Today a committee made up of national and cross-EU judges will announce a decision about which Cypriot town is to be recommended to take the title of EU Culture Capital 2017.
Paphos and the joint bid of Nicosia-Larnaca are competing for the prestigious title. Limassol was also in the running but was knocked out late last year in the first round of decision making.
Four members of a 13-strong judging committee visited both Paphos and Nicosia for a local tour and presentation of the strengths and weaknesses of the town as a Culture Capital site.
The four members are made up of two national and two pan-EU judges.
“The plan was to see Paphos not from a tourism perspective but as a potential place for the 2017 Culture Capital title. Problems about infrastructure as well as potential were pointed out and were followed by discussions with local artists and other professionals about the bid,” 2017 Paphos Executive Manager Ektor Tsatsoullis told The Cyprus Weekly.
Today, the team behind the bid is making a formal presentation in the capital about its proposal along with the Nicosia-Larnaca bidders.
Since officially announcing their bid in late 2010, the committee behind Paphos 2017 has emphasised two criteria in particular; the concept of the ‘Open Air Factory’ and the input of the community.
“The concept of the Open Air Factory has been very successful for us. What we have developed has even been mentioned in Brussels as a new model for the Culture Capital. The benefit of this concept is that there are no huge infrastructure costs. We aren’t going to construct buildings which won’t be used afterwards. We are making a point of utilising existing open spaces.”
Also speaking to The Cyprus Weekly, the Project Coordinator of Nicosia’s Cultural Capital bid Katerina Andreou said that her team was very happy with the progress made over the months leading up to today’s decision.
“We have come into contact with so many people and authorities, all which have given us a lot to work with and helped us prepare not only our proposal but also a stronger base for our vision for Nicosia,” she said.
Andreou said that the title of Capital Culture would add a special dynamic to help Nicosia on many levels, including the revitalization of the Old Town.
“We will continue with our efforts irrespective of what the announcement will be because everything that has been achieved already has provided us with plenty to work with in the future,” she continued.
Having lent its support to a large number of cultural events in the capital over the last months and having organised a wide range of happenings of its own, the Nicosia team’s Cultural Capital vision includes “developing a cultural environment that nurtures, sustains and rewards the flow of ideas and action. To energize local artists, empower the public, and inspire high calibre foreign (especially European, Middle Eastern and North African) cultural creators to explore the barriers we place around ourselves.” Other aims include but are not limited to celebrating diversity and encouraging engagement on all levels, taking pride in and enjoying public spaces.
Today’s recommendation is not officially the final decision which will be announced next May after the EU Council of Ministers has examined all proposals.
However, to date, recommendations for the title of Culture Capital have always ended up receiving the title.
The European Capital of Culture title is given to two cities designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which they organise a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension.
The Commission says that a city is not chosen as a European Capital of Culture solely for what it is, but mainly for what it plans to do for a year that has to be exceptional.
One Cypriot city or town partnership will win the 2017 title along with a Danish city.

Cyprus Weekly