‘In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity,’ said Albert Einstein, and this was shown by the example of volunteer coordinators from former, present and future European Capitals of Culture, reports EcocNews, the portal founded by a group of journalists following news from European Capitals of Culture.

According to them, during the first lockdown in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was a need for reconnection and exchange of experiences. Volunteering in culture also faced a difficult period, but it also proved to be an important aspect of society, and thus the ‘Network of Volunteer Coordinators of European Capitals of Culture’ was created.

The capitals of culture that have joined this network are: Voluntary programme from Sibiu, Wroclaw 2016, Aarhus 2017, Paphos 2017, Matera 2019, Plovdiv 2019, Galway 2020, Rijeka 2020, Esch-sur-Alzette 2022, Kaunas 2022, Novi Sad 2022, Veszprém 2023, Timişoara 2023, Elefsina 2023 and Tartu 2024.

One of the basic principles of this Network is to show that volunteers can help make culture accessible to more people, reducing the cultural gap between people and communities. During the pandemic, the digitization of cultural content was a very useful tool that enabled the creation of a professional platform for volunteer coordinators from European capitals to exchange information, experiences and knowledge, implement and support joint projects and existing and future voluntary programmes. The portal writes that 30 internet meetings have been implemented since 30 April.

The network of coordinators of volunteers of European Capitals of Culture enabled volunteers from different European Capitals of Culture to talk about their cities, their experiences as well as what it means for them to be an ECoC volunteer.

Online quiz was implemented on 21 May on the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, where the ECoC volunteers learned more about other capitals, their history and traditions. In December last year, within the International Volunteer Day, an online meeting was also implemented where volunteers from as many as 16 countries met.

One of the goals of the Network is to promote pan-European solidarity, demonstrating how volunteering in culture empowers volunteers and contributes to the development of individuals and the community.

This voluntary network never stopped and tried to ‘move’ despite the limitations and physical distance. All volunteers contribute to the well-being and social cohesion of communities.

You can get more information via the e-mail address of the Network of Volunteer Coordinators of the European Capital of Culture: evcn2020@gmail.com. You can read the full article on the Ecocnews.com portal.

Let us remind you that the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation and the Novi Sad Voluntary Service have opened a call for all interested who wish to become part of the volunteer team and who will participate in the implementation and promotion of the programme, until and during the title year. You can apply by filling in the form until 31 May.

Photo: V. Veličković