Novi Sad got the support from Dortmund for the candidacy for the ECoC 2021

Department of Culture of the City of Dortmund (Kulturbetriebe Dortmund) welcomed and supported the decision of Novi Sad to bid for the European Capital of Culture in 2021 and it is ready to be a partner of our city during the process of candidacy in hope that the programme will be realized after a positive decision.

A letter of support from Kurt Eichler, Head of the Department for Culture of Dortmund arrived during the 5th Summer Jazz Academy Novi Sad – Dortmund which was held in the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad. More than 70 participants signed up this year, which is the largest number of participants so far.

In his letter Eichler stated that a delegation of cultural deputies from Dortmund, after visiting our city this spring, is convinced that Novi Sad is seriously and in detail considers the cultural has on the development and prosperity of the city and region, and that they were ‘satisfied with dynamic with which stakeholders face this task’.

‘Novi Sad as it is today impresses with its vitality and creativity of the city and people. Cityscape and skills of stakeholders in the culture sector leave impression. Novi Sad is a modern city that respects its tradition seen in historically significant fortress and old city centre with numerous cultural institutions. Young university centre and Academy of Arts, along with many private colleges and universities represent the young face of the city. The Cultural Centre of Novi Sad is an outstanding example of global cultural trends. In addition to cultural infrastructure extraordinary festivals are also important for the city profile. We should mention well-known Infant theatre festival and Cinema City film festival. Special recommendation is Exit music festival, not only for South Eastern Europe, but also for innovative musicians around Europe’, it was stated in the letter of support.

Photo source: http://www.dortmund.de/en/index.html

Dortmund and Novi Sad have officially been twin towns since 1982 and therefore some productive ties already exist: constant mutual visits of artists, exchange of exhibitions, a joint project of Big Band Jazz orchestra, cooperation between museums in the field of digital art and mutual visits of young people and the organisation of sporting events. Eichler considers that these programmes are ‘stable platform and tool for the continuation and strengthening of cooperation between Novi Sad and Dortmund’ and notes that the City of Dortmund is open for new ideas and project cooperation during the bidding process of Novi Sad as well as on the way to the title of European Capital of Culture 2021.

City of Dortmund has successfully participated in the programme of European Capital of Culture RUHR 2010, therefore the advice and guidance that are listed in the letter are of great help to the team that prepares the candidacy of Novi Sad for the European Capital of Culture in 2021, for which the official application needs to be submitted by 23 October this year.

Eichler reports that cultural ideas and beliefs which the city contributes to the European scene are not the only important thing it is also important what specific measures the city takes in the development of resources and in the approach to topics of European agenda. ‘With this Novi Sad has recognized some areas that are important for the European Capital of Culture, such as urban regeneration, greater investment in culture and modernization of cultural infrastructure, development of cultural tourism, popularization, participation and emancipation in the field of culture, and the adaption of the first strategy of cultural development’.