Well, as long as the benefits outweigh the cost to the taxpayer (which, judging by the experience of Glasgow and Liverpool they can do), I've nothing against this idea. Something that can boost Warsaw's creative industries, local pride, attachment to culture and raise our city's profile in the world (well, Europe anyway), is all to the good.
To promote itself, Warsaw launched this campaign last week, with posters have appeared on bus shelters around the capital over. A clever and appealing idea.Similar maps show Ursynów as Italy, and Żoliborz as Spain. I must say, as a map enthusiast, the concept gets my vote.
Eleven Polish cities are competing for the title and 12 Spanish ones (a victor will be chosen from each country; there will be two European Capitals of Culture in 2016). The full list of the cities is listed here.
This time last year:
Stalinist downtown, dusk
This time two years ago:
The End of an Age of Excess
This time three years ago:
Snowy Easter in England
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I have to admit these posters distract me a bit (for example in subway). Are they really so good? Anyway, it's interesting that so many Polish cities are competing for this title.
Pozdrawiam z mojego pogranicza służewiecko-ursynowskiego.:)
Now it's only 5 Polish and 5 Spanich cities - short list were made some time last year.
In these 5 Polish cities there is Lublin and Katowice and I do think one of these cities deserves this title more than Warsaw or Wrocław - the main goal of "European Capital of Culture" title is to promote less known cities abroad, and to encourage turists to come to this city.
I doubt Warsaw will even notice more turists because of this title. For smaller and less known cities this title is a big chance.
Finally - in Lublin everybody knows since a few years, that we are candidate for this title, it is important for people, while in Warsaw I didn't see this popular suport. Now, that Warsaw made it to the short list (of 5 cities), and the campaign started, maybe this will change.
Of course I'm a little biased, because I live in Lublin.
Two of the "selection criteria":
- highlight the richness of cultural diversity in Europe;
- bring the common aspects of European cultures to the fore.
Are these not somewhat contradictory? Of course a city can do both, but the more you do one, the less you can do of the other, no?
Either X is unique to Warsaw or X is something that Warsaw shares with Berlin and Madrid.
Unless we get into:
"This is a statute of Chopin. It is the only one in Europe. It proves how much all Europeans love music."
Though I suppose that if this is merely a way for smaller cities to boost tourist industries, it doesn't matter much how much sense the rhetoric makes.
I hope Poland wins!
(Though it'll probably end up losing 0-2 to Lithuania...)
:P
Poland wins no matter what - there will be two ECC cities in 2016 - one from Poland and one from Spain, the only thing not known is which cities in each country will get this title.
Warsaw Districts are conquering Europe:)
Las Kabacki in Sicily, Sady Żoliborskie in San Sebastian, Targówek in Scotland. The project reminds that Warsaw is a European city and among other reasons fully deserves the title of European Capital of Culture. At the same time it strongly underlines the local dimension of cultural in the capital, which is a pillar of efforts of the ECoC title.
The application program emphasis is to reach directly the residents of Warsaw's districts, giving them the opportunity to contribute to the capital of culture.
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