On 24 November 2017, as part of the Participatory Governance in Culture: Exploring Practices, Theories and Policies. DO IT TOGETHER! conference, a presentation and panel discussion will be held about the Pilot Cities programme.
In 2016 Rijeka became a member of a group of European pilot cities that have the opportunity to strengthen their cultural capacities through learning and networking as part of the Culture 21 project.
The Pilot Cities Europe programme was established in 2015. The original participating cities in which the project is currently being implemented are Gabrovo, Galway, Izmir, Lisbon, Maastricht, Namur, Swansea, Terrassa and Timişoara. More cities have been selected to start implementing the Culture in Sustainable Cities – Learning with Culture 21 Actions – Pilot Cities Europe 2017-2019 programme and they include Chortkiv, Eivissa/Ibiza, Elefsina, Esch-sur-Alzette, Gijon, Leeds, Madrid, Nova Gorica, Tenerife, and as of a few days ago, Rijeka.
The programme is open to all European cities that are members of United Cities and Local Governments, regardless of EU membership, and are aware of Agenda 21 for culture. The programme lasts 26-28 months depending on the city’s needs.
The programme aims to achieve the following:
– Strengthening of local networking among relevant public, private and civil society agents in the cultural scene, thanks to the joint design, implementation and monitoring of a common work programme,
– Increased awareness-raising and understanding, among private, public and civil society bodies as well as citizens, of the links between culture and sustainable development at the local level,
– Dissemination of a range of public documents describing the connection between the city’s cultural policy and its sustainable development vision. These documents will combine conceptual aspects and illustrative examples, which may provide guidance to other cities in Europe and elsewhere. They will be translated into three languages and promoted in the media channels of the Agenda 21 for culture and Culture Action Europe. The pilot city will be able to disseminate all of these documents through its own online and offline channels,
– Enhanced networking at the European level, thanks to the participation in and hosting of at least two cross-national activities in the course of the programme, as well as other online and offline exchanges,
– Membership in the Pilot Cities Agenda 21 for culture network, with extra opportunities to participate in international activities of collaborative learning in Europe and elsewhere.
