01 ZILINA BESKIDS 2026 E UROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE CANDIDATE CITY SHORTENED VERSION / 1ST BIDBOOK FEBRUARY 2021 Area 6.343 km Population 1.385.000 EUROREGION 295.500 in SK Aing 246.000 in CZ Polish Theatre Lotos Jazz in Bielsko-Biala BESKIDS 843.500 in PL Festival Bielsko Redakcja BB Cultural Centre PL Beskids Zróbmy To Bielsko Gallery Library Foundation BWA Kysuce Gallery Exposition Jánošík Puppet Theatre and Terchová Photography Centre A G Foundation Banialuka B Kysuce Museum H Bytča Wedding Palace Zamek Książąt Historical Museum Gallery Sułkowskich Bielsko-Biała of Photography Museum of the Vychylovka — open air museum C Považie region I and historical railway Katowice Studio Filmów Regional Rysunkowych Development Strečno castle Orava Museum Agency SA A Theatre D J Association E Museum of Transpo K Orava Gallery Folk architecture F objects Čičmany BIELSKO-BIAŁA Kraków 174.000 inhabitants Oswiencim Temida As & Business Foundation BIELSKO- BIAŁA Ostrava Tešín FRÝDEK- 65 km MÍSTEK Sucha CZ Brušperk Bezkidska Jordanów Třinec Žywiec Frýdlant nad Ostravicí 86 km 96 km ČadcaAB Turzovka Námestovo Krásno nad Kysucou I Kysucké H Nové Mesto ↖ Cultural House Frydek G Budatín J castle FRÝDEK-MÍSTEK Bytča C ŽILINA D K 56.000 inhabitants Dolný Kubín E ŽILINA 81.000 inhabitants Rajec Community Centre Bratislavská Museum Beskyd Rosenfeld Považie Palace A Gallery Municipal Library Main Puppet Theatre Nová City Theatre Museum of F Žilina Synagóga Žilina Jewish culture Slovak Sinfonieµa Regional Žilina Cultural Centre Stanica — independent cultural centre Regional Library City Library Žilina Frýdek-Místek Slezan SK Cinema Vlast Hájovňa — Národní dům independent + Moravia Bank cultural centre Regional Observatory Area 6.343 km Population 1.385.000 EUROREGION 295.500 in SK Aing WINDOW OF 246.000 in CZ Polish Theatre Lotos Jazz in Bielsko-Biala 843.500 in PL Festival BESKIDS Bielsko Redakcja BB OPPORTUNIETIES Cultural Centre PL Beskids Zróbmy To Bielsko Gallery Library Foundation BWA Kysuce Gallery Exposition Jánošík Puppet Theatre and Terchová Photography Centre A G Foundation Banialuka B Kysuce Museum H Bytča Wedding Palace Zamek Książąt Historical Museum Gallery Sułkowskich Bielsko-Biała of Photography Museum of the Vychylovka — open air museum C Považie region I and historical railway Katowice Studio Filmów Regional Rysunkowych Development Strečno castle Orava Museum Agency SA A Theatre D J Association E Museum of Transpo K Orava Gallery Folk architecture F objects Čičmany BIELSKO-BIAŁA Kraków 174.000 inhabitants Oswiencim Temida As & Business Foundation BIELSKO- BIAŁA Ostrava Tešín FRÝDEK- 65 km MÍSTEK Sucha CZ Brušperk Bezkidska Jordanów Třinec Žywiec Frýdlant nad Ostravicí 86 km 96 km ČadcaAB Turzovka Námestovo Krásno nad Kysucou I Kysucké H Nové Mesto ↖ Cultural House Frydek G Budatín J castle FRÝDEK-MÍSTEK Bytča C ŽILINA D K 56.000 inhabitants Dolný Kubín E ŽILINA 81.000 inhabitants Rajec Community Centre Bratislavská Museum Beskyd Rosenfeld Považie Palace A Gallery Municipal Library Main Puppet Theatre Nová City Theatre Museum of F Žilina Synagóga Žilina Jewish culture Slovak Sinfonieµa Regional Žilina Cultural Centre Stanica — independent cultural centre Regional Library City Library Žilina Frýdek-Místek Slezan SK Cinema Vlast Hájovňa — Národní dům independent + Moravia Bank cultural centre Regional Observatory 04 INTRO DUCTION [A] CULTURE AS A DRIVING FORCE OF POSITIVE CHANGE 20 years ago, hardly anyone would have expected [B] ŽILINA BESKIDS 2026 - Žilina to run for the title of a European Capital of CROSS-BORDER DIMENSION Culture. In the 1990s, the city was going through a decade of difficult political and economic tran- Žilina’s location at the junction of three national sition, existing cultural institutions were striving borders means it has unique economic, cultural to find their new place, extremism was on the rise, and innovation potential. By joining forces with and local democracy in deep crisis. longtime partners across the border, we want However, in those challenging times, many to fully take advantage of that potential. We civil society organisations and cultural institu- believe that through the exchange of know-how, tions arose. Together with active locals, they ideas and experience, the mobilisation of all kept changing their communities for the better, stakeholders in the region, we can enhance the one step at a time. Among them were a group city’s European profile, create a cross-border of young activists from the newly set up inde- region of European significance, and give it a new pendent cultural centre Stanica, and later Nová centrality, in the joint Beskids brand. synagóga, or volunteers from the Land of Despite strong economic ties existing in the Harmony Foundation, a creative platform for peo- region, there is still a lot of untapped potential ple with and without disabilities, and others. Their in the field of culture, creative industries and stories – the stories of cultural resistance and the tourism. We have realised that we need to tear rise of civil society – show how culture can drive down the remaining mental barriers. Moreover, the imagination of an urban community and stir the completion of the missing part of the E75 it to build a better future for itself. European route, scheduled by 2026, will sig- We consider our ambition to become the nificantly shorten the distances between Žilina, European Capital of Culture as a culmination of Bielsko-Biała and Frýdek-Místek, and change our these long-term efforts of the local civil society relationship. This new infrastructure will reinforce and the public institutions to inspire the commu- and further drive our economic and cultural nity to a greater togetherness and cultivation of cooperation. European and democratic values. We believe that Last but not least, we consider the ECoC actions are sustained by the ideals they are born an opportunity for the deepening of regional of, and we are seizing this opportunity as true cooperation. By now, more than 30 municipalities believers in culture as a driving force of positive (e.g. Rajec, Rajecké Teplice, Bytča, Kysucké Nové change. Mesto, Námestovo, Dolný Kubín, etc.) from rural When the opportunity came up, we joined areas of northern Slovakia such as Kysuce, Orava, forces with all key regional leaders, public insti- and Rajec agreed to work together on a common tutions and non-governmental organisations vision. While such regional cooperation may seem to give the project a robust European, regional obvious, in the mountainous Žilina region, where and transnational dimension. We take part in each valley has its own cultural tradition, collabo- the ECoC competition as a transnational con- ration does not always come easy. sortium, together with our longtime partners, In short, more than a way of self-presentation, the cities of Bielsko-Biała in Poland and Frýdek- we see the candidacy as an opportunity for gre- Místek in the Czech Republic. The name of the ater cross-border and regional cooperation, an project, ŽILINA BESKIDS 2026, derives from the opportunity to symbolically open up and redefine Beskid Mountains, the geographic area which our European and regional profile, and to build connects us. a common Beskid brand. ARTISTIC 05 CONTENT There are three elements that define and connect us across the region: industrial tradition, beautiful mountains, and strong identities. Let us introduce to you three programme lines derived from them: Flow of Nature, Future’s Factory, and Borderless Identity. the Floating Gardens, an artistic project by local ≈ FLOW OF artist Juraj Poliak at the Žilina Reservoir, will provide a space for community activities, gardening, and NATURE contemplation. Events that will connect art and sports will be part of the programme. Rajčanka OUTDOOR CULTURES Riverbanks, one of our investment projects, will Take your culture out for a walk! With this in mind, revamp the river’s surrounding areas for cultural we will bring art to where locals spend most of and community activities. Playful, interactive, their free time – in the mountains, hiking, on immersive exhibitions will allow visitors to explore cycling routes or in ski resorts, connecting nature water and water management in the city in our and environmental issues with art. new Bôrik Environmental Centre set up in one of Seasons of Extreme Sports Culture will bring the oldest water reservoirs in the city. together several mountain film festivals from the region and expand their offer by extreme SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES cultural experiences. Sports clubs will join for- In order to increase the overall quality of com- ces with artists, e.g. paragliding as a means to munity and cultural life in the suburbs and city observe land art from above, geocaching to districts in the outskirts, we will set up a network discover artworks placed in nature, climbing as of Community Art Centres that will consist of an experience of vertical dance. JIB Lines Winter workshops and education spaces, exhibition City Festival will bring snowboarding and music spaces and a stage for events. We will mobilise to the Farské Stairs in Žilina city centre. Together the local residents to build and cultivate their with the Slovak Hiking Club, we are in talks to neighbourhood. The same goes for Community host a European meeting of ramblers, bringing Courtyards, which will revamp green infrastructure together walkers from all over Europe with in the concrete neighbourhoods (mobile green- a cultural programme at mountain chalets, with ery, composters, community