From Idea to Lasting Impact
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FROM IDEA TO LASTING IMPACT – The city of Aarhus’ involvement in the Capital of Culture project 2005-18 2017_A4_omslag_1218.indd 1 01/12/2018 21.20 2 Preface When the possibility of applying for the title as European Capital of Culture 2017 came up back in 2006, most people felt that this was too good a chance for Aarhus to pass up. In 2007, Aarhus City Council decided to apply for the title, allocating the responsibility for the application work to the City of Aarhus’ Department of Culture. The work went on until the title was won in August 2012. The Aarhus 2017 Foundation was set up to execute the Capital of Culture project, but the Dept. of Culture continued to service the Foundation until this was manned with its own staff from June 2013. Throughout the completion phase and until today, the City of Aarhus has been engaged intensely in the project, committed to paving the way for its success. Up until the end of 2018, 58 cities have held the title of European Capital of Culture. However, it is no secret that the benefit reaped by the host cities has varied greatly. Many factors have contributed to this, but in our view, it has often been a problem that the city government has not involved itself sufficiently after winning the title. Many consider Aarhus 2017 an example of a successful Capital of Culture project that has been of great significance to both Aarhus and the entire region in a wide range of areas. This will be illustrated by the evaluation report prepared by Aarhus University, which will be published in December 2018. With this present report, we would like to focus on the City of Aarhus’ involvement in the Capital of Culture project, from the very first deliberations in 2005 until now. We believe that the City’s intensive work and close connection with the planning and completion of the project throughout the process have been instrumental in creating the prerequisites for the project to have a notable long-term effect, ensuring that it is not merely remembered as the highlight of 2017, one among many other cultural initiatives in the city through the years. The report is not an evaluation, but rather an attempt at capturing the initiatives and efforts that have been launched by the City of Aarhus throughout the period, and an indication of how we in the Dept. of Culture assess the effect of these efforts. We hope that the report will become part of our collective memory of the enormous effort made by many different parties to turn Aarhus 2017 into a success. If other Capitals of Culture or applicant cities can benefit from our experience, so much the better. November 2018 Kirsten Jørgensen Director, Department of Culture and Citizens’ Services FROM IDEA TO LASTING IMPACT | The City of Aarhus’ involvement in the Capital of Culture project 2005-18 3 Contents PREFACE 3 1. APPLICATION PROCESS (2005-12) 5 1.1 Initial deliberations 5 1.2 Political decisions 5 1.3 Citizen collaboration 9 1.4 Municipal monitoring group 10 1.5 Regional collaboration 11 1.6 Business clusters 13 1.7 Application process 13 2. HANDOVER TO THE AARHUS 2017 FOUNDATION (2012-13) 16 2.1 Interim management and servicing of the Foundation, and establishment of a new organisation 16 2.2 The City of Aarhus’ contract with the Foundation 17 3. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY OF AARHUS AND THE AARHUS 2017 FOUNDATION (2013-18) 19 3.1 Programme collaboration 19 3.2 Organisational collaboration 19 3.3 Finance and personnel function 21 3.4 Tourism Consortium 22 3.5 Readiness Committee 23 3.6 rethinkIMPACTS 2017 24 4. SELECTED PROJECTS 27 4.1 Selected strategic projects – other City of Aarhus Departments 27 4.2 Selected strategic projects – Culture and Citizens’ Services 33 4.3 Opening and Closing events 42 5. LEGACY STRATEGY – LASTING IMPACT 46 5.1 The City of Aarhus’ Cultural Policy 46 5.2 The City of Aarhus’ legacy strategy 47 5.3 European Region of Culture 50 6. PERSPECTIVE – RESULTS OF THE CITY OF AARHUS’ INVOLVEMENT 53 6.1 General considerations 53 6.2 Lasting impact 54 6.3 Organisational strength 55 6.4 Cross-sector collaboration 57 6.5 Competence development 58 6.6 Conclusion 59 APPENDIX 1 KEY POSITIONS IN THE CITY OF AARHUS APPENDIX 2 PUBLICATIONS PREPARED IN CONNECTION WITH THE APPLICATION 4 1. Application process (2005-12) 1.1 Initial deliberations 1.2 Political decisions Towards the end of July 2005, the first signs emerged In April 2007, the Liberal Party and the Conservative to indicate that a Danish city along with a city in Cyprus People’s Party put forward a proposal in the City would be awarded the title of European Capital of Cul- Council that a part-time position as capital of culture ture in 2017. Following the enlargement of the European secretary be created based on the desire for Aarhus Union, the stage was set for cities from two different to win the title as European Capital of Culture 2017. It countries to apply for the title each year. The European was suggested that the position should be set up in an Commission made its decision in 2006. existing organisation such as VisitAarhus or the Aarhus Festival, which at the time were heading for a merger From 1985 and onwards, a European City of Culture had with the municipal cultural institution Kulturhus Aar- been selected every year – in 2000, a total of 9 cities hus. The possibilities of collaboration with the rest of were selected, and after that, two cities were selected the region and the country as a whole were also to be each year. Copenhagen had held the title in 1996. investigated. In Aarhus, hopes began rising, and during the weekend The proposal was discussed by the City Council four of 23-24 July 2005, several politicians aired their delib- times during 2007 and adopted with the amendments erations in daily newspapers. Uffe Elbæk (Social-Liberal that due to the scope of the task, a full-time position Party), who chaired the Culture Committee, said that should be set up, and it should be based in the De- Aarhus was an obvious choice due to its cultural-politi- partment of Culture. The background for the latter was cal approach, and that considering the positive expe- a belief that this would better ensure that the project rience gained from Copenhagen, it was worth putting met the requirement about being based on the City of serious effort into winning the title. Aarhus’ cultural-political objectives and strategies for urban and commercial development. The municipal Mayor Louise Gade (Liberal Party) said that there were rooting and the close connection to the political level strong reasons to pursue the title, and the cultural in the city were also considered decisive for achieving spokesmen from the Social Democratic Party (Jacob long-term effects in the years after 2017. Bundsgaard) and the Liberal Party (Bo Abrahamsen) also acknowledged the potential. The formal decision about Aarhus applying for the title as European Capital of Culture was part of the budget However, everybody agreed that especially the finances agreement for 2008-11 in October 2007. It was also of such a project had to be investigated further, and that decided that the application work should be rooted in it would have to be proved probable that such a huge the Department of Culture and Citizens’ Services, and undertaking would also have a long-term effect – lasting DKK 700,000 per year were allocated to hiring a Cap- dynamics for the cultural life in Aarhus. ital of Culture secretary. The Culture Committee had a thematic discussion about this position in November Immediately after the summer holidays, Alderman 2007. for Culture Torben Brandi Nielsen (Social Democratic Party) launched a survey about a wide range of aspects concerning the Capital of Culture project. The Schools and Culture Committee discussed the case at four meetings from August to December 2005, and the new Culture Committee debated it in January 2006. FROM IDEA TO LASTING IMPACT | The City of Aarhus’ involvement in the Capital of Culture project 2005-18 5 On 31 January 2008, a wide cultural agreement, ‘Cul- The position for a Capital of Culture secretary / project ture on the track – towards 2017’ was adopted, and manager was advertised, and Trevor Davies was appointed, subsequently, a sum of DKK 6 million was allotted to starting as project manager for the application work support the Capital of Culture venture. The parties on 1 April 2008 in the Dept. of Culture. The project involved in the agreement also made it clear that organisation was based on a highly inclusive method, they would endorse the proposal for Cultural Policy creative process management and strategic project 2008-11, which had been put forward by Alderman for development. The first months were spent phrasing Culture Flemming Knudsen (Social Democratic Party) an action plan for the work. The plan was presented to in October 2007. This contained the ambition about the City Council in November 2008 and adopted on 14 the Capital of Culture title as a pivotal element in the January 2009. vision, objectives and target areas. One crucial element of the plan was that it included “Many people, organisations, businesses and asso- a decision to investigate the possibilities of regional ciations outside the municipal organisation possess collaboration on the project. There had been a great knowledge, competences and resources that are deal of political debate about this, but having learnt crucial pieces in the big puzzle.