If your city is awarded participating in mainly international but as virtual tickets to their events through 9/Briefly outline the all towns involved in the Small Towns Towns Institute, which will focus on the also community projects which, thanks virtual tourism (such as the artistic Coalition. implementation of changes in small the title of European to foreign links, will be updated and “Netflix”). It is creation, maintenance and plans for monitoring and towns, will continue to operate after upgraded by each other. content that will be the driving forces The outputs will be transparent and the end of the Small Towns Coalition Capital of Culture, what behind the complete change of a small evaluation. in accordance with the KPIs of the programme. do you think would be the Social Impact town in the middle of everything. town’s cultural strategy and the KPI of “It is said that over the ECOC set out in the recommendation We are strengthening the type of com- As an unrecognized tourist centre of the of the European Commission. “As a classic Slovak long–term cultural, social 100,000 visitors should munity that will say to itself – “yes, I live region, we will awaken our attractiveness Open feedback will be part of the saying goes: You can- well here, I want my children to grow up and, in combination with the newly built come to visit us in that project’s implementation in the coming and economic impact not substitute num- here, I want to grow old here, I want to infrastructure (HaCropolis, MILLTECH year. That’s a decent number, years, even though it may be misused bers for bread? However, the on the city (including learn and teach others here”. Already PARK), we will be able to complement but will it improve the life in by politicians and their heavy criticism today, the Hlohovec brand evokes pos- the economic focal points of our region of the project. It is our experience with benchmarking data will clearly the town?” in terms of urban itive emotions such as “you do it well in with yet another – tourism and a creative the public evaluation of the project that show how the town life im- Hlohovec”. Holding the ECOC title would industry. So that the expected changes is important for other towns in the STC, proves through culture.” development)? extend this social effect of pride in peo- would affect our region in the smooth- as well as for public awareness as the ple for the Made in HC brand. est possible rhythm and prepare us at We will build the system of monitoring project will progress. The outputs will “I’m sorry, but I can’t least partially for the coming economic and evaluation of the development of also be presented during the HiCon Furthermore, we will enhance the club changes. small towns through culture based conference, which is a flagship in the imagine this at all. There and community activity, and care not on the many years of experience Trustworthiness pillar. will be more tourists, only for the environment and its enter- The most lasting impact will be the fact and methodology of the project of I guess, which is not such tainment but also for the environment in that we will anchor ourselves on the map benchmarking Slovak towns of the a big deal and perhaps there which it operates, ecology and indirectly of Europe as a town from which other KOM – the Municipal Research and the economy of the whole region and of small towns have learned to improve life Advisory Centre. Subsequently, we will will be more art, but I really all towns in the Small Towns Coalition in functional urban regions through the develop the structure of the criteria for Areas for Output Monitoring have no clue if it will have an through benchmarks that will create and cultural and creative industries. comparison as well as the processes impact on the economy. After by means of a know–how that we will of data collection and evaluation in Economic Readiness: Social Readiness: Cultural Readiness: share. the framework of the Small Towns The implementation of artistic all, we have always subsidized The state of revenue The status of cross community activities in the educational Coalition.5 Benchmarking will be based generated by tourism projects “The cultural and system culture, and we have always Economic Impact on the already available knowledge and creative industries The state of revenue been looking for sponsors.” previous experience of other small towns The state of the feeling of be- generated by creative The state of social inclusion longing to the city/urban region Among the OECD countries, the Slovak account for almost with holding the ECOC (Bad Ischl, Esch, industry labour market is the most endangered 4% of GDP in the EU. Even in Matera, Elefsina) title. Based on this, the The state of conditions created The status of employment in The involvement of local people Cultural Impact by automation – by 2030, machines STC will be able to create a traffic light for the implementation of the case of Hlohovec, we are tourism in participatory processes could replace 43% of all jobs in system for the implementation of the artistic activities already talking about millions The state of conditions created The project will bring a new level of Slovakia. Of course, we cannot replace ECOC objectives. The number of moving The status of employment in in order to foster cooperation of euros.” inhabitants from the town education in the field of art management all the jobs we’d lose in the event of the tourism between businesses and the outside the district and will enhance the impact of art on the closure of the economic cycle in our This situation will be monitored every creative industry education of the new generation thanks territory, but we can create new ones. 9 months during the preparations for The state of start–ups in the The status of attendance of to the Childhood Institute. It will affect We expect a wave of small start–ups the ECOC title, during the ECOC and town in the field of tourism The number of new residents cultural activities by visitors and creative industries from outside the district the generation that will influence artistic which will be established on the basis after the ECOC. Audits will be performed creation in the town and the region, and of our programme of the Institute of using the methodology of the Small The status of support mechanisms for the The number of inter–district The status of international not only there; also in all the small towns Innovative Education, which will also Towns Coalition resulting in the reports implementation of revenue social activities cultural activities of the Small Towns Coalition –– through create a space where unemployed on the status of implementation as well in tourism and the creative industry exchanges and joint Leaders 2 Leaders people will be able to upgrade their as recommendations for the upgrade programmes. Thanks to the new spaces work skills to newer ones that are more or update of activities. Each audit will The involvement of citizens in the creation of public spaces and programmes, we expect an increase applicable for the time. be virtually transmitted to all interested in the percentage of the population parties and will subsequently serve as organizing cultural activities and events, The BELLA HC project will become an similar to the HaCropolis programme, example for other towns of how to be which will provide comprehensive accessible and how to create space for spaces for leisure time activities in an non–tourists who want to enjoy art in 5 KOM has been implementing a benchmarking project for Slovak cities since 2004 (https://www.komunal.eu/sk/projekty/benchmarking). In the field of culture, it com- pares the following parameters:, 1 The number of cultural events organized or co-organized by the city. 2 The number of permanent seats in cultural facilities financed by environment that will allow them to different parts of the town. It is BELLA the city per 1,000 inhabitants. 3 Attendance of stationary cultural facilities (the number of visitors / the number of events). 4 The share of expenditures on culture in the create and produce. HC that will be put in place to expand city budget and organizations established by the city compared to total expenditure. 5 The expenditure on culture per capita. 6 The proportion of expenditure on culture in total current expenditure. 7 The proportion of expenditure on restoration and conservation of national cultural monuments (registered in the Central Register of the business in local communities, which Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic, ÚZPF SR)) to total expenditures. 8 The proportion of expenditure on restoration and conservation of monuments and historical sights not listed in the Central Monuments Register to the total expenditures.

22 23 “The year 2026 is too Destabilization The year 2026 will be a year when in 11/Give a general Safe Environment 10/What is the artistic far away, so far away Hlohovec and in the whole area of Safe Environment vision and strategy for that no one knows what Terra Vagus more than five years of overview of the vs. Destabilization ongoing processes and activities that Demotivation will happen then. We should were gradually building that audacity the cultural programme Hope structure of your Terra Vagus probably approach this with to apply for the European Capital of of the year? a claim “When it comes, it Culture – Hlohovec will be completed: Dehumanization cultural programme, Small-Towns Coalition (STC) comes.” Such long-term plans a time which will equip actors and Fostering Humanity HaCropolis perceivers with the knowledge that it will including the range are only unnecessary day- be possible, that something is going on, Disinformation dreams.” and diversity of the that change is coming. Uttered together Trustworthiness Hope with Aristoteles, we are at the peak of the drama, at the top of the wave, at activities/main events vs. Demotivation Wag yourself, Dreamer! the very centre of the change. It is the Art as a process of change and that will mark the year. crisis from which new mishaps open the a means of opening, animating, BELLA HC For us, the year 2026 is symbolized doors to new chambers and halls where anddocumenting social problems is by the figure of an “palaverer”, the we enter purified, with refreshed energy. a basic principle of our art scheme. This MillTec Park bighead, the dreamer. Hlohovec – the principle is an imaginary outrigger/lever RE.ED.AA (Reeducation Dreamer embarks on things, with healthy The year 2026 is a milestone, a signpost, beam of the dreamer to balance over the “Someone once told Artistic Action) audacity, that may be too much for him/ a gate to which we have arrived and abyss. Therefore, artists, art institutions, it in the eyes of many, but he/it knows through which we pass with joy and ensembles and activities will be me that great artists that they are necessary, knowing that daring audacity. For us, the year 2026 strongly directed towards connecting come and go, and then Fostering Humanity the goal is possible to achieve. Hlohovec represents the reinforcement of a vault with education, with marginalized what is there to remain here? 2026 offers to experience, in the small which we have been built for ten years, groups. In our program, we want artistic Nothing, only those that are vs. Dehumanization town, in the community of twenty- it is an imaginary tip of the iceberg, the activity, works of art to stimulate the local and that matter, and we seven small towns of Europe, something pinnacle of development through the desire to be there and experience the I.I.D. (Institute of Innovative unexpected but not “worn-out” and cultivation of commonness. It will be ongoing changes, the desire to use should focus on those in the Development) provincial, or provincially shabby, rather a year that will turn into a myth living in the positive currents and stimuli of programme. As for the others, Childhood Institute something boldly experimenting. the minds of not only Hlohovecians and upcoming changes, to be active and it doesn’t matter, they won’t stay there for a long time. to participate in them. We wish that art Forum Material Our vision of the European Capital of projects are built with an emphasis on stay here anyway. “ Culture 2026 – Hlohovec is based on With its audacity, Hlohovec 2026 – critical thinking, on skills that deepen a bighead-like attempt to take position Hlohovec the Dreamer, leads us on the humaneness, humanity, and solidarity. The entire HC 2026 program is closely Trustworthiness at the centre of the European cultural rope, through an unknown deep gorge. We wish artists to be explorers, linked to our community of Small and artistic public, to squeeze under the For us, this solid rope is four basic discoverers, entering the uncertain Towns Coalition, which has been vs. Disinformation microscope of the European interest, to areas of interest, four response areas waters of the future as a vanguard. being built since 2020. It will be the place on the Petri dish the most internal to the four threats we have identified: City of Hlohovec and the whole Terra DISfest (dysfunctional foundations of the European social and destabilization, demotivation, Vagus that will become a test field for topics in documentaries) cultural background, the civil society of dehumanization, and disinformation. changes about which we know almost HiCon (conference of STC) our neighbourhood, our interpersonal These are threats that can irreversibly “No one believed nothing today. With the courage of the relations and personal desires. We wish break our society as we know it and as 6 years ago, how the star carriers, we have identified four CastPod (experimental sound events) to move consistently on the edge of we love it: We respond to these 4Ds by town con be changed key threats to the world as we live it the countryside and the city, on the targeting a safe environment, creating in 6 years. Today, no one today: Destabilization, Demotivation, edge of nature, represented by the hope, fostering humanity, and all- Dehumanization, Disinformation – 4Ds. stream of the “wandering” river Váh, encompassing trustworthiness that remembers how it looked like and the environment formed by people leans against critical thinking. These back than. The coping of with this potential, for generations, on the edge between dynamics of pair antagonistic terms And today we are formulating expected processes represents the main art and education. As in a polygon defines our basic project areas: new visions.” ropes from which we wish to weave transparent from all sides, in Hlohovec a safe hammock, in which it is possible we can try to verify, in a visible and less to collect strength for everything that costly way, the bold and crazy ideas and may await us and certainly will not dreams, and animate the upcoming pass us by. These safety zones are the social situation the context of which above-mentioned pillars for us: A Safe we still have little idea about. Environment, Hope, Fostering Humanity and Trustworthiness. With its activities, the HC Year will submit the

24 25 first visible report about our journeys, voice of the group, identify themselves, international projects for local creators Four areas of interest, four areas of challenges – digitization, new forms Project Partners There are currently 26 our searches, about the quality of find each other, in a unique sequence and activists). response to 4Ds of mobility, growing importance of the EU towns plus 2 non-EU cities with the this weaving entanglement. It is not of events, in changing spaces and local economy also in connection to STC membership. just about the ropes – the arteries times, and confirm themselves in the As we have already stated above, we new technologies and human behaviour, themselves, but these main arteries interaction of the established ones consistently design our project as 1/Safe Environment addressing climate change but also Sponsor: Municipal Research and branch out into safely embracing nets and those that are just establishing sustainable, for example, we build on vs. Destabilization stabilizing security in the regions and Advisory Centre, INREGU Institute Paris. woven from threads, fibres, capillaries. themselves. Numerous dialogues are and develop the existing and traditional preserving the democratic functioning imprinted in the artefacts of our real activities, we develop local spaces for Our dreamer faces the process of of small communities. Through STC, the Other principles of the Hlohovec 2026 world, and the matrix and the stamp are local people (Castle Theatre, Biennial destabilization, uncertainty, and process of preparing for the challenges programme structure then various materials (Forum Material Papier, CastPod – the audio festival unveiling of our known world by defining defined in the Small Towns Manifesto Example of a project in the location project). In our project, these are mainly of experiments), Body as a visual and creating a safe environment. will take place. axis: Our project is fragmented, lively and materials deeply connected with our language, HaCropolis – Living Castle, A safe environment is the first line connected. It is most manifested in town, our space and tradition – paper, MillTec Park). We design also new of defence, but it will not be a cage, Content of the Project: The creation HaCropolis the sequence of events (festivals, ceramics, wine, hawthorn flowers or original activities as long-term and a fence, a prison, an upholstered of a coalition of 27 small towns – 27 workshops, symposiums, works of art, data sets or the human body or sound gradually progressing activities that room. It will be a living agar, a garden, European Hlohovec-like towns will, in Aim: The HaCropolis project (Acropolis social and cultural public happenings – in its various forms (Paper Biennial, are inspiring, modelling and projecting nutritious pasture, a rehearsal space, addition to an easy-to-grasp exchange Hlohovec) is to functionally connect the pilgrimages, marches, events, meetings). Ceramics Open, CastPod (a festival of themselves to the future, (Small Towns a workshop of change. Environmental of member towns’ artistic productions, ongoing comprehensive reconstruction It will revive places (traditional, forgotten, audio experiments), Body as a Visual Institute, DISfest – dysfunctional topics safety is provided by orientation signs, share the know-how and create tools to of the Hlohovec Castle and the entire current, special, real, mental, and virtual) Language). Masters of their disciplines in film documentaries), Mirroring, lighthouses, milestones. These, for us, cope with expected changes to which castle area with preparations for an and until now unsensed interspaces (experts and experimenters) manage to HiCon – Davos of small towns). are time (regular activities), physical culture and creative industries can unforeseen future. We do not want the (projects “The Routes”, “Lego Robotic”, find and complete unique statements space (we open new places, spaces, respond. All solutions will be primarily castle only as a museum preserving BELLA HC) and interferences. of artifacts in the materials and in our Due to the specific nature of we cultivate the existing ones – for linked to specific projects both in the history but rather a castle that would be understanding, also the masters of Hlohovec and its cultural and artistic example, the projects Terra Vagus, preparatory period and during the ECOC a living cultural and educational centre. The project restructures the timeline daydreaming (children, lunatics, and infrastructure, for a significant part HaCropolis – Living Castle, MillTec, year in Hlohovec and in the member again (consolidates traditional items in fantasists) and masters of unusual of the project we will open a unique, Routes) and established forms and towns. We will offer a methodology example the calendar, places new programme and unexpected connections and nature-friendly and temporary ad-hoc structures (conferences, symposiums, of how approach cultural space in items). By means of HC 2026, new perspectives (seniors, people with space – PUNK NOMAD in the space festivals, residences, such as DISfest – The long-term outputs of the STC a small town in the 21st century. The groups of users, creators, consumers, specific needs, laymen and amateurs, of the natural cultural district Terra International Documentary Film Festival are realistically implemented cultural aim is to connect the historical context and collaborators are given fresh do-it-yourselves and enthusiasts). Our Vagus, the waterfront of the river Váh. on Borders, Boundaries and Breaking projects of change in the subject areas. with the vision of the future. The whole space, and new and innovated actors programme will enable various meetings In connection with this, the activities Points, The Paper Biennial). These best practices will be shared with “castle hill” will be transformed into in creative dialogues are also taking the and presentations of various forms for large, numerous audiences will one another within a common network a unique multi-layered cultural and floor. of mastery (symposiums, internships, be focused on open air opportunities We are building a space in which people of towns and presented once a year at social Acropolis. We offer a functional creative workshops, masterclasses, (May – September) which will strengthen can freely create, where no one will put HiCon – Little Davos of small towns in project of long-term working synergies Dialogue, which was the key moment art residencies and meetings of artists the bond to the unique natural them down, where they will be heard. Hlohovec. of a number of separate projects and in the change of our society in 1989, in unusual environments – schools, character of our countryside and to our Freedom in free space. You can take institutions that cooperate, coexist is also a core principle of our project. workshops, hospitals, prisons, traditions - horticulture and flowers, risks, you don’t have to worry if you Another output of the STC will be the not only in space but also in joint It is a dialogue that is close (in educational institutions). water games and sports, soft tourism, make a mistake, we welcome mistakes. monitoring of the state of preparedness activities. We wish to show the power a small space), personal (we all know multigenerational tourism – The Routes. of the town for the ECOC during the of cooperation and openness. In each other here, everyone sees into The cultural and artistic project brings years, as described in question 9. Under our vision, the hill with the castle has everyone’s yard), intense (in unexpected space in its individual items for events the STC umbrella, a legacy organisation the ambition to become a long-term teams), a dialogue across time (traditions of wide international involvement Examples of major projects “The Small Towns Institute” will be generator of other cultural and artistic meet risky experiments, children meet (international festivals, symposiums, (Flagship projects) established the mission of which will activities. renowned artists, prisoners with free- the creation of new institutions) through be to create, implement and share the spirited innovators, artists meet across events of national importance (festivals, Small towns coalition (STC) know-how linked to the development of Content of the Project: The unique forms and genres, across languages unique art events, educational projects, small towns within the whole of the EU. landmark of the town of Hlohovec, and cultures). Via our project we offer inspirational institutions, MillTec Park, Aim: We wish that the Small Towns the Erdödy’s Castle, which had been a network, a web, a breeding ground for Childhood Institute, conferences and Coalition (STC), an association of 27 Target groups: Experts in the field of long-neglected and devastated by dialogues which send our project along meetings) to a diverse constellation, small European towns, will prepare community development, leaders of the communist regime, is undergoing the vertical of time from the times long a dense network of capillaries of local together, under the ECOC 2026 Hlohovec local governments in participatory a generous reconstruction. Already past to an unsuspected future, through neighbourhood activities (feasts, heading, for a future in which even small processes, public artists, amateur local today, in addition to the traditional the horizons of the landscape and the carnivals, pilgrimages). Therefore, we towns would remain a good place to ensembles and artists, economic, social, exposition of national history and flow of the river Váh, through bubbles of place great emphasis on overlaps and live. We want to make use of the fact and environmental activists. geography (also with the use of groups, tribes and cultures. connections (artist with prison inmates, that it may be not only easier to deal augmented reality), it offers spaces for creative intern at a community event in with various “viruses” but they will also Scope: long-term international, national, the town gallery – an exhibition hall In these dialogues, the groups the local community, the possibility of be an ideal space to connect housing and local projects. (Kunsthalle), and representative training continuously renew their common and work as part of new technological

26 27 and conference spaces and open air of individual interest groups, artists and in activities, actions, that are carried stone which will arrive at your home Developing a human being via skill teaching. An important subject of the cultural area in the courtyard. creative people of various disciplines out together on our common path printed on a 3D printer as your work of enhancement leads to mastery. In our Institute’s activities will also be the (theatre, dancers, artists, musicians), (Childhood Institute project). art. program, we identify new masters of educating of an active spectator, listener, Through the HaCropolis project, other teachers, ecologists, urban planners new skills. Old fans of routine cannot reader, performer and critic (animation sites of the large area – the Castle and architects, landscape architects, You will be able to experience what be our new masters, our new masters and reflection of artistic activities – park, the stables, the riding hall, the gardeners, social and community you would never experience otherwise, will be children, lunatics and fantasizers, festivals, events). The Institute will be an gardeners’ house, the terraces and workers, residents, interns, children, Examples of flagship projects come where you could not, meet who experimenters, interested experts, independent workplace of the tertiary greenhouses, the Empire Theatre and youngsters, pensioners. you are waiting for. And it doesn’t matter pensioners, laymen and amateurs. Their sphere cooperating with academic also the Reeducation Centre, will be Bella HC whether in the virtual world or int the meetings will create new situations for workplaces, and thus will contribute to reconstructed according to the long- Scope: long-term international, national, real European Capital of Culture. sharing new paths (Childhood Institute, the strengthening of the educational term investment plan contained in the and local projects. Aim: We will make Hlohovec accessible DISfest, the European Amateur Theatre image of Hlohovec and its surroundings. town development strategy. to all audiences and visitors, regardless Scope: international project, Workshop). Project Partners Small Towns Coalition, of when they wish to visit the ECOC intercontinental project. Scope: Regional project with The HaCropolis project addresses the Town of Hlohovec, Museum of Natural 2026 in Hlohovec. We will create a tool subsequent national and international multidimensional use of the entire area. History and Geography, Municipal to prevent the situations occur like those Target group: artists in the field of AI, multiple effect. Already in the preparatory phases, we Cultural Centre, schools, and the caused by the COVID-19 pandemic today graphics, virtual environment, ECOC Examples of flagship projects are to hold an international workshop Childhood Institute. and, at the same time, we will enable visitors, tourists, entrepreneurs and Target group: children up to 10 of urban planners from 27 countries to art to smoothly run its intentions in the investors in the field of creative industry. Childhood Institute years; kindergarten and primary generate ideas for not only historic but Sponsor: Trans Europe Halles (Finland: town and with audiences. school teachers, teachers of leisure- also contemporary use of the entire Cable Factory/Kaapelitehdas Helsinki), Sponsor: Creative Pro Group. Aim: The aim is to implement art time centers, teachers who prepare space that would be overlapping various Antena, Nová síť. Content of the Project: Imagine you education and art education more future teachers; pedagogy students; functionalities. At the same time, civic are in a computer game. You meet effectively in the learning process in artists with experience in artistic and projects that emerged from a call for characters, visit rooms, walk down the the town. Through this institute, we pedagogical tutoring; lecturers, special submission of projects will be involved in street. Those characters are avatars of 3/Fostering Humanity also wish to create a professional or therapeutic teachers, parents. individual phases. 2/Hope vs. Demotivation the ECOC 2026 visitors, you also have vs. Dehumanization methodological and educational your own avatar. Those rooms are real capacity in order to safeguard vocational Partners: We wish to present “live” (during the Our Dreamer faces demotivation, the shops, stages, exhibitions, the Hlohovec Dreamer replies to gradual and and individual, continuous process preparatory period and subsequently loss of desire to participate in the public buildings and spaces of events held progressive dehumanization! Jointly with of learning. The main goal of the Sponsor: Constantine the Philosopher during the sustainability of the ECOC life, the passive giving in to change, during the ECOC in Hlohovec. Your only him, we must once again emancipate institute will be to prepare teachers University in Nitra – Faculty of Education. ethos) an example of a multifunctional haters and toxicities of this world by obligation is to log in to the BELLA HC our belief in the irreplaceability and and educators to teach aesthetic space, a multilab, to a wide range of adoring hope. If we are to look for any project, create your own avatar, and uniqueness of each of us – in humanity. and educational subjects with an interested parties. What we have in presence of hope, we findrelationships, decide where you would like to look. And For us, humanity means each and emphasis on the development of mind is a year-round multifunctional bonds, connections and links. With off you go. every unique person. It is everyone children’s relationship to art, so that they 4/Trustworthiness space in which each part can function our projects, we will cultivate an who refuses to be just a particle in shape their relationship with themselves vs. Disinformation independently, with a different focus, exceptionally lively and sensitive space You can invite your friends, too, with the crowd, a gear wheel, a number, and with their immediate environment a different organizational form, but in-between interferences, a membrane whom you can meet at the famous a bar code, a workforce, a lining to an through art. The Dreamer is looking for a way together they will be connected to space of transitions and overlaps “promenade” street of Hlohovec or you abstracted progress. Dreamer finds such of moving away from the formless one living organism allowing us to between the past and the future (MillTec can meet someone by chance in the a person in someone who can perceives Content of the Project: Foundation of amoeba of disinformation, from take advantage of unique multilab Park, folklore festivals, the HaCropolis Castle Garden or experience a concert in a unique way, who manifests a centre for research, education and the flood of information permeated opportunities serving as a “federation” Project), between generations, and in the PUNK NOMAD space. And all this themselves in specificactivities (for application of methods that are based by the relativization of values and of diverse activities. groups (Spolkový dom/the Guild House) in six years when the real transmission example, the Tinkers Symposium on the principles of experience-based irresponsibility from the “truths” being project, small local community centers speed will be far beyond the 5G level. (Sympózium drôtu) within the Plein Air pedagogy, and the interconnection of disseminated. This is where the Dreamer Part of this long-term project will be in various municipalities of the region, We are prepared even if travel becomes Architect’s Workshop – Leopoldov), art and education, which will directly draws his living water. Here is the DNA ongoing evaluation and documentation re-education, the prison project RE.ED. too expensive because of the carbon through its unique qualities, abilities and transform educational reality through of our direction, a central approach to of individual actions and their impacts AA – Re-education Art Action), between footprint or impossible because of skills. practical interconnection of creative life that permeates everything. It has its on the town and the region. The project interests, between fields of expertise pandemic. and pedagogical theory (international image in critical thinking; we consider will significantly affect the participation (DISfest) Skills, primarily, have become a central conferences, symposia, research it a category that passes through and cooperation of members of the Or you will want to look at the paintings motive for us in the recovery of projects) and directly change the reality everything; it is a way of life, a method of Small Towns Coalition. We will be using, Bridging different horizons -- these are in the Kunsthalle or you will even wish to humanity. Skills that can be acquired, of the learning process via practical approaching the world. It is associated consistently, international competitions the helping hands and soothing and buy them. Or even better, you will want deepened, shared, taught, preserved. projects in re-education: RE.ED.AA – with responsibility. and creative symposiums in key stages strengthening embraces, these are the to create them together at a workshop Skills are imprinted into the world Re-education Art Action, in museum of the project. ways we have explored of how not to in the popularization technology centre through specific materials, working and gallery pedagogy: MillTec Park, in Orientation is possible only through lose illusions, visions, and the desire to MillTec Park on Váh. You will enter the with them, designing and using them natural pedagogy, in an international trust, through the opportunity to lean Target groups: residents and visitors create and shape oneself and the world space virtually, the avatar of the lecturer (specific materials – the Paper Biennial, context, as it will function as an back, rest for a while, calm down. (domestic and foreign) of the Town of around us. Hope does not just come for will welcome you, and you, together with tinkering workshop). international laboratory of creative Believing in safety does not mean falling Hlohovec, representatives and partners free, hope is welcomed and celebrated others, can virtually carve a statue into and aesthetic-educational and artistic into a soft committal. We perceive

28 29 trustworthiness to be an important excellent practitioners) and other actors The workshops will be open not only to are still living today. Ceramics are not traditional, is able to reflect trends and active work in learning about the world, who are part of the topic, with artists STC members, but also to the lay and 12/Explain succinctly just faience or majolica. The bearers satisfy the question of an innovative which sets its image for us through and the general audience. The next line professional public who are interested of the artistic dimension of work with approach? This is also one of the the media and through behaviour and will be the presentation of important in applying the skills acquired during how the cultural this material are, for example, the motives we are trying to address actions, which present the actors of personalities and documentary schools. the solution of STC challenges in real important Slovak ceramicist Jozef in terms of linking the local cultural various processes of informing the world practice. The program will also include programme will combine Susienka, the representative of the heritage with a modern approach in our about the world. Target group: Professionals in the blocks of lectures focused on more local cultural heritage local work of ceramicists is Juliana programme structure. field of documentary film, students at abstract thinking about the culture of life Hadvigova (projects that emerged from art schools, scientists from thematic in small towns and its development in the participatory call for applications – Winemaking is one of the dominant disciplines, publicists, those interested the European context. and traditional art forms ceramic paintings on building facades, branches of the town, and so we have Examples of major projects in the relevant fields, teachers and the ceramic house signs that complete the included work with grapes and wine general public. HiCon will host presentations by artists with new, innovative and uniqueness of buildings and support in the Forum Material project. Long- (Flagship projects) from STC sites, as well as a range of experimental cultural the genius loci of specific locations). term local projects such as the Frastak DISfest (dysfunctional topics in Scope: international, annual, artists working on trends in the areas And as the most inspiring dimension journey for wine, Vino Hlohovec, documentaries) 5 – 8 days a year. of site-specific projects, public spaces, expressions? and paradox that we want to use in or Welcoming the summer in the audio visual or architecture, and fusion. the Forum Material project is the fact vineyards are projects that develop this International Documentary Festival Partners: Jihlava IDFF, ArtFilmFest that ceramics are a unique material tradition, and at the same time some of Aim: Our intention is to create a unique in Kosice, One World, film and other Scope: International project. in the world of today’s contemporary them work with wine in an innovative platform for the presentation of film universities, public media, academic “Local customs and electronics. Other materials will be metal way, connect it more strongly with documentaries, for the meeting of community. Partners: STC members, professional traditions are the (wire), paper, wine, but also data that culture and address new target groups. documentary filmmakers and at the organisations, consulting organisations, foundation of every allow one to create a virtual world of For example, Slobodne vinarstvo, in same time a space for networking for Sponsors: film associations, universities, artists from member towns. materials. addition to being a significant cultural experts from various fields of social, national television broadcaster, culture. After all, what other point and probably the most significant cultural and scientific life. The festival distribution companies, Jihlava Sponsor: Municipality Research and than traditions should we An innovative approach to tradition and space for the intermingling of world will also contribute to the expansion International Film Festival, One World Advisory Centre, INREGU Institute Paris. maintain and show others? cultural heritage is also reflected in the oenological trends in the region – with of audience awareness of Slovak festival. And the chateau, not finishing MillTec Park project. At the basic level, it its natural (paradoxically “illegal” in documentary production and can represents the preservation and access Slovakia according to current legislation) it would be a shame. Though contribute to the growth of its quality “You are right, the to traditional technological procedures wines breaks down boundaries and social prestige. The unique festival it’s maybe more important (for example, unique floating wooden and penetrates to Michelin-starred attracts annual attention to the town and Another example of an international ‘great artists’ will that we repair the water pipes mills or the ferry on the Vah river), but restaurants around the world. its surroundings. project come and go, as they for the money… right? Well, in a non-traditional dress and designer- HiCon – Davos of small towns did before and as they will it’s half and half.” made practical implementation we Wine projects are also part of the line Project content: There is currently do later. And our people will would like to shift the memory towards of interspaces and the Route Project, no separate documentary festival Conference on small town development experiential education about human art since wine tourism also takes into in Slovakia. Because we perceive meet them, bump into them, Local cultural heritage and traditional art using the power of water and individual account the sports line of ethno- documentary production as a unique Objective: To publicly present the intersect with them… Yes, our forms are an integral part of the program materials to multiply the power. We tourism. The program includes guided bridge between science, education outcomes of cooperation in the people will also leave, but then structure. With innovative education intend to sensitively incorporate these tastings of the products not only of and art, we decided to offer space for Small Towns Coalition (STC). Creating they will return, since there (Childhood Institute) we focus on the functional and activity-oriented exhibits local winemakers, but also of those documentary film. a reflective space for thinking about field of creativity, interpretive skills and into the waterfront parts of the Váh as working in partner and cooperating the paths that small European towns will be a place and reason to education through fine arts (in all their part of the continuation of the launched European towns, tours of wine cellars, The festival will include the annual take to face the challenges defined in return to.” forms and genres) and folk culture in an process of the urban opening of the and tours of vineyards. Certainly, there awards for Slovak documentaries and our Small Towns Manifesto. Sharing innovative manner in order to transform town to the river. So, it is not just about are more and more projects available of their creators – a showcase of Slovak know-how on how to address these the cultural heritage of folk art. Also, working with traditional technology, but a similar type, but what we are building documentaries for partners. At the challenges, provide guidance or argue in other projects we connect local folk about merging with art, architecture, on is the uniqueness of every wine same time, every year the festival in about solutions that didn’t work out, traditions, and also local production, contemporary approaches to working environment. In our case, the cultural one of the main lines of the show part even though they looked good (FuckUp craft traditions with current stimuli with public spaces, etc. landscape associated with wine growing of the program will be focused on some Night as part of the conference). (Biennial Paper, Forum Material – the is unique – the growers from our region marginal social topic (disorders, crises, project on wirework will certainly draw One of the widely perceived cultural still supply grapes to much more famous problem areas…). This line will enable Project content: Discussion forums, interest), we will also involve traditional phenomena important for Hlohovec wine producers in the well-known, Small the presentation of documentaries solution presentations, online and onlive pilgrimages, feasts, and minority culture and its surroundings is the cultivation Carpathian winemaking region. A step dedicated to specific topics (care workshops, which can be created on site (Judaism project). of grapes and wine processing – towards interconnecting art, ethnology for groups, disorders, minorities, once a year in Hlohovec, or even virtually a thousand-year history of grape and the cultural landscape of the subcultures). The social aspect of the through BELLA HC. In the thematic One of the essential parts of the Forum cultivation in the region is traditional “undiscovered Slovak Provence” is the festival will thus connect cultural and panels, there will be space for speakers Material project is working with clay here. Be that as it may, the question multi-genre project Art and Wine – may artistic personalities, experts in the field from STC towns (but not exclusively) as a material deeply connected to is whether the wine industry, which, wine not only serve for consumption, but of science (such as doctors, researchers, and experts from the discussed areas. our region and the tradition that we thanks to its long history, is considered let it be an inspiration for art.

30 31 Creative and innovative “upcycling”, or factory is connected in Hlohovec. This with them, whether they have already partner towns for experiments, and of spontaneity; they are connected the transformation or re-creative use and project will be based on purely domestic 13/How has the city become a part of the cultural and artistic developing their skills. with the life of the local community. quotation of folk culture motifs in non- materials. life of the town. traditional styles, linking convention and involved, or how does · It is also important to mention · We also involve local actors in tradition and experimentation – this is We perceive the material not only However, we want to open this interest the creation of a sustainable the projects of primarily civic, one of the topics that will be part of the as a functional material, but also as it plan to involve, local of local cultural organisations, artists and infrastructure for cultural and artistic interest and amateur associations Small Towns Coalition in specific forms an artistic material, as a space for artists and cultural creators, as well as active individuals, activities, which will open in the Vah (International Amateur Workshop – and conditions of each partner town. discovery, the improvement of skills, to national, European and global basin by adapting the environment The Club House). knowledge, a space for materialising the organisations in cooperation. Building new relationships and adding simple and functional We also have this intention in the cooperation of different disciplines and supports the path of change that we equipment (the Terra Vagus project). program structure in the area of specific approaches, even in time (folk art and the conception and are preparing for; the diversity of artistic The opening of new opportunities reconstructions of historical urban experiments with materials). Through the and cultural perspectives supports the for local creators to meet new Examples of specific projects buildings and centres. We emphasize unique contribution of artful and skilled implementation of the sustainability of our intentions against audiences and for mutual inspiration with them not only the modern historical artists, a unique work of art is created the background of mutual inspiration, will provide an exceptional space Programme pillar: and period reconstruction of the from the material. The key materials for cultural programme? the opening of horizons and revitalizes for art, which is based on the PUNK Safe Environment vs. Destabilization buildings, but also a modern approach the Forum Material project will be clay our cultural offer. NOMAD project. to the functional use of these buildings. (ceramics, brickwork, clay architecture, Project: TerraVagus The preservation of the historical, semiconductors), paper (structures, Both amateurs and local creators · The MillTec Park project (land of intermingling) cultural and urban heritage requires dimensions, graphics, fonts, typography, “I have already said will continuously learn from foreign presupposes the supervision of two a special mode of reconstruction, polygraphy, books, bookbinding), metal that – our people in residents; on the other hand, their regional institutions (the National Objective: Terra Vagus is the optimal organisation of the urban (especially wire, fences, chains, nets, particular should have local perspective will be a revival of the Museum and the Observatory with a comprehensive intention to create the environment, including public space, but nanofibers), wine (traditions, landscape, been fully visible in the programme offering and a guarantee the M. R. Stefanik Planetarium). The spatial and mental focus of our project. It we also emphasize the need to meet the gastronomy, tastes, colours) and data of encouraging the interest and project is a fusion of art, technology, is a reclamation and rehabilitation of the requirements of modern society and to (material for building a virtual world). programme. So that they involvement of local residents. In order education, architecture, history and area in the triangle of Hlohovec, Piešťany create suitable conditions for creative, would be proud to have for the locals to believe in the project tradition. It is history and tradition and Leopoldov. We intend to transform cultural and artistic offerings that follow accomplished something. and be open to the changes it brings, that are key in terms of the local the place in the Váh floodplains, which current trends and tendencies. But they don’t have to do they need to have supportive and strong criterion. carries many spatial possibilities, into everything there, points that they trust, which they are a meeting place for various programme not afraid of and with whom they have · The outputs of the Childhood components. At the same time, we “Yes, we had native since they also have to live, wines here, Othello, relations. This can encourage them Institute project will be applied want to offer an environment that also Examples of specific projects not just focus on art.” to embark on new journeys, explore in the first phase to the teaching inspires ad hoc informal social activities. Bily samorodak, unknown artistic and cultural territories, project of educational institutions This place will offer space for large visits Program Pillar: Delevar, but also other and build confidence in the new in Hlohovec. The project will involve of up to tens of thousands of people, as Fostering Humanity vs. Dehumanization varieties, especially relationships and changes they bring. all local kindergartens and primary well as for small family activities. In our Portuguese and Kadarka Our candidacy is based on the need to schools with their teachers and Terra Vagus project, we interconnect Forum Material prepare for the changes that await us. Examples of real involvement by local children. ourselves in our programme ideologically fluffy and sweet, but time Art and culture should be one of the actors are several projects that are (Small Town), but also in time (the The aim of this multi-layered umbrella will not return; much has tools to change the culture of the town. part of the framework of the program · The Forum Material project historical place – the living castle versus project is to deepen the ability to work changed. Today, the ‘world’ Therefore, the whole project is based structure: treats folklore as a mental and the new Terra Vagus space), and also with materials specific to Hlohovec. varieties Riesling Rhine, on the wide participation of local actors intangible material as one of the spatially (horizontally – Terra Vagus We want to make artists attentive who naturally wish to participate in the · The impact of the local environment categories. Folklore, as a set of versus vertical of the Chateau). to mundane and often overlooked Traminer Red, Burgundy White, cultural life of the community. will also be reflected in theSmall people’s knowledge, which is materials. We want to offer artists the Sauvignon, Burgundy Blue and towns coalition project, which is realised in various forms, represents Project content: Terra Vagus is opportunity to work with the paradoxes Frankovka (Blaufränkisch) are During the participatory processes of an example of local and European phenomena that are linked to a piece of land that does not belong of our materials (paper – robot, represented in the plantings. the preparation for the application and cooperation. The institution will not a specific location, collective and to anyone and all have equal status ceramics – electronics, wire – nanofiber). local capacity building, we received only focus on the specific problems to a specific group of people. This there (Frastak – Freistadt – Free City Europe has come to our 317 project intentions – from 84 of small towns and will address is what gives it a unique character on the Vah river). A place that has the The content of the project is an vineyards as well.” individuals (including members of the them with the intentions of the and nature. We have a rich source of potential for interference – a place of annual multi-layered programme of city council) and from 61 different local specifics of such towns, but above actors in the region in this area. interconnection – a large marketplace. art events, symposium residencies, organisations or associations, from all it will involve local actors. The It is an open space for intermingling, it professional internships and exhibitions educational institutions, entrepreneurs, principle of connecting 27 towns However, folklore appears not only is a place of fermentation. Terra Vagus, or performers, which will always be regional institutions and from cities (27 “HC” towns) is to connect the in the Forum Material project, but an open space, includes space for thematized in relation to one of the and municipalities in the participating local with the European, building in virtually all projects based on large open-air festivals, fairs, a planned Hlohovec materials. We consider region. We have included these project partnerships, sending local experts, elements of traditional folk culture. eco-festival, but is also divided into Hlohovec materials those with which intentions in some lines of the program, artists, creators and organisers to They have only a seemingly marginal nooks for everyday use for a variety of some important activity or workshop or enriching the period of preparations significance, due to their high degree activities from recreation, small family

32 33 and community gatherings, sports will be based on the significant role of “I guess I need a bit of Of course, we have also prepared With such a connection, which is not and cultural events of various groups, the societal self-government and will 14/a/Give a general explanation. After all, we several international, European festivals, a mere temporary project, and by societies and associations. The project accept the cooperation of individual symposia, exhibitions, and meetings for creating a permanent union of small includes a close link with nature (with associations. The Societal House will also outline of the activities are in Europe, we are the period of the candidate process and towns with its HiCon – small DAVOS a specific emphasis on water, and act as a methodological centre for grant in the Union, but there are for the “famous year of HC 2026”, and of small towns, we want to deepen water and waste management) with or administrative assistance to emerging foreseen in view of: many nations in it that have also for the period continuing until the understanding not only between small ecological practices and examples projects and will become an inspiration for never come into contact with end of the third decade. But the main towns themselves, but above all to show of sustainable and non-burdensome local community centres in districts and Promoting the cultural thing we see as fulfilling our European European regional centres and regions urbanism and architecture. In our connected villages and towns. We see an diversity of Europe, us, have never been here dialogue and international dimension how they can coexist and cooperate in approach to this space, we are preparing important role in the field of information, and do not know who we are is our key project, our flagship EHcMK a horizontal line with functional vertical an open international competition, documentation and evaluation of the intercultural dialogue and what we are. Please, do 2026 – Small Towns Coalition linked connections, and thus better prepare for workshops and open-air events with societal cultural and artistic activities. we want to bring each one to the legacy project – Small Towns what awaits us. inspiring personalities in sustainable and Ideally, it will connect the building itself and greater mutual Institute. This unique structure is ecological construction. The key sub- with the open surroundings (the yard, the of them here to the square, designed to reflect and connect the We want to emphasize the importance project is the unique central building of garden). understanding between though?” ambitions of small towns across Europe of natural urban functional regions, i.e. PUNK NOMAD (the details of this will be and to jointly transform European “cities”, with coordinated development answered in the following question). Programme pillar: European citizens ideals and directions towards local civic at the level of micro–regions, oriented Safe Environment vs. Destabilization The impact of the cultural environment, communities. towards public services, public Target groups: architects, urban the results of artistic creation and the benefit activities and a higher degree (International and regional projects) planners, members of societies and whole creative ecosystem on the mental The Small Towns Coalition is a network of local cooperation with regional associations, ecologists, organisers of state of society is fundamental. They best of 26 towns similar to Hlohovec, self–government and inter–municipal summer festivals, food markets, social House of artists reflect European valuesand the shared representing their country, which (with cooperation, even with the smallest gatherings and events, families and The aim of the project is to create ethos of mutual European cooperation. some exceptions) meet at least one of municipalities – each one has the right friendly groups, the towns of Hlohovec, a sustainable background to support In his Semiological Adventures, reflecting the following limiting criteria: to life as it relates to its centuries–old Leopoldov, Piešťany, cultural institutions. original artistic creation and a space for on the semiology and planning of the history. If local governments move international creative meetings. There city, Roland Barthes defines the city as · they have from 10,000 to 49,999 towards cooperation and integration, the Scope: international, national and local will be a physical and mental space a discourse, as a scenario, and considers inhabitants, closest possible cooperation with their projects, long-term, year-round. created to support original creative work. everyone who moves in it to be an neighbours, will gain greater stability, Premises for creation, studios, residences, independent “reader” and an actor in · they do not have a university or bringing greater efficiency to their Project partners: associations of rehearsal rooms, club rooms, shops, cafes, this story. We are convinced that our a permanent university network, activities, and together they can shape architects, schools, architecture presentation spaces. The ideal location is scenario can be an inspiration for many local economic and public policies that students, ecologists, urban planners in the premises of Hlohovec Chateau as similar towns and their inhabitants in · they do not have a permanent extend to EU programs and values. and gardeners, social and community a partial activity of the umbrella project the European Union, and that we can professional art ensemble, workers, artists. HaCropolis. therefore write it together as a project to It is all the more relevant these days fundamentally change the town’s culture, · they are industrially dependent because the coronavirus pandemic with the ambition of fundamentally or are decisively economically has added to the economic, social and “Exactly as you say – changing its spirit. dependent on regional centers. environmental conditions, impacting Examples of other projects: our local people of culture and art Programme pillar: Safe Environment vs. Destabilization will be a natural part of the (Regional projects) programme, of course – adequate to the size of the Club House whole project. So, at the same time, they will receive many Current ECOC The project is based on the requirements AT BEL BUL CRO CYP CZE DEN ESP ↘ and wishes identified in the participatory opportunities and inspiration Bad Ischl De Panne Dimitrovgrad Varaždin Paphos Hranice Ikast/ Donostia/ ↙ Past ECOC Brande San Sebastian call for applications. The aim of the project from encounters with the ↗ Future ECOC is to provide a functional background for FIN European dimension of art FRA GRE HUN ITA IRL LIT LAT Candidacy to ECOC local cultural activities. On the principle Saimaa/ and culture in an order of Ilmiö, Tampere, Clermont– Elefsina Eger Matera Galway Jonava Cesis ↔ of a culture house, where all groups can Oulu Ferrand No connection to ECOC perform. The professionally animated magnitude greater “viral load” Second Cities program will offer club rooms, rehearsal than we have been used to so LUX NED NOR POR ROM SLO SVK SRB Esch Harlingen Bodø Guarda Gherla Piran HC Irig rooms and work studios, as well as simple far.” Partner towns accommodation and a basic equipped hall. The administration and organisation

34 35 the cultural sphere in a particularly European Union and the world, starting Examples of projects under preparation renewal states, inter alia: European · Hlozie (international creative painful manner. However, we believe with the climate crisis. The future 14/b/Highlighting the meeting the following criteria: cultural and creative actors preserve workshop for theatre amateurs). that through culture, creativity and art cultural policy must be deeply linked to and promote cultural and linguistic Summer creative workshop in it is possible to prepare much better social challenges, as well as to green common aspects of · MillTec Park – a popular science diversity in Europe and contribute to cooperation with the international for the future. These things contribute and digital transformation. We add that park by the river Vah. On the strengthening European identity at all federation AITA/IATA. A meeting of to the vitality of society and enable all the continuous professional and public European cultures, one hand, it will document the levels; these actors are an invaluable amateur theatre performers with layers of society to express their identity, discourse, the urban scenario according relationship of people in the river force for social cohesion, sustainable interesting inspiring personalities of thus contributing to social cohesion to Barthes, which can be carried only by heritage and history, basin to water, to the technologies development and economic growth in contemporary European theatre. The and intercultural dialogue, and paving the spheres of culture, the media and of managing water power from the European Union and its Member annual project will start in 2023. the way for an increasingly entrenched the actors of civil society, supports and as well as European prehistory to the present to various States and are an important source European Union. activates the processes necessary for functions in different cultures (the of global competitiveness. It further the effective implementation of reforms. integration and current axis will be Hlohovec floating mills calls on the Commission to propose an The Small Towns Coalition – STC is not In principle, their stakeholders must on the Vah river flow). On the other ambitious and inclusive communication the only a tool with which we will try also become their active participants – European themes hand, it will be an experiential and promotion policy for culture in to promote understanding among the otherwise the success of the educational centre based on Europe that would enable European citizens of the countries of the Union. transformations is very unlikely. the principle of a science park, cultural content, events and spaces to Our gateway to active intercultural and a children’s museum and have a truly European and global reach. dialogue will be local projects, which Additional projects meeting the following Representatives of various cultures a game museum that will be an we will gradually bring to life for STC requirements: have travelled and settled through the internationally attractive tourist Examples of projects under preparation members (volunteers, leaders, artists, Váh valley for millennia. Terra Vagus, destination. meeting the following criteria: residents). It is the small local projects · Naplava – an annual international the place where they mingled, lived and that have emerged from the open call festival of ecology ranging from died, formed a gradually varied cultural · The body as a visual language – · CastPod (experimental sound that will be our bearers of understanding technology to art, taking place in sediment. Our projects are rediscovering a long–term cycle of creative events) – An umbrella project, one of through exchanges and participatory the floodplain of the Terra Vagus this history, not only for the inhabitants relationship between the body, the flagship projects of our HC 2026 activities between representatives of triangle. A combination of works of of Hlohovec and the region themselves, space and body sign codes. We programme, focuses on working different European nations. art with the topic of ecology and but also for partner towns in EU member started the project in 2020 and with sound as a unique material for climate justice connected with states and all visitors. it includes creative residencies expression. The project includes A major event that we are preparing for a trade fair dedicated to sustainable of foreign artists and ensembles, various forms of cooperation in 2021 is a live event with representatives technology and architecture. Nearby, Marcus Aurelius wrote his the work of international groups, the field of sound design, audio of all the STC towns. Irrespective Conversations with himself. The Stoic creative symposia and presentations production, sound art. We are of whether we move forward in the · Flowers, roses… and what about emperor of the European superpower, of various approaches to this topic. interested in creating and searching selection of the ECOC, such a platform hawthorn? – a large international sitting on the banks of the Hron river In the future, we anticipate the on the threshold of language and makes definitely sense for us and exhibition of fine arts with the and contemplating the meaning of life, creation of original choreographies sound, counting on the transcultural similar towns. in EU countries, and we theme of flowers. The exhibition in is a fact that took place in this territory by international groups that will circle of creators and their outputs. will implement it regardless. Through the area of the Chateau Kunsthalle almost two thousand years ago. He then represent our ideas on international The central project under this our programme and the concept of will be connected with a large wrote in the subtitle of the work: “Written stages and festivals. umbrella activity will be the renewal transforming the town culture we want exhibition of horticulture and in the land of Quadi on Granna (Hron)”. of the International Festival of Sound to become an inspiration for partner garden architecture in the area Thus, from antiquity and the Quaids If somewhere in Europe it is possible to Experiments. small towns – for their inhabitants, of the chateau greenhouses and through Roman troops, Germanic and find a model of peaceful and creative activists, businesses, but also for the the chateau garden. The project Sarmatian tribes, Slavs, German settlers, “union” coexistence of many nations · Vagus spectaculare (international local public authorities, not only in the presents different notions of the Hungarians, Jews, Ottomans, Austrians and nationalities, cultures, aesthetic competition for theatrical innovativeness of the programme, but relationship to flowers, in time and in and then in the twentieth century concepts, religions and churches, performances) – The project also in town planning and administration, varied cultural contexts. Czechs, all cultural layers left traces then it is our Terra Vagus. And so, our includes an international call for in pointing out how we want to work that form a varied and unique history programme naturally emphasizes those original drama works – a competition with minorities and the historical of Central Europe. They would merge projects that follow the integration for an original drama text with legacies in our town and region, how for centuries creating new formations concepts of the Union, which in its contemporary European theme and we intend to use the potential of civil only to be covered by the grey dust of post–war concept defies the traditional in the context of European visions society that is so important for us in the the socialist period, and unfortunately concepts of states as atomized, self– and strategies. The victorious play EU. decimating it considerably in the sufficient units, declaring openness will be studied by an international process. to cooperation with foreign entities residential creative team (Jazdiaren/ As stated in the European Parliament and creative designers who can find Riding Hall residential area – part of resolution on cultural renewal in Europe Our projects uncover these deposits, shattered fragments of their own culture the main HaCropolis project). The of 17 September 2020, the recovery patiently searching for clues and and art in our town and region. final production will be presented and revitalisation of European cultural complementing the missing and over a year in the production of the policy after the pandemic are closely suspected parts of the mosaic where The European Parliament resolution of project on stages and festivals in linked to the other challenges facing the possible. 17 September 2020 on Europe’s cultural Slovakia and abroad.

36 37 • As part of the development of the implementation of the town “Each of our flagships 15/Can you explain Open it gradually, first throughalliances 14/c/Featuring European young people and young leaders, development programme. and programme in the Small Towns Coalition, to avoid we will be part of the European burning through the beginning and headlines within the artists, cooperation with Youth Parliament, which will be • In the field ofurban virtualization, we your overall strategy to have enough time to finish what we an important part of our Human have not yet found the appropriate strategy of opening Hlohovec need to be able to sell experiences. operators and cities Development. In cooperation with the association for our HC Bella, which to the learning process leads attract the interest of These small partnerships will create organization People in Need, we will gives us the opportunity to create to unification and anchoring a network of references about the in different countries, bring a pilot project Looking for LEADr. such an organisation. a broad European and town and its surroundings, so that they to Slovakia (in the past, a member of within associations and can be ambassadors for our efforts and transnational our team launched the Slovak version • The Observatory with Planetarium communities. And this is international public? in Europe. We will work with future of their Student Elections project). will become part of the network an example of how to be in ECOC through marketing activities partnerships. of the Association of Science constant contact with the directly during their main events. We • In the field oftheatre , we cooperate and Technology Centres and the will create partnerships with strategic with the Slovak branch of the International Planetarium Society outside world as a town, transportation carrier in the region International Association of Amateur and will introduce its intentions in the regardless whether there is “How do you pronounce (ARRIVA) and with accommodation We are not part of any established Theatre AITA/IATA. Technopark project. a corona or a social network the name of your town, portals (booking.com, hotels.com) international networks and structures pandemic.” so that during the visit to Slovakia operating in the field of culture. However, • We will prepare audio–visual • As a new tourist destination with please?” HLOHOUVECK, all find out that the ECOC 2026 is in we know that the ECOC is an opportunity and music projects, inter alia, in cultural potential, we will join the HLOHUVECH, LOOUVECCK? Hlohovec and that everyone can get for us to finally become a part of them. cooperation with program exchange European Tourism Cultural Network. Have you noticed how much to HC experiencing in it all that can be We have much to build on, having fair within the European Broadcasting fun they have with how experienced. expertise and connections at the national Union (EBU) in cooperation with the • Cooperation within the European level. Slovak Radio and Television (national Forum for the Arts and Heritage difficult it is to pronounce All this is on the condition that we will public service broadcaster – RTVS). (EFAH) will help us in the field of it? What if we could do with be able to visit and travel as before the preservation and development of only the abbreviation of our corona. But regardless of the pandemic, • In community planning that we have • For contemporary music projects tangible cultural heritage district – HC?” within our Trustworthiness pillar, been organizing since 2016, we will that have a tradition in the Hlohovec we will create a virtual environment be inspired by the activities of the Empire Theatre, cooperation • Our museum will become a member through which we will communicate Centre for Community Work in the with the Slovak section of the of the Network of European Museum For lovers of various arts, “HC” is clearly with partner towns broadcasting events, Czech Republic (CpKP), we will also ISCM (International Society for Organisations (NEMO) and the “hard core”. In any form. For us, it is an artefacts, information throughout participate in activities developed Contemporary Music) is prepared. International Council of Museums acronym that can distinguish us from the Europe. At the same time, this studio through URBACT, which Slovak cities (ICOM). others in Europe. Well it’s not hard core, will create an interaction between the are a part of, we will also be inspired • In the field ofcinematography , we it’s HC. Happy city, honest creativity, audience and the ECOC through on- by best practice examples presented have prepared a cooperation with the • Technological monuments will seek hidden circles, human care… many live events and event broadcasts to on the Community Planning.net International Film Festival Cinematik support in their development and acronyms that can hide behind HC. friendly destinations. Virtual identity of platform as part of projects in our in Piestany, which is ready to create promotion in the European Route of the town will consist of a typical virtual pillar Demotivation vs. Hope. a special program structure for the Industrial Heritage (ERIH). Fortunately, they can be sufficiently environment only for EHcMK 2026 and ECOC project. discovered, as tourism in Hlohovec, but will accompany us throughout the years • In public spaces and related artistic • For innovative education, we will also in the adjacent regions of Trnava or of preparation and implementation. interventions, we will cooperate with • Our DISFest will have the ambition look for initiatives developed under Nitra is not currently at a high level. We the A10 new European Cooperative to cooperate with the Jihlava the European Schoolnet title. don’t have a problem like Bad Ischl, we’re One doesn’t need to have higher platform (a network of journalists, International Documentary Film not like Matera. We are undiscovered. education, acquaintances or a lot of theorists and bloggers working in Festival, the DAFilms.sk film portal, • And as part of the broad support of The rich surroundings of the vineyards, money for that, and you don’t even have the field of architecture), and we will which is primarily focused on local our seniors, we will look for partners full of history and stories suffer from to be from a big city. Anyone with an learn from reSITE (project member content. We will become a member in the Unused Generation – Age this, but it is also healthy so far that idea, stamina and determination can team attended the reSITE 2017 and of the European Documentary Platform Europe project. we are not able to connect, selling or become a successful youtuber, food 2018 conferences on the topics of Network (EDN), a global network for showing our environment more. We are blogger, toublogger. This is what our Invisible City and Accommodate), or professionals working in the field like a closed Russian doll matryoshka project has in common with youtubers. activities developed by Foster the of documentary film and television from which hundreds of nooks and Therefore, we would like to establish City, which is one of the successful productions. crannies can jump out, but they will not cooperation with successful Slovak projects of ECOC Pilsen 2015 (we will do so unless the largest one of them is and European youtubers (we started share experiences related to visual • In the area of Smart city principles opened. Therefore, our strategy at the with this when presenting the project smog), we will also join the European in small towns, we will become time of preparation and implementation at home), to give them space to get Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP) part of the SmartEnCity Network, will be to open this Russian doll. new interesting content for their videos using the experience in our Safe whose experience will continue in Hlohovec and partner cities. And, of Environment pillar. to help us in urban planning and course, to get the attention of hundreds

38 39 of thousands of their fans and a well– the question of whether they can help In addition to connecting through the Vilppula Prison, which profiles itself as targeted campaign to meaningfully 16/To what extent do us find partners and connections in their Small Towns Coalition, we would like to a primary educational prison working 17/Explain how the local influence the opinion on HC and ECOC project within our concept. We know that follow up on the Matera 2019 project, strongly with families. The program 2026 as an initiative that transcends the you plan to develop links we must first offer them a platform to which inspires us with its approach of pillar Safe Environment will involve population and your civil boundaries of small towns in the EU. work with us, and only then will we know involving our own residents (volunteer cooperation and mutual inspiration in between your cultural where we can help each other and learn program or Lucanian project, through the field of ecology and culture (Punk society have been involved First we will create a Virtual HC – based from one another. That is why we will which locals offered visitors private Nomad – HC and ART IN NATURE – on the BELLA HC platform (we described programme and the use STC again here as a tool for mutual accommodation) and visitors (Temporary Tampere). in the preparation of it in more detail in question 11, through cooperation. With Galway 2020, Elefsina Citizen initiative 2019 Passport). which we will gain a much wider cultural programme 2021, Esch 2022, Bodø 2024 and Bad Last but not least, we plan cooperation the application and audience than the number of regular Ischl 2024, Nurnberg 2025 we agreed Our Punk Nomad project will follow, between the skater communities from visitors during the ECOC year itself and of other cities holding to work together to find the founding among other things, projects introduced Tampere and Hlohovec within our project will participate in the we can attract not only viewers from members of STC in close cooperation under the Rethink concept, such as Skateboard anti Deterrents. In this the EU but also from other countries of the European Capital of and follow–up to their programme. The Rethink Activism or Rethink Urban project we use the specificity of the skate implementation of the the world thus enabling them to get to same counts for Matera 2019. We will Habitats, implemented in Aarhus 2017. community and the unique inspirational know European culture as presented by Culture title? cooperate with the Novi Sad 2021 project The internal connection with Punk equipment of this subculture. With the year. a small Central European town). at the level of local culture development. Nomad also includes The NO99 Straw project, we want to create relationships Saimaa-ilmiö 2026 and Oulu 2026 will Theatre project – temporary architectural and a space that will be open, free, where Together with our project partner, help us to find partnering towns and installation and Blackbox theatre, which people will not be afraid to express Creative Pro (part of the 27Names “On Facebook, we have municipalities connected to their bids. was commissioned by the NO99 Theatre themselves and will be able to be natural family, uniting progressively independent already introduced all as part of the Tallinn 2011 project. in their normal environment, which will live communication agencies throughout the cities that were, are Our STC idea was delivered to every not be moderated, but will be safe and Europe), we will create a unique and will become ECOC. People EU country via connection with former, Definitely, we are very interested in developing. environment that will allow us to present or future ECOC cities and thanks the way in which the current or future approach even in conditions where have stopped watching it. to help of Culturenext.eu (candidate ECOC have dealt with or are dealing with We have confirmed that Piran 2025 wants physical approach may be impossible, Sometimes it gets on my cities) which are fulfilling their dreams COVID–19 constraints, namely Rijeka to work with us on our Safe Environment get to know, see each other, even if we nerves too. Even the mantra with their Plan B. 2020 or Kaunas 2022. The implementation programme line. Together with Saimaa- don’t see each other. that we have to unite. Hey, but and preparation teams of both cities Ilmiö 2026 and Cesis 2027, we cooperated You have already had an opportunity responded to the unexpected constraints in the preparation of a mini project on only now and then. I guess I’m to find out the preliminary result of relatively quickly and were able to adapt the occasion of the European Day of afraid that foreign people and our efforts from the table in question to new conditions. Languages. “Sure, we will name things will flood this place, 14/a. This shows the connection of Hlohovec ECOC and it won’t be as nice here as individual cities, past or future ECOC, We have established cooperation with the But our firs visit was in Košice (2013). experience as and their recommendations to other Finnish candidate cities of Oulu, Saimaa- Thanks to Košice’s know how we before.” cities with whom they cooperate within Ilmiö 2026 and Tampere on the basis of have been able to find the way how HC experience. HardCore their programmes or candidacies. The their programme. Oulu and Saimaa-Ilmiö to manage all the biding process and experience. Thanks Michal, We have contacted cities that have won Small Towns Coalition is becoming have shown interest in cooperating with how to transform ECOC experience into that’s great Idea.” the ECOC title in the last ten years, who a good foundation. The table shows the Small Towns Coalition within the small Hlohovec reality. By the way meeting was will implement the ECOC in the coming which ECOC helped us to connect to towns that are part of their application. in very first day when covid hit Slovakia years, or are applying for the title with other cooperating cities or became STC As potential STC partner from Oulu bid with all his power (lockdown). What partners themselves: has been finish–swedish border town a symbolic meeting it was. Tornio identified.

The IID project is a good resource for “You are right, but if all Oulu to develop techniques for creative Current or Past ECOC AUT GER BUL CRO CYP DEN ESP activity and creative thinking for our D’s will happen it ↘ ↙ Bad Ischl Nurnberg Dimitrovgrad Varazdin Paphos Ikast/Brande Donostia – ↔ Candidate for Future ECOC 2024 2025 (Plovdiv (Rijeka 2017 (Aarhus 2017) San Sebastian generations that will emerge after 2025. will not be a problem 2019) 2020) 2016 Past Candidate for ECOC It is interesting for Saimaa-Ilmiö 2026 ECOC being in town, it will be FIN FRA GRE HUN ITA IRL LIT LAT to participate in the BELLA HC Creation a problem of a social crisis in Saimaa/ Clermont– Elefsina Eger Matera Galway Jonava Cesis Ilmiö, Project as a platform for art and event Tampere, Oulu Ferrand 2021 2023 2019 2020 (Kaunas 2027 virtualization as part of their project. town. Is that what we want? “ 2026 2028 2022)

LUX NED NOR POR ROM SLO SRB Together with Tampere, we will focus Esch Harlingen Bodø Garda Gherla Piran Irig 2022 (Leeuwarden 2024 2027 (Cluj Na- 2025 (Novi Sad on cooperation in the RE. ED. A. A. Re– 2018) poca 2021) 2021) education in artistic actions, on the Finnish side it specifically involves the

40 41 “I have also submitted 61 organisations (14 schools, We provided training sessions for the more than 14,000 views in September. And 18/Explain how you intend Another of our flagship projects is the project and I am kindergartens, and secondary schools, involved volunteers on the topics of Social this was just the beginning. REED.A.A., which is focused on working 22 civic associations, 5 organisations in Skills and communication. with children and adolescents from the proud of it. I wanted us the town and region, 6 municipalities and We will continue with this volunteer to create opportunities re-education institute, as well as with to rebuild the old model of the 14 businesses), the rest were individual HC was the only town informing regularly base in 2021 and all subsequent years for participation of prisoners from the Leopoldov prison. The chateau, which was destroyed residents of the town and region. We have via Facebook, Instagram and local in preparation for the ECOC 2026. The arts are thus used for re-education, to during the reconstruction of broken them down into 6 areas based on newspapers (Life in Hlohovec) on all about volunteer program will focus on working provoke the possibilities and abilities of the EU strategic frameworks in the field of ECOC. It started with presentation of with each category of volunteers who will marginalised and people. The project focuses on preparing one building. I hope it will be culture (contracting authorities were able whole ECOC, open call, presenting ECOC be in charge of specific programs and for the return to or discovery of a regular possible. Maybe they’ll pick to enter 2 categories where the perceive Cities back 2010 till 2025, presenting every projects. Students and graduates of the disadvantaged groups. form of life. me. But I don’t want to wait for their specific project to fit). cultural call for application within grant local secondary art school will be trained the year 2026, I’d rather build it schemes and application schemes from in the subject of “entrepreneurship in In the years 2026 to 2030, a whole group How do we preserve our cultural various organisations, offering a look on arts” for future positions of production of people who will lose their jobs in heritage in the long run? 144 myself in a year.” candidate cities in Finland and Slovakia. managers and producers or program “I do not think that is factories due to the business cycle will How do we create cohesion and the so-called good living in the 224 The presentation of every author of the managers. The direct actors of the a problem for us. Yes, certainly be a disadvantaged group. It area of our town and region bid book, every cooperating organisation Childhood Institute will be teachers and we have problems here, is on them that our flagship project, the As we have already explained in question How do we create an environment from HC, Slovakia or Europe, every students of 6 kindergartens and 6 primary but it is far from those Institute of Innovative Development, is 3 on strategic town management, to support artists and professions 137 individual from Europe which helped us, schools in the city who will come into focused. It is intended to prepare them in the cultural and creative indus- of other towns.” since 2015 we have been continuously tries was a cherry on the top of the cake. All contact with their European colleagues, for a new way of life after the change adding interconnected strategies and that was warmly welcomed by community which represents a potential for their that will occur in their lives during the How do we create and maintain town policies for individual areas, that European content 76 of followers which was not produced via professional growth. One of the town policies that we years of the ECOC. emerge out of a participatory process payed services of any of social networks. adopted in 2017, as the first town in How do we promote gender equal- 25 and in discussion with citizens and ity The Open Call of project intentions was Slovakia, was the Town of Hlohovec Another priority emerging from the open organisations. Since 2016, we have had We involve artists for preparations for successful, and so we will continue this Policy for the Inclusion of Marginalized call is working with groups with special How do we develop international 95 a participatory budget in the town (it was cultural connections and relations the ECOC from or associated with the with more detailed targeting. Every two Population Groups. Of course, it focused needs in terms of securing space for the first participatory budget approved Other 26 town who have expressed an interest years we will announce open calls for primarily on the social, educational or these communities. Varied types of in any small town in Slovakia). Since in returning to their hometown at least individual ECOC program pillars. Testers health dimension, but integration into therapies (art therapy and dog therapy) then year after year, in addition to public In June 2020, we launched a questionnaire through the ECOC project, such as one and programmers from the city and the the cultural life of the town is a natural for children with eating disorders and registration and voting on projects for survey on the state of culture in the town, of the Lonely Runners, the poet Ivan surrounding area will find work at BELLA continuation of this. Asperger’s syndrome, a day hospital for the town and civic projects that people from which we received 226 responses. Strpka and the singer Richard Muller. Five HC, as well as entrepreneurs and artists autistic people from the region, as well implement themselves, we have also We supplemented this with 6 focus coaches from within the team helped who will be involved in the project. Each Therefore, the guiding thread passing as work in groups of abstinent alcoholics been doing participatory planning for groups, which were attended by personally explain the ECOC ideas to those of the 2020 open call projects was used through the ECOC HC 2026 project is art, and drug addicts - these were topics public premises. 46 respondents - representatives of who seemed to look for any reason to as inspiration for local and regional artistic creation entering into risky social from open call, all of which take place in entrepreneurs, the public and the arts. reject the project. Local winemakers asked projects as well as selected flagships. interactions, and both the reception our regional programme – Social House. We have also been approaching the us if we could help them find a new space Since 2022, we have been preparing and research of these situations. We Working with children with various creation of the ECOC concept from the The program team consisted of 10 local for the second largest multi-genre festival capacities that strengthen education for are interested in art as a means of disabilities associated in a special very start. The original three-member experts who discussed the open call in Slovakia, GRAPE. During the entire the implementation of our own project social adaptation, rehabilitation, and kindergarten and primary school is team working on the introductory projects with everyone who submitted cultural summer and subsequently also intents - in the field of production, re-education. The Hope program line is included in our Childhood Institute. concept gradually expanded to more a project. This team then came up of the “Covid” Festival of (un)cancelled management, fundraising or marketing. fully focused directly on projects in this than a ten-member team composed of with a design for the framework of the culture, the visual identity of the ECOC With the aim of involving as many direction. Volunteer work for seniors is included domestic actors with a few exceptions. programme as described in the previous attracted the attention of spectators “dreamers” from 2020 as possible in the in a project called Proximity, which aims The time for public involvement came in sections. The logo and visual identity and visitors of the planned project as implementation of the ECOC in 2026, we Our largest marginalized groups are to bring youth and senior communities the spring of 2020 with an open call for were created by Jakub Svetlik, a graphic part of the cultural identity of the city. will create a space in the program lines for seniors and children. They are the focus closer together. In 2026, this will be project intentions, which could only be designer from HC, has won 2 times Gold Two members of the regional parliament the presentation of their outputs (including of our Childhood Institute flagship easier thanks to the skills of future communicated in person. Therefore, we Young Lions Slovakia Award and has held talks on supporting the region for HiCON or DIS Fest). and the Underutilised Generation seniors in mastering technology. The held either personal or virtual interviews been nominated for Cannes international the ECOC. Two volunteers worked on programme stream. Our regional amphitheatre for this community is with 348 town residents, members of the creativity festival. the Saimaa-Ilmiö 2026 and Cesis 2027 highlight – the DIS Fest – is a festival of planned in the Harmonia Facility for city council, heads of cultural, educational projects on the occasion of the European documentaries focusing on disorders the Elderly, on its land in the middle and social facilities, Meanwhile, outside the ECOC, but based Languages Day and generated more than “Every single project of any kind. This will be an artistic of housing estates. By watching art 23 mayors of towns and municipalities in on meetings to prepare for the ECOC, 6,000 views of their videos, including two plan from domestic reflection on the problems of people production with people from around the region, explaining what the ECOC is, the community of skaters, writers and audio-visual artists working on the urban sources makes us with disorders. It came from the idea of the centre, including children from the what is going to happen, and how they young volunteers created the YoungHC landmark mapping project. Head of local happy. And now we will create the programme intent from the open call neighbouring kindergarten, we will be can contribute with their own ideas. platform and held three new events - Go museum, together with online content a space for you and help you to organize a festival of films focused on able to interconnect communities and Skateboarding Day (part of a worldwide creator and photographer made series acquire the skills so that you eating disorders in today’s youth. generations. And they contributed. We received network of events), literary reading and of videos for European Heritage Day with can implement your projects 317 ideas from 146 proposers – community day “With chalk in the park”. yourselves.”

42 43 Today, young people between stage production. The structured Institute Wroclaw, Osrodek Teatru In 2020, as part of our offer of artistic spots. Through children and through 13 and 19 years of age is also an programme will map and further Osmego Dnia Poznan 19/Explain your overall activities, we also experimented more the possibility for the children, and endangered group. At the time of the develop artistic procedures and socio- substantially with minority genres and their ability, to create their own work submission of the application, the pedagogical methodology for working strategy for audience non-traditional spaces, which we have or through their partial participation Concept of Development of Youth Work with people that are serving a sentence, offered to the audience during the in the programme. Important for them Development of the Town of Hlohovec with young people in protective “The experience of the development, and in summer, the first post-corona wave. is to create a space which they could for the years 2021-2026 will be education, but also with people in an shrewd is clear: long- Of the spectators who attended these use or in which they could create approved in a participatory process with excluded environment, or with other term and systematic particular the link events, 40% were domestic and 60% art, and this is what our HaCropolis young people. This also responds to the groups in an unfavourable social improvements in the quality were “foreign”. This was both good programme together with its Social defined threats of this generation. One situation. It will also include the regular with education and the and bad news. The good thing is that House sub-program are doing. of the key areas is the very use of culture residence of creative personalities of life of marginalised and people outside the region know about Activities of a regional nature (wine, and art in developing children and and groups in the prison environment disadvantaged groups in participation of schools. our activities and have the will, energy flower, ecological events) are directly young people, building on our flagship or other institutions and organisations any community significantly and finances to come. What’s worse implemented by the citizens of the town Childhood Institute. involved in the project. improve the quality of life of is that our domestic audience is likely and the region. not quite ready to accept these genres We are already implementing the Regularly provided scientific (research) the majority population as “I don’t know if there more significantly or to attend the non- The EHcMK Card will serve as Culture and Art project as a tool and creative (artistic) scholarships well.” aren’t too few of us. To traditional cultural spaces. But this a motivation for the concentrated use of for the inclusion of disadvantaged will have an international focus. The be attending so much is the current situation when we are the ECOC 2026 offer. This also creates groups in the town of Hlohovec, as professional public (social educators, culture all year long. One also experimenting and looking for forms space for the business sector in the a tool for strengthening the inclusion of trainers, and social curators, probation of such programme that would be co- region and its CSR programmes and for marginalized groups and that of tools for officers, animators and coordinators has to rest in order to enjoy created or would be attended by the their connection with the motivational deepening the tolerance and empathy of of community experts in the field of the art. And not to attend an local audience. programmes of the local government for the majority population towards them. andragogy) and artists will work together event weekly.” domestic residents, but also for visitors on methodological procedures that can For 2026, our strategy is to target to the town. The aim is to connect be applied to all prisons. The project will individual programmes to individual families and people of working age with contribute to the development of social Our entire strategy is based on building up groups of children, young people, adults, an audience that will be able to choose Project example re-education and will develop and reflect a new audience that in turn will generate seniors and families with children. more freely in investing their finances on a long-term set of procedures that more and more of an audience. We do for culture in the home environment as Programme pillar: can be applied to other marginalized not build this on an existing audience The child spectator is connected well. The experience today shows that Hope vs. Demotivation groups. A specific part of the programme that disappeared in the late 1990s and with our programme immediately, no small part of the region’s population will focus on the creation of political has never been rebuilt. Programmes from kindergarten in the form of the is willing to invest in culture even at the REED.A.A. Re (-construction, prisoners and their presence. in the pillars Hope vs. Demotivation already mentioned flagship initiative cost of traveling outside it. -qualification, -socialisation, -humanisation) -education Art Actions and Humanity Developlment vs. of the Childhood Institute. Either as Scope: international, annual, a total of 60 Dehumanisation are aimed at creating a participant, a creator of works or as Seniors are a numerous group that Aim: We want to make use of the unique days a year new communities of program users. We a spectator. Most importantly, guides needs to be involved in the use of the situation of connecting the prison are creating a practically new childhood to the world of the child (apart from programme offer. On the other hand, it is environment (especially the Leopoldov Target groups: Professionals in the institute and new spaces for culture parents) are also the creators and users this very population group that develops prison with a large symbolic tradition field of social pedagogy, andragogy, (HaCropolis) and for the promotion of of the entire series of our programmes at the most active social activity (one fifth and other institutions of correctional academia, artists of socially oriented science and art (MillTec Park), which the Childhood Institute. of them are organised). And it is also the care) and artistic intervention work, teachers, educators and the should not only create spectators locally, strongest group (especially the so-called together with the work of social and general public. but cross-regionally, since there will be The young viewer, who will have young pensioners), that is commenting creative educators. We want to create spatial and content attractions, which experienced the Childhood Institute, on what is happening in the town and a methodology that will be applicable Project partners: Ministry of Justice are unparalleled in the region. will be addressed mainly through the the region. In some cases, it is really anywhere else. We want to offer of the SR, Directorate of the Prison flagship projectBELLA HC, which will the local influencers who significantly reasonable best practice examples Service, management of the Leopoldov Moreover, we are right in the middle. 25 make the environment of live culture impact the decision-making processes and open up space for original artistic prison, Re-education Centre Hlohovec, kilometres away from the regional cities more attractive to the generation bred on in both the town and the region. We are creation as well as for the creation universities, public media. of Trnava or Nitra, 25 kilometres from smartphones. By connecting to a virtual going to bring an offer directly to them, and verification of methodological the spa town of Pieštany. 60 kilometres world with intimacy close to where they by placing part of the programmes in procedures. The goal is to create, Professional guarantee: Kolektyw from Bratislava, 90 kilometres from the live, it will allow young people to get to selected public spaces that are close document and explore art in interaction Kobietostan, Wroclaw, Poland; JOHAN borders with the Czech Republic and know their own town and its programme, to them - both physically and mentally. with the environment of institutionalised Plzen, Czech Republic, Institute for Hungary. The central location in the visit it and co-create it. We assume that in 2026 a new wave of non-freedom. the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in urban region makes us accessible within digitally-literate pensioners will be active the Czech Republic; Institute of the 15 minutes for every inhabitant of the The adult viewer, as an actor and at the in the virtual space, also using the BELLA Project content: The project includes an Nation’s Memory of the SR, Faculty region. same time a promoter, is the largest HC project or Underutilised Generation annual cycle of symposia, conferences, of Drama Theatre of the Academy of group in the region and in the town. programme stream. scientific workshops, and also original Performing Arts in Prague, Grotowski The path to it leads through two “weak”

44 45 For young families with children, we “Our people say this will create space for the implementation 20/What has been the 21/In case the city is 22/Which amount of the 23/Please explain the and use of art in the flagship projects be a major bummer. No Technopark, Terra Vagus or HaCropolis. annual budget for culture one will approve of this planning to use funds overall annual budget overall operating budget And those needs that are not met by art for us, no one at all. It has and culture will be covered by nature, in the city over the been a problem already, and from its annual budget does the city intend to (i.e. funds that are in which we have planted part of the last 5 years (excluding now it will be an even bigger projects (Punk Nomad), where families one. I’m worried about that.” for culture to finance spend for culture after specifically set aside with children will be able to go and create in them. expenditure for the the European Capital of the European Capital of to cover operational Over the last five years, the town has in- present European Capital vested approximately 7.5 mil. EUR (which Culture project, please Culture year (in euros and expenditure). The “There is just the was almost 40% of all the town’s invest- of Culture application)? ment expenditures during the current peri- indicate this amount in % of the overall annual budget shall cover the right number of us. od) in living culture and in accordance with Everyone will enjoy the Town Development Programme and its starting from the year of budget)? preparation phase, the as much culture and art as Strategic Objective No. 3 - Attractive town they like. But if they don’t want in the department Revitalization of cultural submission of the bid until year of the title, the to, they don’t have to bother heritage, high quality public spaces, quality with art and culture. But it will services in reconstruction and renovation the European Capital The town is planning to regularly use evaluation and provisions be unavoidable. It’ll come to of cultural infrastructure and public spaces 4% of the budget (approximately 1 them. In architecture, in public serving culture in addition to its dominant of Culture year. million euro per year) for culture in the for the legacy activities. function. More than 75% of this comes years following the ECOC. Due to the space, in communication.” from municipal sources, and we obtained fact that the cultural infrastructure will the rest from external sources: from the be completed, the funding will entail “Let’s renew our house” programme of the resources directed exclusively to living Total revenue to cover current Ministry of Culture of the SR to support the The town of Hlohovec does not have culture. expenditure 29,50 restoration of historic buildings, the Inte- the ambition to use the regular budget (in million EUR) grated Regional Operational Programme for both the local culture and to finance Part of the 2030 cultural strategy is From the public sector 27,00 from the EU Structural Funds and a small ECOC 2026 projects. also to change the funding of culture (in million EUR) part from private foundations. Among other in the town with the aim of increasing From the public sector (in%) 91,50 From the private sector things, we restored and made functional cultural spending by creating a new 2,50 the premises of the chateau that had been fund to support the culture of the town. (in million EUR) neglected for decades, also with help of This fund will bring together resources From the private sector (in%) 8,50 augmented reality reconstructed and dig- from the town, business and non- itised the cinema and revitalised a series governmental sectors, including the of public spaces also through participatory citizens. The strategy also includes interventions. We were able to implement the transition of cultural infrastructure these investments because we figure management to the community facility among the cities with the healthiest public services centre. This organisation will finances - in 2016 we were the best man- professionally manage all infrastructure aged town among the 50 largest towns in facilities - both refurbished and Slovakia newly built - and funding for facility management will no longer be Annual budget calculated as an expenditure for culture. Year for culture in the * Therefore, 35% more financial resources town (in euros) will be available for the creation and presentation of cultural content than in n-4 887 208 € 4,91 2020. In addition, this instrument will n-3 1 009 076 € 4,68 make it possible to make cultural funding n-2 3 070 282 € 12,03 free of unprofessional and politically n-1 1 441 697 € 5,89 motivated projects. Current 1 192 727 € 4,87 Total 7 600 990 €

* Annual budget for culture in the city (in % of the total annual budget)

46 47 influence, will remain here even after In specific cases, we will 24/What is the 25/Have the public 26/What is the fund- the end of the ECOC and will benefit support project implementers in 27/Please provide from the good partnerships created crowdfunding campaigns for their breakdown of the income finance authorities (city, raising strategy to seek in 2022-2026. projects, and in some specific cases a breakdown of the · Strategic partnerships we will combine crowdfunding to be received from the region, state) already support from private They will be built on combining from private sources with matching operating expenditure, by European and global branding with funding from public sources (one public sector to cover voted on or made sponsors? What is the ECOC. We have 4 pan-European euro from public sources for each filling in the table below. brands active in our territory, which private euro). operating expenditure? financial commitments the plan for involving we will want to connect with their European employees so that they Current expenditures are based on the to cover operating sponsors in the event? can come and enjoy the results of “Well we are talking philosophy of sustainable development our work, and connect their brand and a sustainable programme. We want about long term Public sector expenditure? If not, with a pan-European event to the programme, which will be designed revenue to in mil. in % connect Europe and connect their relationships. for 2026, to be subsequently sustainable cover current EUR “…and what do you think, brand in individual countries. from the audience’s point of view, and expenditure when will they do so? Relationship with meaning for do you expect Bekaert · CSR activities people working on the project will see National govern- community and private sector. 20,00 67,7 These will include activities for in the project a long-term purpose and ment or Saneca to give you We will answer this question together employees and communities At the end of the day, we source of livelihood. City 1,00 3,3 with question 29. money for this project of yours in individual companies in the live here in on place, sharing Region 5,00 17,00 now? A member of the city region. Through CSR activities one space. There is no other In our organisational structure, we EU (apart from council announced at 00:45 at focused on education, team skills choice.” are counting on 3 top management Melina Mercouri 1,00 3,5 development and community positions that will be active during the Award) night, when the ECOC project activities for members of work entire 6 years of the project (2022 - Other 2,5 8,5 with its impacts and work teams or for communities in the 2027), 4 senior management positions Total 29,5 100,00 with local communities and plants themselves (Roma, Serbian that will be available during 5 years entrepreneurs were discussed minority, employees at the end of of the project, 14 positions in middle at the city council… And I think their productive age, physically management for 3 years and 100 team disadvantaged colleagues) we will members during the final 2 years. All she was right.” ensure the supply of audiences and employees will form the undergrowth of users of our programmes and thus the SMALL TOWNS INSTITUTE team for revenues by employers. the city and the region. Given that we anticipate a change in · Advertising partnerships the business environment, we cannot We are planning to develop rely entirely on resources from large them mainly in the form of Program expenditure 15,62 manufacturing companies and their product benefits, or discounts (in million EUR) suppliers. But what we can rely on will for users of our services and Program expenditure (in %) 53 be establishing an environment that will products (for example, transport Promotion and marketing 7 build an affiliation with the region and operators – transport packages, (in million EUR) the community. The manner of achieving telecommunications operators – the Promotion and marketing 23,7 this, as I see it, is as follows: creation of infrastructure for BELLA (in %) HC and holographic events). Salaries, overheads and ad- 6,78 · Partnerships on local events ministration (in million EUR) Salaries, overheads · Erdödy club For example, at the regional event 23 A club of local and regional Forum Material, we will focus and administration (in %) Other (please specify) entrepreneurs, whose goal will be precisely on the producers of the 0,1 (in million EUR) staff to work closely together so that material that will be the topic of the Other (please specify) (in %) 0,3 local business owners know how forum. they can and are able to use the · 3rd party financing TOTAL 29,5 arts and creative industries for We will enter into partnerships their development. The cultural with tourist portals and ticketing strategy defines the precondition portals, and through them we will for the creation of a fund to support raise additional funding through culture, where both private and commissions for arranging public resources will be collected. accommodation or the programme. This fund, as a tool to divert political · Crowd funding

48 49 At the level of the Trnava self-governing 2020, we included project intentions 28/What is the 29/Have the public region, there was no official budget 30/What is your fund- for cultural infrastructure for the ECOC 31/If appropriate, please commitment for the following years project in the investment pool of breakdown of the income finance authorities (city, at the time of the submission of the raising strategy to seek the territorial integrated strategy of insert a table here that application. We assume that after the the Trnava self-governing region for to be received from the region, State) already decision is made which cities will be financial support from Partnership Agreement 2021 - 2027. specifies which amounts shortlisted for the selection round of the The co-financing of projects suitable for public sector to cover voted on or made ECOC (two cities from the Trnava region Union programmes financial support from EU programs and will be spent for new are candidates), the policy of funding the funds will be supported chiefly from the capital expenditure in financial commitments implementation of this project through to cover capital city budget funds. cultural infrastructure the regional budget will become clear. connection with the title to cover capital expenditure? In addition to supplementary funding to be used in the Also, at the town level, no commitment of capital expenditures from available year? expenditure? If not, has been made yet with regard to endowment sources, we plan to framework of the title funding the years of preparing and proactively use the funding available when will they do so? implementing the ECOC. If our town is from international financial and year. shortlisted for the selection phase, the The capital expenditure plan on cultural banking institutions, which is not Council Members will decide on funding infrastructure required for the ECOC a common practice in Slovakia yet. The Public sector revenue in mil. when approving the economic results of project is based on the mapping of the European Bank for Reconstruction and to cover capital in % EUR At the state level, there is a discussion the town for the year 2020 in spring 2021. status of existing infrastructure in the Development (EBRD), the European We will answer this question together expenditure between the Ministry of Investment, town and its surroundings, which we Investment Bank (EIB), the Council with question 38. National government 20,00 64,50 Regional Development and have been implementing continuously of Europe Bank, the International City 1,00 3,2 Informatisation, which manages since 2015 and the investment plans Investment Bank (IIB, Slovakia being Region 5,00 16,1 European financial resources, and the resulting from the ECOC programme a co-owner of this bank) have the Ministry of Culture, on how to finance focus. We already have building permits EU (apart from Melina resources to fund the infrastructure 3,00 9,7 Mercouri Award) the ECOC project at the national level. for some capital investments and for projects we plan to examine for 2021 – Other 2,00 6,5 According to the most up-to-date some project documentation. For others 2022, and together with bank experts we information available at the time of we are at the level of study, and for new will prepare individual plans for financing Total 31,00 100,00 the submission of the application, the investments resulting from the ECOC or co-financing. amount of 40 mil. EUR for the ECOC programme lines we are at the level project from European sources is of project intent. Additional project The main rule of investing will be that calculated in the Partnership Agreement preparation of these investments will unless we have the funding sources for the programming period 2021 - 2027. continue in the 2021 - 2022. covered, we will not go ahead with the An additional approximately 30 mil. project. This rule will allow us to carry EUR should be obtained from national External funding sources will be out years of preparation so that we are funds. However, this amount has not state resources, EU Structural Funds, credible and trustworthy for our partners yet been confirmed by any official act at investment credit sources and private and supporters, artists and spectators. government level. and endowment sources.

We are constantly continuing our efforts to finance the restoration of the historical cultural infrastructure from national sources from the Let’s Renew Our House fund of the Ministry of Culture programme.

Under the new programming period 2021-2027, we will apply for funding for the restoration of historic cultural infrastructure from Objective 5 of the Cohesion Policy, a Europe closer to citizens. From this fund, we will also strive to obtain resources for other cultural infrastructure within the framework of integrated territorial investments. Therefore, in November

50 51 32/Please give an map, evaluate and create a reflective “We have six years to space for the entire organization to learn learn, those who will Citizens from the first day of the implementation (members of culture outline of the intended of the project (January 2022). The help. We are close for and education comitee) structure will also include the position of experienced ones who can governance and delivery HR Manager, who will be in charge of the help, we have a school here sustainability of the organisation from to find new talents. It looks structure for the the perspective of people working on the Town ECOC Board Region project. impossible, but it is doable. implementation of the And that counts most.” If we win the ECOC 2026 title, we will European Capital of want to approach diverse stakeholders from other registered cities to become Culture year part of the whole event in some form, State Entrepreneurs (Erdödy Club) as we know that there is the potential of organising 2 or 3 ECOCs within a radius of 60 km. Part of the brief for the CEO will “What I’m most afraid include the sustainability of the ECOC organisation, which will be transformed Art Director CEO Evaluation Board of is whether we will be into the legacy organisation SMALL able to make it with our TOWNS INSTITUTE, which will operate people. Whether we succeed, from HC throughout the EU as an we are small and not everyone instrument for the development of small towns in Slovakia and the EU. will know how, not having the Artistic Board Fundraising Operations HR Marketing skills for what they need to This is the scheme of the final structure do. I don’t know if that’s even for 2026, but its creation will gradually possible…” evolve so that all the roles and responsibilities will be covered by at Art Diplomacy Recruitment least two members of the whole team. Corporate Development The team will thus be strengthened in fundraising The main goal of this setting of the versatility and will be more resistant EU Funding Volunteers SK/EU organisational structure is for it to be to crises since several of its members able to work in the form of agile project will be able to handle more functions in SK Funding HR admin management. In order to do this, we the case of a failure, and there will be Team culture must be able to manage the project no huge gap if someone from the team in the form of substitutability with an needs to be replaced. Thanks to strong emphasis on the motivating factor of HR, the transfer of know-how to new Dramaturgy SK audience Production International Finance people who should come primarily from people will also be ensured, and thanks Cooperation development EU audience the local environment. The more skills to the evaluation board, the rhythm of Controlling they acquire, the better they will be able reflecting on the facts recorded by the development to realise their dreams and their life or team taking care of the team’s culture IT/TECH Online professional intentions after 2026. will be constantly observed. In this Safe Environment HC Production Legal way, we would like to avoid negative Communication Hope EU Production For this, it is necessary that the board of experiences caused by the frequent directors of the organisation EHcMK2026 rotation in the team that comes in the Fostering Humanity Small Towns Coalition include all stakeholders who will be case of a project such as the ECOC. involved in the implementation of the Trustworthiness EU Networks project. The CEO will be tasked with creating an evaluation team that will

52 53 Strenghts Steps for elimination of weaknesses 33/What are the International Program con- Infrastructure People Financing the ECOC as Implementa- The link be- Creating Increasing the Creation of the “We may have more network cept a tool fortown tion of joint tween the a tourist potential of Hlohovec brand development virtual ON- twinned identity of creative out- as an artistic weaknesses than main strengths and LIVE events towns is so the town, as puts through destination, during the strong that the an unknown the Fostering strengths. It doesn’t Know-how Concept sup- More than High involve- Government The concept is second phase SMALL TOWNS place amid humanity pillar matter, if it goes on like this, weaknesses of your based on ported by 28 10,000 seats ment of the pledge of based on and of selection COALITION the known ECOC best states within available at population 40 mil. € reflects the process exists before hopefully we will be able to practices the SMALL one time for and local or- achieved by strategic PRM the closing of project? How are you from all coun- TOWNS COA- events ganisations in our mayor and HCulture the second eliminate them. Perhaps we’ll tries organis- LITION stream the open call 2030 docu- application ing ECOC ments be ready.” planning to overcome Creating Creating Creation of Activating the Creating an a volunteer a comprehen- container population alliance of Connectivity LEGACY Basic culture High support Current ex- Reconstruction body of En- sive profile accommoda- through pro- entrepreneurs weaknesses identified? and visibility program set infrastructure of the young perience with of premises for glish-speak- of Hlohovec tion during the grammes in - Erdödy Klub at each ECOC up from the being recon- generation for refinancing the ECOC in the ing members as an artistic years of im- the Hope for and launch- in each EU beginning in structed for the project in reconstruc- long-term plan as assistants destination plementation, relationships ing a fund to member state a unique form, less than 5 the form of tions for the of strategic to local com- connected which will pillar finance cul- which has years follow-up ac- renewal of documents munity repre- with the issue subsequently ture based on never worked tivities in the cultural infra- sentatives of small towns become com- the HCulture within the town after the structure munity and 2030 strategy ECOC with open call residential such a target centres. Cre- group ation of a tent Involvement The program A dense Supporting High success The program is camp on the of all ECOC in is strongly network of the idea of all rate in grant based on basic river bank the program focused on cultural and managers of applications EU documents Education for Activation of Creating an Involving (past, present the use of educational educational in the SK and in the field of regional ac- small towns in E-infrastruc- young peo- and future) holography infrastructure and cultural EU calls for urban region tors in culture Slovakia (20) ture for events ple and cre- and virtual in the urban institutions in the resto- development and organiza- as another to a similar ative people space tools for region the region ration of cul- tion of on-live group that will extent. in creative avoiding covid tural heritage training for be affected by cross-border like situations grant appli- STC and foreign cants programs Weaknesses through the HC as un- Solution of Hlohovec is Only 1% of the Poor pre- Ignorance of Fostering hu- known envi- problems an unknown population dictability of Hlohovec as manity pillar ronment for that can be tourist centre is engaged public sector a cultural cen- foreign part- easily copied in the SK and in an activity revenues in tre and region ners from Slovakia in the EU whose output the post co- in Slovakia and by any other is a creative or rona period in the EU ECOC candi- artistic work date town Lack of Ignorance of Little accom- A huge silent Little con- English lan- Hlohovec by modation majority with- nection of guage skills foreign part- capacity right out opinion the local by local art- ners through in the town and activity in and regional ists of the their creation the commu- community of older gener- nity or public entrepreneurs ation space to the support of culture A small num- A concept No infrastruc- Few people Unreadable ber of foreign containing ture for an with interna- situation financial re- “only” 45,000 event for up to tional experi- in public sources for citizens at the 10 000 people ence working resources events in the venue in one space in the field of during the last 5 years art planning of the programming period

“Basic thing is to be aware of our weaknesses. Once we are aware, we can reflect on it. So, we can prepare. Exactly as in our concept – we are preparing.”

54 55 We can also communicate the Hlohovec. And the corona taught us that Towns Coalition), the programme will politicians, together with philosophers 34/Please provide involvement of the 20 partner small towns what really matters is human contact. Not provide space for joint productions, which 35/How does the city and artists, will talk about how life in from Slovakia by means of the formulation whether you are liked or disliked, but rather will be regularly formulated in a virtual small towns affects diversity, democracy an outline of the 20 + 26: 20 domestic small towns + 26 the human touch, which should manifest ECOC studio, and of course everything will plan to highlight that and the environment throughout the EU. partner representatives of the Union. itself in the form of a connection directly be on the web in a virtual environment. And all this as the backdrop of the ECOC city’s intended marketing But that is the second plan. (virtually or in person). Therefore, our the European Capital of and also beyond the ECOC. We do not strategy will be personal relation, because Following the example of the Emirates, we think that 2026 will be the end of the and communication To give our project with even more that really matters. This line will also find will create a channel with our partners in Culture is an action of the European dimension here. We look at it credibility, we will create a Small Towns expression in our programme pillar Hope. which we will talk about what is happening in such a way that the EU will stay with strategy for the Coalition and draft a Small Towns Only a relationship, a personal relationship in the ECOC and what will happen next. European Union? us even after 2026. Because we are the Manifesto. In the memorandum, we will will bring one to a place or allow one to Though this channel will be a virtual one, EU. European Capital of make it clear to both Slovakia and the function in that place, but it also motivates it will also serve as the main source of EU that although we are aware of the you to change the place. information for tourists who either fly or In addition to that, we will carry out Culture year. disadvantages of a small town, together take a train to Slovakia. “… and now imagine multiple activities we want to change that and under the Therefore, we will rely on: all that can be on leadership of Hlohovec as the ECOC, we We cannot flood the market with an God’s finger… I told my · Virtual “We have both good will succeed together. · Building relationships with partner abundance of information on the ECOC, BELLA HC – the introductory loading cities in the EU. but it is the Small Towns Coalition that wife when sometime in April sequence BELLA HC will talk about visuals and a good title, Tone of voice communication: · Creating relationships between allows us to precisely target ECOC actors we discussed how people the fact that Hlohovec is located in I don’t think this will be individual artistic actors. and users. It was the overhyping of accept the ECOC.” the EU and comes from the EU, and something we should have Sincerity · Building relationships among the campaigns and information that led to so all visitors to this virtual space will a problem with. We are good We need to make it clearly known that inhabitants of the EU twinned towns. a partially negative response to the ECOC know that they are in the EU. we are aware of the current situation. in June 2020 in such a small town as in praising ourselves for what That small towns are underrated and the With these three points we will achieve Hlohovec. That is why we must let people The “God’s finger” is a dominant · Visual we are doing and shall do. people who live in them do not believe three goals: choose the connections they want to building. It is the tallest building in the The entire marketing production That’s a fact.” that anything can change. We must show make. Just as in the HCulture strategy - we town. And it’s an apartment building. It including ATL and BTL promotion them that we know about this, and we are · Knowing Hlohovec as an ECOC want to create a connection to connect will welcome everyone to the town and activities, in both offline and playing with open cards when we try to destination. and not to merely create a connection. will be shrouded - in the EU flag. And it online environments, will use As part of our marketing strategy, we change this state. · Knowing Hlohovec as a tourist will welcome all visitors. Because it’s the a visual identity that will include communicate two basic messages: destination. first thing you’ll see at the highway clear elements of the EU (spots, Simplicity · Knowing Hlohovec as an artistic exit. But there are two more dominant videos, events, press materials, 1st message Small towns matter Small towns matter. We want this message destination. “Well we are good in buildings that are visible even on the OHH). Equally, in all communication to stay in people’s minds forever. We want · All that in order to point out that local scope, but we highway coming from Bratislava. The channels of the town of We will communicate in an open and it to return to them long after the ECOC SMALL TOWNS MATTER. would like to be good castle, whose roof can be seen from afar Hlohovec (web, letter and e-mail slightly provocative form the message that project is over. Therefore, all the activities and the wire mill chimney. communication, the EU flag on the small towns are “sleepy” and no one will presented above must contain this simple, So that we are capable of communicating in international scope. That building of the Municipal Office and do anything about it, but at the same time strong message. at times when people may not be able to will be our biggest challenge.” Three symbols of the town, three municipal organisations…). we will communicate that we are going travel or people may not want to travel, symbols of the transformation of the · Integrating the EU into everyday life to do something about it. That we know In Hlohovec, we are already feeling a big we will need people to be able to “touch” town from a rural and agricultural centre Here are some creative things we how to do it. That we are not afraid, we shift in this regard, according to how us. That is why, through the HC Bella of the region to an industrial district can do: have determination, ideas and excellent people perceive the ECOC. At the town project, we will create a space where town. These three dominant elements o We will translate the name Hlohovec domestic and European partners in other council, they already use the ECOC as people can meet regardless of the physical will now be the symbols of the EU. And into all EU languages; given the fact towns. a tool - if we want to be the ECOC, do this, environment. This will create a unique they will create the feeling of being at that the basis of the word is HLOH or we have to reconstruct that. experience and also a brand for the town. home for everyone who attends the (hawthorn), it should be doable. 2nd message HC+26 Town - where you will meet, even if you annual summit of leaders of the Small o Distributing Hlohovec wines from the Self-confidence don’t have to be there. Towns Coalition. That they are in the EU. year 2026 with the label Europe. In addition to Slovakia, some more 26 We believe that we will be able to change o Planting flower beds in the shape of countries are EU members. We will have our town and that this will serve to launch By interconnecting 26 small towns in And it is the annual summot of the Small the EU flag. one partner from each country of the changes in other similar Slovak and foreign the EU, we will have a meeting space Towns Coalition that will be the focus o Illumination of selected buildings Union, for a total of 26 partner towns. The towns. And we also want to convince based on regular events - festivals, as of attention throughout the years of the with an EU motif. fact that the ECOC in Slovakia will take people to trust us. Therefore, we steer is the case in our programme line Hope ECOC, even once the ECOC is over. Our o Creation of a memorial place place in 2026 affords the opportunity to clear of any excuses, unclear and vague vs. Demotivation. Street food festivals, project Small DAVOS of small towns is on Sianec - the highest point of use the coincidence of the number 26 - messages and formulations. We will be art events or meetings of experts from a meeting of think-tanks on the topic Hlohovec. the number of partner towns and at the ready to answer any question. We will be cities on a given topic will make HC of small town development in the EU o Dedicating individual trees in same time the last two digits of the year friendly, straightforward, determined. a destination for tourism and art. Against and the development of small towns the Chateau Garden (the largest when the ECOC project will be held in our We managed the first step – making the background of the meeting of this in the world. Every year, delegations of sycamore grove in Central Europe) country. everyone familiar with the ECOC in target group (the members of the Small foreign and domestic central and local to one EU state each (with a plaque

56 57 with a brief description of the state 36/Please confirm and “Do you really think that National Council for Culture and Media, next to the tree, and one tree would such a big project in participates in “facilitating” the dialogue 37/Please confirm 37/a/Explain briefly contain the entire history of the EU). concerning the adequate support for supply evidence that such a small town will o Real objects from EU partner the ECOC 2026 project between the and provide evidence how the European cities would be dispersed enjoy the necessary support?” Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of throughout Hlohovec, (they would you have broad and Informatics, Regional Development and that your city has or Capital of Culture will have Portuguese cookies in the We realize that local support is key to Investments, which manages European confectionery, they would plant strong political support the success of the ECOC 2026 project. funds for the new programming period. will have adequate and make use of and develop a typical Bulgarian tree in the park, The project has the maximum support The fact that both ministries are aware we would make a ground for playing and a sustainable of the mayor of the town, who is directly of the importance of adequate project viable infrastructure the city’s cultural a typical Latvian game)… in brief, the elected by the citizens of the town preparation has been confirmed by the Union would be integrated into the commitment from the and of the Townhall (four managers forthcoming Partnership Agreement to host the title. To do infrastructure. everyday practical life of Hlohovec. were involved in the writing of the 2021 – 2027. As the Vice–President relevant local, regional application). We also have an equally of the Union of Slovak Cities, he also that, please answer the · Auditory strong support from the mayors of the promotes the interests of candidate and national public towns and municipalities in the larger cities (all candidate cities are members following questions: “It’s probably all going to • In radio performances, podcasts, region. of the Union) in communication with but also in videos, a part of the EU be for something, we’ll authorities central state authorities. We also anthem can be used as a musical 1 probably be able to build background, part of the EU anthem We consider the inhabitants of the town have the support of the Ministry of those things, we have already will be used at the beginning or and the region to be the most important Justice through the management of the end of a spot, etc. On the train line dimension of support at the local level. Leopoldov Prison as part of cooperation managed in the past. And from Bratislava to Kosice a sound They have expressed this support by on the RE.ED.AA project. many good things will stay, recording will be played while participating in the open call for the most likely. Or I hope so.” passing through the Hlohovec submission of bids for the ECOC 2026 district, which speaks of Hlohovec project – allow us just to repeat that we and the Hlohovec region as the have received 317 project proposals. “It already did get Over the last five years, we have ECOC for 2026. At the Leopoldov the support, but yes invested almost 8 million euros station, a separate EU theme song The members of the City Council were in the revitalization of our cultural will be played as an audible alarm you are right, it might continually informed, in detail, about infrastructure – the vast majority of the accompanying announcements of the structure and status of the project not be as big as the project. funds came directly from the city budget. the train’s current location with the But wait, until we get to the The overview of new infrastructure motif “ECOC region”. preparations at the meetings of the City Council. We also conducted personal second round. To finals. It was projects in the pipeline until 2026 – also · Verbal interviews with them about the project. the same in Košice 2013.” in relation with the implementation of Information provided in the Six of the 17 deputies submitted a project the ECOC 2026 project – is presented Information Centre, in the client proposal as part of the open call, and in the table under Question 38. Here centre, by ambassadors, cultural another 4 expressed their personal we wish to briefly describe the use of leaders, and members of the ECOC understanding of the significance of the the existing and planned infrastructure team. ECOC 2026 project for the city. At the directly for the purposes of the ECOC end of the process, they were presented 2026 project. with the final form of the project, which they took note of by voting. · Our current most valuable cultural “That is a perfect idea. heritage – the Castle and its It is gonna be the Support from regional self–government adjacent buildings together with highlight…” is certainly equally important. Based the Castle Garden – will be used as on the Memorandum of Cooperation, the base for the flagship projects the Regional Parliament of the Trnava of the Small Towns Coalition and Region expressed its full support for HaCropolis, and the stables will Hlohovec’s candidacy for the ECOC be used for the RE.ED.AA project: 2026. They also participated financially for young people from the re– in the preparation of the project education centre; the renovated application. amphitheatre will be available for music (experimental music) and film Support at the national level is a basic events (DIS Fest). prerequisite for the implementation of the ECOC 2026 project in Slovakia. The Mayor of the City, as the Vice– Chairman of the Committee of the 1 Professional organization uniting 53 largest Slovak cities.

58 59 · The premises of the Cinema Hall conference tourism in correlation of the Vážská cycle route, connecting “It seems are a ‘hole’ – The Smile (Kino Úsmev) will also with the cultural background against 37/b/What are the Hlohovec and the Strečno Castle – in the middle of it all. 37/c/What is the be used for the DIS Fest flagship the background of art. a 187–kilometer–long cycle route that Everyone can reach us project. city’s assets in terms of connects Hlohovec with the north of city’s absorption · The reconstructed Observatory with Slovakia. When navigability allows, easily. We simply must provide the Planetarium will serve as the “If we managed, accessibility (regional, the Váh river connects Hlohovec with a good enough reason for capacity in terms of centre for popular science projects even without the other destinations in the range of 30 them to come.” such as Technopark until the new national and international kilometers. the accommodation of MillTech premises will be opened on ECOC, to rebuild the the Váh River. city’s cultural infrastructure, transport)? tourists? · The building of the old cultural house that was once standing on Hierarchical and reciprocal commuting – Bratislava MR will be transformed into the Club wobbly feet, and have it stand House, which will cater to the needs of special interest groups. today on healthy feet, it will be “But we are just a hole “This is worse, we · The premises and buildings of the a piece of cake to manage it in the middle of nowhere. don’t offer much Museum of National History and with the ECOC’s help.” Who would come to see accommodation here. Geography will be used for local Senica Piešťany events and activities that have us anyway?” But Piešťany, Nitra and Trnava Jaslovské Bohunice historical and educational potential. do. And they are close to us. Hlohovec · The Empire Theatre will be home to Hlohovec is a town in the “middle”. Malacky This won’t be a problem at all. the Mirroring project and for amateur It’s close for us to go anywhere, and it Nitra Modra Trnava Everything can be solved if theatre and theatre productions. is close to come to us from anywhere. Vráble Experimental sound projects will One of the goals of the project is to turn Stupava Sereď there is a will.” Pezinok have the possibility to test the best centrifugal currents into centripetal Galanta acoustics in Central Europe in this ones. Šaľa It is limited, so far. We have 500 theatre. Senec beds available in the town. But in the Bratislava · The premises of the old football We are in the middle of the West Slovak Šamorín immediate vicinity (within 20 – 30 stadium will be assigned to the Terra region, with the city centre less than five Dunajská minutes), in the cities of Trnava, Nitra Vagus project. kilometres from the highway connection Streda and Piešťany, there are 9,008 beds. Not · The new Punk Nomad project (see to Prague and Budapest, to Vienna and Veľký Meder enough? Within 45 minutes, there are Question 38) will find new uses for Krakow. We have the Piešťany Airport at 11,000 beds in Bratislava and another the floodplain zones. our disposal, only 25 km away from us, 2,000 in Trenčín. And in one hour and · Accommodation facilities, which we which provides for international charter a half you are in Vienna by car. will build from large containers, will flights. 60 km close to us lies the Capital serve as community centres for each City Bratislava with the biggest airport Still not enough? town district in individual localities in Slovakia. 120 km from us is the Vienna after the period of the ECOC has Schwechat Airport, and within 200 km Metropolitan Territory of the POLYCE Capital Cities · The program includes the creation of ended. there are airports in Budapest and Brno. four container community centres in · The reconstructed square will And if the Piešťany airport is our gate, various parts of the town. These will become the centre for open projects the town of Leopoldov with its prison serve as places of accommodation linked to exhibitions in public facility is our train gate to the world. during the year. spaces. The centre of Hlohovec is less than 4 · We are creating a new space for Praha · Wine makers will make use of their kilometres away from the main railway water sports lovers – a boathouse space via open vineyards projects, junction to the Bratislava – Košice route, with a camping area for backpackers. Brno which will be connected to cycling which connects the West and East of · And finally – most people in our routes. Slovakia. Hlohovec country live a bubble? We complain HiCon and IIV will find a place in the Piešťany that life is no good here. And · Bratislava premises of a new conference centre The proximity of four major cities Wien how about taking the example built by utilizining private funds. (Bratislava, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest of the town of Matera and their · In the context of the ECOC Hlohovec, Budapest) makes us a logistics centre. project Lucanian By Choice and we, for the first time, speak Hlohovec is also an imaginary centre accommodate guests in our homes? about a completely new type of among the largest regional centres How about demolishing imaginary Ljubljana infrastructure – BELLA HC – which in Western Slovakia. We are 20 – 25 fences or gates and open our is a new virtual infrastructure of kilometres from Trnava and Nitra beautiful courtyards? Also, in this the town, which will serve the and 60 kilometres from Trenčín and way we can build the pride of our town, art interventions, tourism and Bratislava. We are located at the start town. As a spin off, we will keep this know–how for sustainable tourism –

60 61 how to build necessary capacities cultural infrastructure for several years and Target groups: The architectural Project Partners: The towns of Hlohovec, And the last reply to ourselves – even after 2026. 38/In terms of cultural, which is fully in line with the intentions of community, students of architecture, Leopoldov, Piešťany, cultural institutions, Michal: “That boy is the New European Bauhaus movement, pioneers of ecological civil engineering ecological engineering companies, right.” Still not enough? urban and tourism we present an example of a project linked as well as small private DIYs and those companies working with local materials.

to the ECOC project.2 interested in eco–buildings (for example, We also have an answer in case some infrastructure what are the architect Zdeněk Fránek from capacities are still missing, or in case – the Faculty of Architecture, Technical as we witnessed during the past the projects (including Model project: University of Liberec). months – anything, such as another pandemic, would prevent you from renovation projects) that Program line: Scope: international, national and local coming to Hlohovec in person. HC Safe Environment vs. Destabilization projects, long–term, and also seasonal will, therefore, come to its audiences. your city is planning to (summer) projects. Maybe without accommodation, but Punk Nomád permanently. Maybe without the carry out in connection physical experience of the place but Aim: PUNK NOMÁD is a key project of the with the sense of the place’s brand and with the ECOC action central development of a multi–purpose with the desire to come in person, once pavilion for large social events. PUNK this is possible. This will be our largest between now and the NOMÁD is a mega–tent, a temporary large Overview of the planned projects of revitalization of cultural, tourist and transport infrastructure 2021 – 2026 capacity – BELLA HC. You don’t need hall, an open agora. It will be eco–friendly to travel, you just need to change your year of the title? because it will be temporary, there will mindset and go virtual. be markets, theatres, and all kinds of Project Initiator Type of infrastructure events. We want to show a completely 1. Punk Nomád ECOC 2026 Cultural infrastructure new option for civil engineering; we wish 2. MILLTECH – Mills on the Váh river ECOC 2026 Cultural infrastructure to confirm that culture and art can have Virtual Cultural 3. BELLA HC ECOC 2026 “As a Slovak proverb “Now that I reached a minimal carbon footprint. The PUNK Infrastructure NOMÁD project is also an example of the 4. Hlohovec Castle – completion ECOC 2026, CDP (City Development Plan), cultural strategy, goes: Good people this point in the reading Cultural infrastructure fit in everywhere.” of this paper, I am possibility of implementing development of the refurbishing project PA (Partnership Agreement) 2021–2027 projects and making them functional in the 5. Castle Riding Hall – renovation ECOC 2026, CDP, cultural strategy, Cultural infrastructure beginning to feel that we will floodplain area. for RE.ED.AA: PA 2021–2027 6. Reconstruction and reprofiling ECOC 2026, CDP, cultural strategy, manage. But it will be a slightly Cultural infrastructure different Hlohovec.” Content of the Project: For the PUNK of the Culture House – Club House PA 2021–2027 7. Reconstruction of the historic town hall and ECOC 2026, CDP, cultural strategy, NOMÁD project, we were inspired by the Cultural infrastructure the “golden alley” – artists’ residences PA 2021–2027 structures and the shelters of nomadic 8. Community centres – temporary container ECOC 2026, CDP, cultural strategy, The list of projects of new cultural, Indians, Berbers and Tuaregs. With the Cultural infrastructure accommodation PA 2021–2027 urban and tourist infrastructure and PUNK NOMÁD project, we wish to offer 9. Reconstruction of the Observatory and Plan- ECOC 2026, the Trnava Region, CDP Cultural infrastructure refurbishment of the existing ones is an exceptional structure for the purpose etarium – Science Park presented in the summary table below. of organizing cultural activities and 10. Revitalization of St. Michal Square CDP, cultural strategy, PA 2021–2027 Cultural infrastructure These are projects that follow from supplementing the missing infrastructure. 11. Revitalisation of the remaining buildings (the the City Development Program (CDP), It will be a structure connected with amphitheatre, the riding hall, greenhouses) CDP, Cultural Strategy, PA 2021–2027 Cultural infrastructure the Cultural Strategy, and participatory a specific site made of natural and and the infrastructure of the Castle Garden processes. Most of these projects have recyclable materials. An important part of 12. Hlohovec – a town upon the Váh river: CDP, Cultural Strategy, PA 2021–2027 Cultural infrastructure been proposed to be part of the regional the PUNK NOMÁD project is also the focus revitalization of the R. Dilong Park Partnership Agreement (PA) 2021–2027 for on the project selection process and the 13. Hotel + Congress Centre Private investment, CDP Cultural infrastructure the new programming period of drawing construction itself, which will be offered 14. “Vista” Spot Šianec CDP Cultural infrastructure on the EU funds. At the same time, this as an open masterclass of ecological civil 15. Completion of the Váh River Cycle Route CDP, PA 2021–2027 Cultural infrastructure overview also includes projects prepared engineering for students of architecture. (on the left bank of the river Váh) by the regional self–governing body (the At the same time, the structure will be 16. Boathouse and camping on the Váh river Private investment, CDP Cultural infrastructure Trnava Region) and private investors. built from local materials. At the end of 17. Reconstruction of the bridge over the Váh The Trnava Region, CDP Cultural infrastructure the season, the structure will be taken out river To understand the philosophy which we of operation and recycled with minimal 18. Reconstruction of intersections on the main road in order to increase the traffic capacity have been applying to the revitalization of traces. The Trnava Region, CDP Cultural infrastructure of the town centre and shorten the access to the town 19. Construction of parking places CDP Cultural infrastructure 2 The New European Bauhaus movement launched in October 2020 wants to be a bridge between the world of science and technology and the world of art and culture. of the Park–and–Ride/Walk type It is about a new European Green Deal aesthetic, combining good design with sustainability. The New Bauhaus is about bringing the European Green Deal closer to people’s minds and homes and about making the comfort and attractiveness of sustainable living tangible. Good design can improve lives. The New European Bauhaus will demonstrate that the necessary can also be beautiful. The New European Bauhaus will be a space for thought and experiment. The New European Bauhaus is part of our broader vision: Building the world of tomorrow for a tomorrow that is greener, more beautiful and humane.

62 63 Published by Town of Hlohovec // Links www.hlohovec2026.sk // www.facebook.com/hlohovec2026 // www.instagram.com/hlohovec2026 // Bid Book Team Juraj Surma, Roman Černík, Miroslav Kollár, Veronika Moravčíková, Andrej Zmeček // Translation Zuzana Kováčová, Viliam Behran // Proofreading Katalin Nun Stewart // Graphic Design Barbora Šajgalíková // Printed by Typografia plus, s.r.o. // Printed on recycled and ecological paper from organic waste //