”All of the participants of this project affect the contents and the events of Turku 2011. Symbolically this happens through contact – touching creates personal illustrations. Everyone handling this application illustrates the covers of the book differently: what happens to the covers of the book comes from me, I can have and impact on what Turku will be like as the Capital of Culture in 2011.” Ilmo Valtonen, the designer of the layout of the book Turku on Fire The Application of the City of Turku for the European Capital of Culture 2011 www.turku2011.fi Turku Established in 1229, the oldest city and former capital of Finland 175 000 inhabitants, the centre of the 3rd largest urban region in the country A bilingual city (Finnish, Swedish) with 113 different nationalities Altogether 35 000 students at three universities and four polytechnics History of over 30 urban fires, The Great Fire in 1827 Nationally significant medieval landmarks include the Turku Castle and the Turku Cathedral The River Aura running through the city The Turku Archipelago consists of 20 000 islands with 20 000 inhabitants Turku The highest temperature in 2005 +30°C, the lowest -22°C Tallinn The city in which the world’s largest passenger cruisers are created The host of the oldest open-air rock festival in Europe, Ruisrock The candidate for the European Capital of Culture 2011 together with Tallinn, Estonia Editors: Niina Helander, Suvi Innilä, Mari Jokinen, Jukka Talve Revision of the Finnish text: Joni Pyysalo Translation and editing: Laura Kopu Main photographies and photo collages: Heli Konttinen, Harri Pälviranta, Markku Lappalainen. Visual design: Dynamo Identity Oy / Ilmo Valtonen Lay-out: Dynamo Identity Oy Publisher: The City of Turku Imprint: Salpausselän kirjapaino Oy ISBN: 952-5217-61-2 Contents TURKU FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2011 6 Turku on Fire THE TURKU 2011 STRATEGY 8 The Vision 2016 8 The Mission 9 The Aims 10 The Means 11 The Values THE WILL 2001–2007 14 The Planning and Bidding Process 22 Turku and Tallinn – Twins of the Baltic Sea THE COURAGE 2008–2010 28 The Development of the Prerequisites 32 Turku 2011 Infrastructure Projects 36 The Long-Term Capital of Culture Projects TURKU ON FIRE – THE CAPITAL OF CULTURE PROGRAMME 2011 42 The Preparation of the Programme 44 The Turku 2011 Programme 48 2011 Memories and Truths 58 2011 Transformations 70 2011 Explores the Archipelago 78 2011 Take Offs THE POWER 2012–2016 92 Towards 2016 THE ORGANISATION 96 The Turku 2011 Foundation 98 The Communication Strategy 102 The Business Cooperation Strategy 105 The Tourism Strategy APPENDICES 109 LIVe Turku 2011 146 Appendix 1: The Organisation of Turku 110 Time Frame for the European Capital of Culture 2011 111 Budget for Turku 2011 147 Appendix 2: Committees Supporting the Preparations of Turku 2011 THE BASIS OF THE CAPITAL OF CULTURE 148 Appendix 3: Turku 2011 Vision Days 114 A City of Culture 149 Appendix 4: The Turku 2011 Seminars 116 Literature and Creative Writing in Spring 2005 118 Music 149 Appendix 5: The Cities Participating in and 120 Visual Arts and Photography Supporting the Preparations for Turku 2011 123 Circus 150 Appendix 6: The Participants in the Making of 124 Dance the Application for Turku 2011 126 Theatre 151 Appendix 7: Key Figures on Turku and 127 Puppetry Southwest Finland 128 Cinema, Animation and Media 152 Appendix 8: The Cultural Mapping Survey of 130 Design Turku and Southwest Finland 132 Architecture 154 Appendix 9: The Cultural Infrastructure in Turku: 134 Museums Institutions, Organisations, Events and Spaces 136 Children and Youth Culture 168 Appendix 10: Cultural Resources in the Partner 138 Education and Research Regions of Turku in Southwest Finland 140 Sports and Physical Activities 170 Appendix 11: Links 171 Appendix 12: The Participants of the Turku 2011 142 Why Turku? Open Call for Projects and Ideas The Will to regenerate and encounter. The Courage to look into the future and develop. The Power created by art, science, entrepreneurship, faith and cooperation across borders. Turku leaves no one cold. Turku is on fire. CANDIDATE FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2011 Turku on Fire ”There is more air in Turku. We focusour on eyes the onessential the ball.” and keepsh Teemu Brunila, Musician, The Cra Turku is sizzling. This application for the European Capital of Culture has been created by thousands of people from school children to the elderly, from wheelchair dancers to visual artists. People from the Southwest coast of Finland, all the way to the Åland islands, has been involved in conversations and debates. We are excited about the ideas and dreams we have found. Over the past two years, the residents of Turku have actively contemplated the meaning of culture. Coffee breaks at work and drinks at the pub have often led to discussions on the effects of culture for health, business and our city. We have not been alone at this. Our dreams have spread their wings and reached our friends from St. Petersburg to Florence. They have joined in with their ideas and suggestions for cooperation. Now that this application has reached You, we are all sizzling with excitement. There are a lot of us behind this application. This is not just the application of the City of Turku, but also that of its people. We are very excited and proud of the projects we have created for our application for the European Capital of Culture. What are we so excited about? Setting the River Aura on fire on a dark night in January 2011, while acrobats float over the city and the riverboats’ whistles play a symphony? Or the fact that in 2011, something new and surprising can be found in Turku every single day: poems on napkins in a restaurant, a choir singing on the edge of an archaeological excavation or children’s artwork in the window of an office? Or the spirit, boldness and creativity brought to business life in the entire province of Western Finland by the artists that one hundred companies 6 CANDIDATE FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE hire? Or perhaps the transformation of the dockyard area We will not keep our year as the European Capital of Culture into a work of art and the beam of a welding iron into an to ourselves. We want everyone to join in. We exchange installation? homes with people for a week so that they can come and see the inspiring environment in which we live. We have also We are excited about all of our projects, but, above all, we created something for those who are unable to come over. are thrilled about the process that brought about these ideas. The LIVe Turku can be viewed over the Internet in Brussels The years of preparation have created a new way of thinking or Budapest or anywhere else in the world. We have created and working together. The people of Turku, its cultural projects that have far reaching effects and represent the organisations and companies have joined forces with other driving edge of the Finnish cultural and business life. We Finns and Europeans and found a mutual language. We take circus into hospitals and artists into companies because have found our own direction and opened our eyes to the we believe that culture benefits both health and economy. many things that Turku has to offer. Culture and creativity advance our society and give us all an even better future. Turku is a city where the Finnish underground culture is alive and well. It is the gateway through which new Turku has been on fire dozens of times over the centuries. innovations and forms of culture have made their way to the Now we burn again – with excitement and desire to make rest of the country. Turku is a city from which an afternoon Turku an unforgettable experience for everyone. bike ride leads into a beautiful archipelago. Turku harbours new technology and although its past as the former capital city may be traumatic, it is also empowering. We have examined our strengths and weaknesses and found a multitude of unique ideas and beauty to share. We are ready to build the Capital of Culture. CANDIDATE FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 7 THE TURKU 2011 STRATEGY The Turku 2011 Capital of Culture project is based on the broad definition of culture as a tangible and intangible continuum of creating, learning and thinking. Thousands of people participated and shared their visions and suggestions in the events and discussions organised during the preparation phase of the Turku 2011 project. These ideas form the basis of the Turku 2011 Strategy. The strategies of Turku 2011 and the City of Turku, together with the Development Strategy of the Province, support and reinforce each other. The Vision 2016 Turku 2011 is more than one year. It is a process through which Turku emerges as a pioneer and a creative centre of the Baltic Sea region cooperation, a city that produces and mediates arts and science. The Mission As the Capital of Culture, Turku makes the year 2011 unforgettable for all of Europe. Turku 2011 provides experiences and encounters that cross borders, renew everyday life and live on. 8 THE TURKU 2011 STRATEGY The Aims Internationality Well-Being As the European Capital of Culture 2011, Turku turns the Turku 2011 combines well-being and culture into cultural attention of Europe towards the Baltic Sea region and the well-being. The work and research done in the Capital of common European goals of increasing well-being and Culture supports the development of well-being in Finland cooperation, promoting creative industries and the as well as the rest of Europe.