>
25 years have passed since Athens became the first European Capital of Culture back in 1985 (the year I and some other CD members were born, ouch!). To celebrate the anniversary, European Commission (Director General of DG Education and Culture) organised a conference to meet and speak about the future, present and past European Capitals of Culture.
As one of AEGEE’s Fields of Action is cultural exchange, Agata and me attended the conference here in Brussels as well. While listening to all key-note speakers, experts and mayors, we also thought how can AEGEE and our Culture Working Group get more involved in European Capitals of Culture. Organising events in European Capitals of Culture in the respective years? Cooperating with the candidate and applicant cities and become a part of the official program already before? Having an international partnership or just local ones? And what about Autumn Agora Istanbul 2010?
Of course, big part of such events in networking. While sitting and relaxing on the couch between the sessions we managed also to have a talk with Hatto Fischer, philosopher, poet and coordinator of Greek organisation “Poiein kai Prattein“. Previously he was working for the European Commission and therefore turned out that he knows almost all 200 participants of the conference, especially the most prominent ones, so we had a short talk also with representatives from the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe and UNEECC (The University Network of the European Capitals of Culture). Exchanging business cards and getting more ideas how can we contribute to European Capitals of Culture was beneficial!
Can’t miss also the interesting stands of past, present and future European Capitals of Culture. We were going through the huge program of Istanbul as European Capital of Culture 2010, getting bracelet from Sibiu (European Capital of Culture 2007) for our CD assistant Sorin as he is exactly from this city, having a chat and getting beer with Pilsen representatives as they are one of the candidate cities for 2015 etc.
In the evening – opening of the European Capital of Culture exhibition with the opening speech by Commissioner Mrs Androulla Vassiliou. Full day of culture!