Info session: Launch of the competition for the EU action “European Capital of Culture” for the year 2030 in Cyprus

The Deputy Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations – Creative Europe Desk Cyprus, organises an informative session regarding the launch of call for submission of applications for the union action “European Capital of Culture” for the year 2030 in Cyprus.

The informative session, which aims to inform cities’ representatives interested in bidding for the “European Capital of Culture 2030” title, will take place on Monday, 29 January 2024, from 09:00 to 13:30, at the University of Cyprus, Council-Senate Building “Anastasios G. Leventis” (1 Panepistimiou Avenue, 2109, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Nicosia).

The event will be addressed by the Honourable Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou. Following the welcome address, Mr Sylvain Pasqua, a European Commission expert, will discuss the objectives, criteria and procedures of the European Capital of Culture. Ms Cristina Farinha, an expert and researcher in heritage, culture and the creative industries, will then analyse how cities can strategically leverage culture.

The Deputy Ministry of Culture announced on 18 December 2023 the launch of the competition, inviting the cities of Cyprus to submit their application for the title of “European Capital of Culture 2030”.  The Deputy Ministry, as the Managing Authority, is responsible—working closely with the European Commission—for managing the competition and selecting the Cyprus city that will receive the title of the “European Capital of Culture 2030”.

According to the relevant European Union (EU) decisions, the title of European Capital of Culture 2030 will be awarded to a city in Cyprus, a city in Belgium, and a city in a third country that is either a candidate country or a potential candidate for EU membership.

This initiative is an EU action that aims to safeguard and promote the diversity of cultures in Europe and to highlight the common features they share as well as to increase citizens’ sense of belonging to a common cultural area

Further information on the 29 January 2024 informative session is available on the Deputy Ministry’s website (www.culture.gov.cy/ecoc2030cy), where one can also find more details on the call for proposals, the procedure rule, and the competition’s objectives and criteria for the “European Capital of Culture 2030” title.

For more information, interested parties can contact ecoc2030@culture.gov.cy or call 22809813.

Programme:

• 9:00 Registration  & welcome coffee
• 9:40 Welcome address by the Honourable Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou
• 9:45 “Objectives, criteria, procedures of the European Capital of Culture”, Sylvain Pasqua, European Commission Senior Expert
• 11:30 Break/coffee
• 12:00 “The European Capital of Culture as a tool for European cultural cooperation and urban development: ECoC cities case studies”, Cristina Farinha, Independent Expert on Cultural and Creative Economy
• 13:30 Reception