European Capital of Culture

Table of Contents I. Basic principles 2 II. Structure of the programme for the event 32 III. Organisation and financing of the event 50 1. Organisational structure 50 2. Financing of the event 53 IV. City infrastructure 61 V. Communication strategy 67 VI. Evaluation and monitoring of the event 75 VII. Additional information 78 I. Basic principles 4 / 5 I. We are proud to have a beautiful, unspoiled our city: of ethnic minorities (Roma, Old Town – but it is a sleeping beauty, Jews, Armenians, Turks), of new migrants not really filled with life. We have a huge (Ukrainians, Russians, Italians, British), of Basic principles cultural heritage – Plovdiv is older than religious communities (Christian Orthodox, Athens and Rome, but we have the same Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish) – problems as many other historic cities in including all the different social groups and Europe in that many cultural and historical generations. But looking closer, there is sites lack life, the vision and the opportunity no dialogue: every group in the city keeps comprises many young people creating a to include the contemporary needs of the to itself, refusing to mix and mingle. 1) a)Why does the city city and its citizens. They are perceived Some of these groups - for instance the which you represent lively and active art scene. There are more cafés, restaurants and clubs per capita in as “merely historic”, an attraction for Roma minority - even live in ghettos where wish to take part in Plovdiv than anywhere else in the country. tourists. Plovdivians are proud that the the rest of the population avoids going the competition for In Bulgaria Plovdiv has the negative image city is a cradle of European culture – but at all. And specifically, dealing with the the title of European of being the city of Ayliak – a Turkish we are also stuck looking back to distant Roma community, which makes up around Capital of Culture? word, which is used to express the relaxed, days of glory. We are extremely proud that 1/5 of the population in Plovdiv, is a pan- laissez-faire attitude to life. But people Plovdiv is a world-famous site of ancient European issue that we share with numerous actually come to live in Plovdiv, because it culture – but are totally surprised when we neighbouring, but also Western European Everything we are proud of in Plovdiv is is a real alternative if you want big city life hear that many of our fellow Europeans countries. In fact most members of this problematic: history, diversity, culture, combined with an “enjoy life” atmosphere. have never even heard of Plovdiv. community are Bulgarian according to their documents, but many of them claim to be urban space, the sense of togetherness. Like The city is distinguished by an 8,000 We are proud that we are deeply rooted of Turkish or other origin and only a small many other medium-sized cities in Europe, year old history as one of the oldest, in European culture, of our connections percentage identify themselves as Roma. specifically in Eastern Europe, Plovdiv still-inhabited cities in the world. This to Europe over these millennia, but today needs and wants to revive the citizen’s trust rich heritage is characterized by ancient we feel distant from the democratic, All of our citizens have real potential, but in the city as a space to live together. monuments in the city originating That is why we want to take dynamic and cultural Europe of the there is also an alarming lack of unity and from Thracian, Greek, Roman, Slavic, solidarity among people. People struggle part in the competition. past 60 years and we are striving to find Byzantine, and Ottoman cultures. our place on Europe’s cultural map. to survive on their own, without regard to the community, and there is a lack There are some shortfalls connected with And yet – there is something missing. Plovdiv has a lively art and culture scene of trust in cooperation. Alienation and life in the city, but let’s start with Plovdiv’s Everything we are proud of seems to with many young people interested in remoteness prevent people participating qualities: With 347,000 inhabitants it is have serious drawbacks behind it. With the historical dimension and in artistic in social processes and making them the second largest city in the country and the European Capital of Culture we activities – but they want a voice, they ask their own, as is the case in many other is located in a favourable geostrategic want to question ourselves: where do for space for new approaches, they want post-communist societies in Europe. position along an old trade route and we come from, where are we now and solidarity and the city has to encourage modern motorway that leads from Zagreb where do we want to be in the future? them to do what they do for the community. Not only the things we are proud of, via Belgrade and Sofia through Plovdiv Too many of them don’t see any prospects even our pride itself stands in our way. and onwards with one branch going to We have chosen the motto ‘Plovdiv for themselves and leave the city. Plovdiv Instead of cooperation, we often end up the Black Sea and the other to Turkey. Together’ because we are proud – and has the only Centre for Contemporary Art with confrontation. When 10 people come Plovdiv is one of those European cities that is part of our problem: too proud of its kind in Bulgaria, and festivals like together in Plovdiv they often end up popular with families who want to raise to cooperate with others, too proud to the Plovdiv Jazz Nights or The Night of arguing with 11 opinions on one issue. their children in a large but relaxed city. accept critical thinking, too proud to Museums and Galleries attract visitors It offers all the services and commodities rethink ourselves in the relationship from all over the country. Nevertheless We lack this unifying thread, which binds of a central city paired with a tranquil with the rest of the world, too proud these cultural events remain strangely together people of different social and atmosphere. It is a culture and business to really see what needs to be done. isolated because too many in the city are ethnic groups, of different interests. The centre for the whole of Southern Bulgaria, cut off from access and too many think of public space where different groups could with five important museums, a large variety We are proud of our past, but the way we culture as something from the past, which meet is not only not inviting interaction, of theatres, cultural institutions and an opera. approach it does not inspire us today. We cannot help in the present or future. it actually promotes segregation because Although it is a central hub in Bulgaria are proud of the cultures that built Plovdiv different groups move in different spaces it lacks the hectic restlessness of other over the millennia, but now culture seems We are proud of the microcosm of – including the digital space that by far large cities in the country. The population dispensable to many citizens today. European cultural diversity gathered in not everyone participates in. The social I. Basic principles 6 / 7 bubbles and consequently the urban bubbles provide different forms of city lifestyles but • Attracting a European audience by connecting them with other representatives necessarily meet and overlap in specific are open and ‘shared property’ by anyone highlighting Plovdiv’s cultural heritage of their ethnicity in Europe. places (public transport, traffic, public who wants to access them – then we really and promoting the sense of togetherness By encouraging citizens’ participation buildings etc.) but without inspiration, can turn ‘Plovdiv Together’ from a concept in Plovdiv and across Europe. and involvement. By making culture exchange or learning processes. Instead of into a reality. And this also constitutes what a key factor for development. acting as a synchronising function, cultural makes a concept like ‘Plovdiv Together’ • Changing the structure of the cultural activities in the city – mainly concentrated interesting for Europe: we are striving to audiences in the city. There is no Plug into Europe within the borders of the central urban learn to see and accept diversity and the traditional middle-class in Plovdiv. This … by positioning Plovdiv on the cultural area and the Old Town – additionally European city as a space of overlap of can only change if we manage to attract map of Europe. By focusing on the assets deepen the problem by excluding large different social and urban models and as new high tech industries. They in turn of the past for its European future. By communities (of the suburban areas) from an asset and a chance for social cohesion. attract specialists and a qualified labour sharing contemporary European horizons these activities. There is a lack of approach force with their families, who form new on arts, ethics and aesthetics adding our to socio-cultural inclusion regarding not All this is why the candidacy as European social strata. own style and approach to the diversity of Capital of Culture is so important. Plovdiv only the peripheral parts of the city and • Improving communication European culture. By changing the view needs and wants an energy boost. The the small villages in the region but also and cooperation between local of the Balkan region as being notorious city has to regain its appeal to its citizens, the inclusion of the marginalized groups; administration, academic for ethnic conflicts into one of it being a fellow Bulgarians and people abroad.

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