ECC Idea
Soon
| what is ECC? |
Culture, next to economy, is the strongest and most important engine of European integration. The fact was noticed by the Council of Ministers which in 1985 decided to launch a programme for the European Cities of Culture. The author of the idea was a Greek actress, singer and Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri. Her initiative was accepted with great enthusiasm in Europe. Members of the European Community chose Athens to be the first European City of Culture in order to emphasise the ancient origin of the European culture. In 2005 the name of the project and the way of choosing the city was changed. “The European City of Culture” was renamed “the European Capital of Culture” and the selection of the city by unanimous voting changed into a competition. The European Parliament decided that since 2007 two European Capitals of Culture would be chosen. By order of the European Commission the choice is made by the Council of Europe on the basis of an opinion made by the European Parliament and a seven-person jury consisting of authorities and prominent people of culture. The first Polish city entitled the European Capital of Culture 2000 was Kraków . The next opportunity for a Polish city to be awarded with this prestigious title will be in 2016. In the same year one of Spanish cities will also become the European Capital of Culture. The city that is going to win the contest will become one of the two cultural centres of Europe. This time will be filled with festivals, concerts, conferences and other artistic and cultural enterprises which will focus the attention of people from the whole continent. It is going to be a golden opportunity for the city to present its cultural potential to Europe and the whole world. Moreover, it will be a chance to raise funds for the future dynamic development.
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Copyright © 2008 Miasto Szczecin. All rights reserved.
