NICOSIA 2017
Being in touching distance to the title, looking back at all the fruitful discussions, blazing arguments, small triumphs and minor catastrophes; at all the joyous hard work that has brought us to this point, we submit this final application with a great sense of responsibility, and solid commitment. The process has taught us a lot. It has taught us to articulate ourselves; to admit our weaknesses and confront our fears. To dare express our hopes. Above all, the process has been a reminder of our strengths: as a society; as a City. It has reminded us of what we can achieve if we all roll up our sleeves and work together for a common goal. After all, a city’s greatest strength is its people. The world over, and now more so than ever, Culture’s power to transcend barriers can be a gift, but equally a great responsibility, in the hands of those who yield it. For our divided city it means more, far more, than that. For Nicosia, Culture is Life itself.
Constantinos Yiorkadjis Mayor of Nicosia
Alexia Makridou
VII — In Parting
.9 .51 .89 .105 .113 .123 .127
Question Index
.136
I — Manifesto II — The Journey III — Paradox IV — Infrastructure V — Get in the Zone VI — Staying on Course
“
Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, it’s unlikely you will step up and take responsibility for making it so. If you assume that there’s no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume there are opportunities to change things, there’s a chance you may contribute to making a better world. The choice is yours.
”
— Noam Chomsky
I Manifesto
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Corner of Alkiviadi and Lidinis Street, within the walled city divided by the Green Line, Antonis Minas
Buffer Zones are designed to Protect us but right from the start, they Divide us and over the years, they Define us
I.1
Half a century ago, a physical buffer zone split the city of Nicosia, and by extension, the island of Cyprus, in two. Today, that Buffer Zone, has become our way of life. The Roadblocks that limit our physical movements have become a way of thinking; they are the ‘Yes...but’ that follows almost every proposal for change and progress. Even worse, the concept of the buffer zone is all around us. In the abandonment of the City’s historic centre to rot and disrepair, the haphazard, transient aesthetics of new builds, the disrespect for the environment and the disuse of public spaces. Worse still, the Buffer Zone now exists between us: between young and old, rich and poor, local and immigrant, Greek and Turk, man and woman, Muslim and Christian, gay and straight, left winger and right winger, artist and public, functionary and citizen. It is the barrier of suspicion and ignorance that prevents us from reaching each other: it is the linguistic barrier, the cultural barrier, the generational barrier, the religious and ethnic barrier that prevents co-operation and progress both among communities, but crucially, WITHIN Communities themselves. Ultimately, the Buffer Zone has become our excuse. Our shield, our way of explaining ourselves and our weaknesses, protecting us from taking responsibility, from assuming personal agency... The Buffer Zone is within each and every one of us. We have lost faith in our ability to change things. We have become self-protective rather than self-expressive, selfish and fearful: afraid of the other, of change, of risk. Of involvement. The Buffer Zone is FEAR itself.
Stavros Pamballis
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We are ardently seeking the title of European Capital of Culture 2017 because we firmly, passionately believe that this can change. That we can change. That a culture of creativity and openness can change us all for the better. In a time of cultural and economic stagnation, civil alienation, and intercommunal division, we are seeking the massive potential kick in the pants provided by the title, 4-year development process, and 12-month culmination of being European Capital of Culture so that we can reshape our future by EXPLORING BRIDGING and TRANSCENDING the real and imagined buffer zones between us, one citizen at a time. We are not out to solve The Cyprus Problem. We are out to re-define ourselves and our city from the ultimate buffer zone, to a model Convergence Zone of ideas, cultures, generations and artistic pursuits. Our vision is to actively reshape the future of city life on all levels by empowering those who hold the future in their hands: the public and especially the youth. To create a dynamic for cultural and social evolution by changing the perception we have of ourselves, of each other, of what this society can be, by overcoming the roadblocks that stifle our imaginations, our co-existence and our lives.At a time when the rest of Europe is dealing with cultural, socio-economic and generational buffer zones of its own, both around and within its borders, we, the citizens of Nicosia: who live with the ultimate Buffer Zone ,who have walked every day of our lives along the border of north and south, who struggle every day with the notion of ethnic identity, whose every step towards the future is weighed down by the detritus of the past, will use the momentum, the inherent inclusiveness, the political and semiological carte blanche of the ECoC to LEARN to listen to each other, help each other, inspire and applaud each other, respect and collaborate with each other. And in turn, we aspire to become a prototype; a leading voice in the conversation Europe is having with itself, and with its neighbours, on the Convergence of ideas and people. And no... We are not na誰ve. We know that within the very concept we are proposing, side by side with the potential for a crucial, defining ECoC, perhaps the most vital one since Berlin in 1988, just one year before the fall of the Berlin wall, lie the seeds for its own equally spectacular failure. This second Nicosia bid reaches you at a time when attempts at a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem seem mired in stalemate, when relations
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between the Greek and Turkish communities on the island are stagnating, as relations with new, growing, multi-cultural and unassimilated immigrant communities are becoming ever more turbulent. A time when, aside from a handful of plucky NGOs, the forces of Civil Society are weak, disorganised and barely audible in the din. A time, in short, when running a programme based on Convergence might seem like an insurmountable challenge. It was our fear of this challenge that prevented us from fully defining, even to ourselves, what we meant by Reshaping The Future in our first bid. It was our very own buffer zone. But after making the final round, we took a long hard look at ourselves and asked: do we really want to pass off this once in a lifetime opportunity to actually DO something meaningful? To fundamentally change our city and its people for the better? We decided to turn outwards for the answer. We reached out to youth groups, immigrant groups, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Bi-Communal NGOs, had brainstorming sessions with anyone who wanted to talk to us, no matter what their age, profession or ethnic identity. We rebooted our campaign for ideas, actively seeking out the voice and imagination of everyday citizens, re-launched our on-line ecosystem as a place where anyone could interact and affect the progress of the bid and celebrated this with a fully interactive re-launch event in the back garden of a long abandoned building right on the Buffer Zone itself. We took a long hard look at our finances and decided that as a truly visionary organisation, Nicosia 2017 would need as much financial independence as it could muster, and duly appointed a Fresh Money Consultant and Investor Liaison to present the concept and programme to the local and international business community. And everywhere, through it all, we kept asking the question: By 2017, can we really learn to be fearless? And the answer we received was unequivocal. That answer lies in the bid book you now hold in your hands.
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CONVERGENCE ZONE Reshaping our Future by Bridging the BUFFERS Between Us
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Our Objectives: To develop a cultural environment that nurtures, sustains and rewards the flow of ideas and action. To stimulate and empower the general public, especially the youth of the city, through rigorous on-line networks, and cross-media focused, crowdsourced events and augmented reality programmes. To energise 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. A concerted programme of multi-communal events, organised with the communities themselves, so that from the micro level of person to person all the way to community to community, nation to nation and continent to continent, we want to celebrate difference and encourage engagement with each other, with the natural and urban environment, with education, with the heritage of history and with the scientific promise of future. To revitalise our existing cultural infrastructure, re-populate it with new voices, ideas and audiences, and use it as a bedrock of economic growth and development for the region. To develop a strong, internationally recognised Cultural Sector that engenders, develops and retains local talent, by promoting the values of Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship. To contribute to the growth of Sustainable Tourism through the development of new, unique international festivals and Cultural Venues. To get people to step outside, to take pride in, play in and enjoy public space, most especially through interactive events, plays and exhibitions along and near the Buffer Zone. To contribute to the Cultural and economic rebirth of the Old City, help stem and eventually reverse the flow of citizens and business out of the area. To regenerate, as much as possible, the urban and natural areas of Nicosia which abut the Buffer Zone, with a large portion of the work carried out by Citizen volunteers and, in so doing, stimulate further momentum towards change, civic pride and engagement with our past, present and future.
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I.2
Our Journey Imagining the Programme NICOSIA 2017 is a project of ground-up, multithreaded, interactive, process-driven social, cultural and physical evolution that aims to: Explore, confront and overcome the Buffer Zones we place around, between and within us, by transforming: Citizens into Creators Audiences into Participants Inexperience into Virtuosity Stasis into Mobility Exclusion into Multiculturalism Dead Ends into connections This is why, in designing the programme for Nicosia 2017, we have opted for: a Development Plan that emphasises RISK, PROCESS, and LEARNING, over tried and tested methods, and assured success. a Concept that is all about ACTION, and a Structure based on INCLUSION.
Developing the Programme As a potential European Capital of Culture we see our mission as being to galvanise citizens through an inspiring call to action, provide them with a platform for the expression of their ideas, educate or train them so they can explore those ideas to their full potential and offer them the tools, means and technical support to start turning those ideas into actions. We do not wish to control the themes or the outcomes of these actions. The development of our programme therefore, is all about the JOURNEY, the twists and turns, the obstacles overcome, the lessons learned and the experiences shared. It is a programme that will be evaluated in the level of participation it encourages, in the collaborations (cross-cultural and trans-national) it engenders, in the careers it launches and the audiences it develops, not in the number of MASSIVE EVENTS it holds, or SUPERSTARS it attracts.
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Conceptualising the Programme We have given our programme three core, organising prisms of ACTION: EXPLORING (Discussing Buffers) BRIDGING (Confronting Buffers) TRANSCENDING (Overcoming Buffers) Instead of dividing the programme into thematics, these prisms act as markers in time, stages on a journey charting the evolution of each aspect of the programme over the course of the Project. From one to the next, the prisms and the actions they imply increase in potency and decrease in size, and suppose a journey from stasis, entrenchment and fear, (the Buffer Zone which divides) to activation/ mobility, synthesis and openness (the Convergence Zone which unites, educates and empowers).
Structuring the Programme In our first bid, we spoke of 7 pillars, the fundamental building blocks of Culture that drove our programme: Architecture, Civic Society, Arts, Heritage, Economy, Science, Environment. The idea behind this was to create a programme that was multidisciplinary and in this way involve as many citizens, communities and cultural actors as possible in the pursuit of common projects and goals. Over the course of working out the programme of Nicosia 2017, and discussing how we get from the Buffer Zone of the present to the Convergence Zone of the future, these pillars have evolved into threads, like the multicoloured strands of our Logo, weaving into the multidisciplinary, multicultural, cross media Convergence Zone of Nicosia 2017. Each Thread now carries a DRIVE FOR CHANGE related to its discipline: Architecture: Celebrate, Rejuvenate, Repopulate. Civil Society: Inhabitants to Citizens Arts: For the People, By The People Heritage: Living Memories, New Experiences Economy: Investing in Innovation Science: Connected Cities Environment: Eco-nomic Development On their 4-year journey through space and time, these threads and the projects they carry, pass through the three conceptual prisms or stages for Nicosia 2017, converging, intertwining and complementing each other through multi-disciplinary actions designed for the broadest collaborative involvement from creators and participants. It is at their points of intersection, their points of convergence where one finds the CONVERGENCE ZONES of NICOSIA 2017.
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Transcending
Bridging
Exploring
I.3
Our Slogan In Cyprus, any attempt to activate the general population and trigger a movement towards change would find itself faced with the widespread cynicism brought about by decades of occupation and division, halfhearted declarations of good-will, well-intentioned but stilted intercommunal rapprochements and vague, indeterminate promises for a better future (for the economy, for young people, for the environment) which only result in disappointment, disengagement and alienation. And through it all, the roadblock, the barrier, the border, the reminder of all that has gone wrong, our own national Voldemort, looms in the shadows, un-mentioned, un-addressed, un-touched, in adherence to the phrase we, as Citizens of Nicosia come across on a near-daily basis, written on signs across the city: BUFFER ZONE, KEEP OUT. So, in creating a programme that invites the public to take the future in their own hands and to redefine what their City can be, from the ‘Dead Zone’ of the present to an open zone of creativity and change, we opted to deal with this problem head on, and the phrase we came up with is:
We began implementing this slogan, this call to action, during our second call for projects. We began the Second Call with a Get In The Zone Launch event, (which included the creation of a cityscape on a large wall separating the event space from the northern part of the city), which despite being held in an unadvertised and unnamed location near the Buffer Zone (the invitation linked through to a custom Google map with a pin and no other info), was attended by hundreds of people from all communities and generations. We made a variety of t-shirts, each with a different Zone in front so people could select the one that suited them best (Action Zone, Comfort Zone, Eco Zone, Party Zone, Creative Zone, Future Zone), and though we printed thousands, we couldn’t keep up with demand. We asked people to imagine their own zone, their own little corner of Nicosia 2017 and to send us their ideas no matter how unsubstantiated or backed up by experience. And they responded. As a result, the Programme for Nicosia 2017 is THEIR programme. They inspired and helped shape it. Between 2013 and 2016, they will come together to develop and create it. And in 2017, they will all be there to enjoy it. I.4
Partners Ideally, given the short distances, family ties, communication links and common preoccupations that unite the island, all of unoccupied Cyprus could have nominated itself as one, integrated European Capital of Culture. - 20 -
This not being an option, 8 municipalities from the Nicosia District and the Municipality of Larnaka have joined forces, and are applying to become European Capital of Culture as ‘Nicosia and the Greater Region’: –– Nicosia Municipality –– Larnaka Municipality –– Strovolos Municipality –– Latsia Municipality –– Aglantzia Municipality –– Engomi Municipality –– Ayios Dometios Municipality –– Lakatameia Municipality –– Idalion Municipality
Nicosia Municipality Archive
I.5
Nicosia 2017 already has the support of the greater Municipal and local political authorities as articulated back in 2011, when all 9 Mayors and Municipal Councils, from different political backgrounds, joined forces to support it. After Municipal Elections held earlier this year brought new Mayors to 7 out of the 9 municipalities, the new Mayors voiced their resolve to continue working closely towards a successful Nicosia 2017 at a meeting held expressly for this purpose in March 2012. In the days since, all municipalities have been actively promoting Nicosia 2017’s awareness campaign through participation at events, written calls for support and collaboration to the Mayors of their European twin cities, and financial contributions to the campaign. We believe in this partnership because: The region covered by the participating municipalities abuts 95% of the Buffer Zone and contains all checkpoints to and from the occupied areas. Taken together, the population of the Nicosia and Larnaka regions totals 469,125, (325,756 and 143,367 respectively), representing 56% of the - 21 -
Republic’s population (CYSTAT 2011), ensuring the highest percentage of involvement and participation at the local level. All of the participating municipalities are easily connected by recently completed road networks and are in close proximity. Indicatively, Larnaka airport is just 49km from the centre of Nicosia, just over Gatwick’s and considerably less than Stansted’s distance to Central London. The candidate region connects both the Eastern and Western coasts of the island, providing direct access to all other districts/regions of Cyprus: Limassol, Paphos and Famagusta, and the occupied areas, aiding in the widest possible dissemination of the values and actions of the Programme. The area covered by the participating region includes 11 out of Cyprus’ 12 UNESCO world heritage sites. Collaboration at the executive (Mayoral), and advisory (Council) level is well established, and has been strengthened by the Candidacy process. We envision this partnership working through: the formation of a special monitoring and Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from each municipality, the creation of information, volunteerism and administrative centres in each municipality, the careful spread of actions and events to ensure that no municipality is underrepresented, a series of events and actions that unite and/or include all municipalities, such as bicycle routes, festivals and touring exhibitions, and targeted calls to artists, foundations, and institutions from all participating municipalities. Nicosia and Larnaka: Connected by the past, United by the present. Larnaka and Nicosia share far more than geographical proximity and good transport links. The two cities have been closely connected culturally and economically throughout history. Being the closest coastal city to the administrative centre of Nicosia, from ancient times right up to the early 20th Century, Larnaka was the gateway for establishing contact and developing relations with European and Middle Eastern civilizations, a role it reprised after the invasion in 1974, when Nicosia ‘lost’ its International Airport to the Buffer Zone. Today, the two cities face near-identical cultural and socio-economic challenges. Hotbeds of immigration, both have seen street fights and clashes between immigrants and locals. Starved of fresh investment or foreign capital (which has contributed greatly to the growth of Limassol and Paphos) both seek new ways to revitalise their economies and reposition themselves on the socio-cultural map. Large swathes of their historical centres, within Nicosia’s Venetian walls, and Larnaka’s old Turkish Quarter, languish in abandonment and ghettoization. As the main two cities in the districts that share most of the Buffer Zone, they are, above all, perfectly matched partners in a programme that aims for convergence. - 22 -
And, on a purely practical level, the two cities’ collaboration as part of Nicosia 2017 is symbiotic and mutually beneficial. Nicosia, as the centre of the island’s administrative, educational and cultural ecosystem needs Larnaka’s tourist infrastructure to welcome and house visitors from abroad, while Larnaka stands to gain greatly from the ECoC year through the growth of its own cultural infrastructure and the attraction of high quality tourism. Our Turkish Cypriot partners: To ensure that Turkish Cypriots enjoy the maximum possible representation in Nicosia 2017 and are able to enjoy its benefits to the greatest possible extent, we have sought avenues of meaningful grass roots collaboration following the example of sustained technical Bi-Communal co-operation in the framework of the Nicosia Master Plan and have: –– Already began working with Bi-Communal and Multicultural NGOs such as CCMC (Cyprus Community Media Centre), a bi-communal filmmaking and education initiative, and Youth Power, a Civil Society Organisation aimed directly at young people, which are housed in the Buffer Zone itself. CCMC became our MEDIA partner during the bid phase, covering our events and producing our informational videos, while Youth Power helped lay the foundation for one of Nicosia 2017’s important projects, the Multi-purpose, Multi-Cultural Innovation/ Youth Centre and Artist Residency we are planning to create, right in the heart of the Buffer Zone. –– Resolved to support Soft Projects (research, audiovisual productions including documentaries, narrative films, music recordings, creative writing, etc) which originate in the north, through direct funding and facilitating access to European and international funding opportunities that arise due to the ECoC. –– Have established direct links to the UN, to ensure that as many multicultural events as possible are held in the Buffer Zone, with the active participation, and to the benefit, of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots and every other community as well. –– Ensured Turkish Cypriot representation at key levels of the Nicosia 2017 Organisation, to guarantee that Turkish Cypriot creators and participants have access to funding and support, As long as a military partition divides the City of Nicosia and Cyprus, the Buffer Zone can be a common ground; the silent heart of Nicosia which needs to start beating again, connecting and nourishing communities and areas to the north and south with the vital lifeblood of culture. Working together with our Turkish Cypriot partners under the cultural umbrella of the ECoC, and with the support of the UNDP, we are confident that we can achieve this.
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I.6
Converging Visions The vision and goals of Nicosia 2017 are intimately linked to crucial facets of the City and Region’s Long-Term strategy and Cultural development plans. Culture-led Urban Regeneration Nicosia finds itself in the midst of major overhaul of its long-term growth and development policy, where Culture is seen as the City’s greatest asset and potential driver of growth, and where the ‘activation’ of Nicosia as a Cultural destination, with a vibrant, rejuvenated Walled City Centre as its distinctive feature, has become the top priority. This has resulted in the overhaul and refurbishment of key cultural infrastructure and the development of new ambitious projects. (Please see Section IV p.105) To this end, the City has been in the process of refurbishing the walled city and restoring for civic, cultural and public use a number of key landmarks and historic buildings, including Famagusta Gate, Old Electricity Authority and Kasteliotissa, among others. A number of other high profile infrastructure and cultural projects are either under way or already planned, with delivery scheduled within the next few years (Culture Centre, National Theatre, Archaeological Museum, Eleftheria Square) signalling the ‘assertiveness’ of Nicosia as a Capital City for the first time in recent history. However cultural facilities seem dispersed through the city without links and frameworks that can make them work comprehensively and symbiotically. There is no sense of arrival or continuity in the city’s cultural fabric. New plans call for the creation of ‘Trails’ of public realm refurbishments and the restoration of links in the urban fabric, especially those in or near the buffer zone, which will begin to present the cultural infrastructure of Nicosia as a network of places more than a set of discrete destinations. Examples of such work are the recently completed outer refurbishments of the Kykkos and Olympus buildings at Ledra – Lokmacı crossing, a bicommunal effort carried out by the Nicosia Master plan, under the auspisces of the United Nations. Nicosia 2017 would be a key factor in consolidating such a strategy by actively pursuing and creating opportunities for additional permeability and connections across the communities, and by transforming the Buffer Zone, the Moat and Bastions through its own infrastructure, projects and events into the key places where communities and neighbourhoods come together. Additionally, although buildings and facilities are in place there is no comprehensive management and events programme which can bring a set of buildings and places to life. Nicosia 2017 will provide for the perfect opportunity for the city to begin to celebrate its culture and heritage through events and ‘habitations’ proactively, turning such practices into the ‘everyday’ of civic life rather than a ‘formal event’. Interculturalism and Integration All municipalities involved in Nicosia 2017 embrace interculturalism as a potential asset for Cultural Diversity and Economic growth. In partnership with the European Integration Fund, the city and region have embarked on a comprehensive series of training seminars targeted - 24 -
at NGOs, local authorities, educational institutions, QUANGOs and business consortiums for the better integration of minorities and immigrants, and embarked on a Pilot Programme for the Integration of Third Party Nationals to provide new channels of involvement and opportunity to immigrants and political refugees. This is being carried out through guidance (workshops drop in visits, publications, etc), childcare services for working parents, educational services, (including computing, languages), legal services for civil and labour rights and the utilisation of events like European Neighbours Day to promote the sharing and exchanging of experiences. This year’s event, celebrating Mediterranean Diet and Culture was extremely well attended, truly multicultural and resulted in Nicosia earning the ‘City of Friendliness, City of Solidarity’ diploma from the European Federation of Local Solidarity. Going forward the City is planning the addition of a further innovation component to the pilot programme to assist communities in the creation of entrepreneurial, self-sustaining, cultural units, utilising the new Comprehensive European Solidarity Funds from 2014, to create a 7-year programme of progressive integration. Despite all this, barriers to true Social Cohesion are persistent. A 2011 study in Europe conducted by the European University ranked Cyprus first in racism and mistrust of immigrants among the 30 countries surveyed, while the city’s various communities’ impact on mainstream culture has been negligible, confined to their own insular annual commemorations and holidays. Nicosia 2017 firmly believes that the key to solving the fist problem (racism and mistrust), is to first address the latter, by inviting immigrant communities and minorities into mainstream cultural venues, (see Non Visible Cities p.28) encouraging co-operation and participation in broad outdoor events involving all communities, (see New Year’s Eve, p.65), but also through supporting communities’ own ground-up initiatives and helping them reach a broader audience (see The Pancyprian Overseas Chinese Association, p.54).
Evi Tselika
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Accessibility and Sustainable Mobility
Varnavas Varnava
Under the co-ordination of the Municipality of Nicosia, Greater Nicosia is the only city in Cyprus with an Integrated Mobility Master Plan (IMMP), taking a series of initiatives to promote modes of sustainable mobility including: The creation, with the municipalities of Aglantzia, Agios Dometios, Strovolos, Latsia, Engomi and Idalion, of the Inter-municipal Cycling Company of Nicosia, a system of bike sharing with access points across Greater Nicosia, and the creation of bicycle and pedestrian routes linking the outskirts with the city centre. The entire region participating in this application is in the process of signing the Covenant of Mayors, and developing SEAP(Sustainable energy Action Plan), the first step of which will entail interactive public awareness events targeted at children, including environmental clean-ups, specially themed art festivals, and training seminars on energy efficiency for key stakeholders in the public and private sector. - 26 -
As an environmentally conscious, bicycle friendly and thoroughly inclusive project, Nicosia 2017 is fully in sync with all of the above and intends to contribute by: 1. A series of events, exhibitions and research projects intended to promote and enhance Bicycle Culture, in a nation that still loves to drive cars (see BI.CY.CLE, p.76, and Reinventing The Bicycle, p.29). 2. A concerted Accessibility programme in the years of preparation (see Accessible Zone, p.56) that augments, complements, or kick starts the initiatives already planned by the City and Region. 3. Encouraging Environmental Consciousness through sustainable urban agriculture initiatives like Back To The Roots (p.54) and Make Your Own Garden (p.78). Promoting The Mobility of Artists Nicosia 2017’s years of preparation involve intense international exchange initiatives for young artists and producers, to promote the transfer of experience and enrich their development. The City is also gearing up for specific programs to strengthen the mobility of artists in the region, including: 1. Culture Together: An initiative, in collaboration with local foundations, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre, Lebanese University Beirut, Zarga University Jordan and others, to create a platform for the creation of youth festivals with participants from the entire Mediterranean region, to support cultural creation in all its expressions and to encourage dialogue among different ethnic communities. The festivals will include music, animation, street art, design and performance, cinema, engraving, a summer camp for artists and a Biennale in Nicosia. 2. Med Art: Under the framework of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) of the Med-Sea Basin, the City will be a leading partner in a co-operative initiative between the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The Royal Film Commission in Jordan, Hangar Org (Barcelona), and the Gaia Foundation in Lebanon aimed at forging close artistic ties between the artistic communities in the Med Basin, to enhance cultural creation through the exchange of insight and collaborations in Modern Art.
I.7
The Danish Connection Forging first links with the Danish finalists has been among the most rewarding aspects of the preselection process, as we explored cultures and topographies that appear so different, yet share deep-rooted common values and intentions. Brainstorming sessions with teams from both cities have resulted in a strong basis for future collaboration and if we were to sum up their concept in one word, it would be: Discovery Hailing from nations with strong Maritime traditions, yet hitherto virtual strangers to each other, it is the hope of Nicosia 2017 that our collaboration with either city would introduce our people, our institutions and our - 27 -
cultural actors to one another over the next few years, via cultural, scientific and educational exchanges, with the view of creating real synergies for meaningful collaboration in the spirit of the mobility of artists, a priority for all three cities, starting with the exchange of experience, know-how and perspectives during the years of preparation. Our preliminary Projects with Sønderborg will include: A ship will come Historic ship journey and cultural mapping project between Flensborg and Larnaka. The historic coastal cargo vessel GESINE will be equipped as an ARTship and it will sail as an ambassador of the ECOC 2017 on a return journey to Cyprus. Artists on Board (Danish and Cypriots) with actions at ports along the way, to raise awareness and transmit and collect cultural data related to the themes of both ECoCs. Design for change Starting in 2016 and continuing in 2017, the Cross Border Design Forum will initiate a series of Design For Change projects with Cypriot, Danish and German schools and universities working together to create meaningful design solutions that illustrate potential for innovation and design capacity of young adults living in the border regions of Nicosia, Denmark and Germany. Travelling Library The Travelling Library is a national resource developed by Kids’ Own in 2010 for temporary installation in libraries, schools, festivals and other community settings where it can be easily accessed by children and young people. This Library houses books created by children for children. The vision of the Travelling Library is to create a nation-wide community of empowered young readers and writers whose creative endeavours are shared and valued through publishing. Our preliminary projects with Aarhus will include: Re-exploring and re-mapping This is an exploratory programme, based on two way ‘research trips’ in order to map out possibilities. Both cities would each invite 5-6 persons (architects, writers, film/media, artists, academics/researchers) to participate in this ‘mapping’ and ‘exploring’ project, inviting two groups to work together in both places, i.e. a common project, producing an exhibition or installation in which different realities and common themes are exhibited simultaneously in the ‘what can we learn from each other’ or ‘how do we use “difference” to make a difference’ approach. Non Visible Cities Centred on a major theme for both cities, the project aims to explore the ‘non-visible cities’ that exist within our cities (hidden gender, sexual, racial, physical or mental subcultures/minorities and transient immigrant guest-worker communities), through sound, texture, taste, colours and informal storytelling. The programme will include social work, research programmes, artistic projects and action-based research.
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Voyage of Re-discovery – The Odyssey A Major, Trans-European journey of cultural ReDiscovery, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. A 4-7 week ‘cruise’ over 7,500 km, this floating European university will stop over in some 15-20 cities in 16 countries with themed day programmes and activities. A key team of ‘Argonauts of innovation’, related to the seven threads, including writers, scientists artists, politicians, business people, philosophers, architects and environmentalists will be on board. Travel would be by night with conferences/actions by day in the ports. An important element will be a live media platform that will ensure that the events can be accessed by a greater public. Potential stop-overs include: Malmø, Gdansk, Turku, Vilnius, Riga, St. Petersburg, Hamburg, Southampton, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerpen, Brest, Lisbon, San Sebastian, Porto, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Marseilles, Beograd, Rome, Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Alexandria, Beirut, Tel Aviv and Larnaka. Architecture: Re-imagining The City. A series of exchanges, residencies and workshops are envisioned between Schools of Architecture, focusing on the urban infrastructure of the City of Nicosia, examining and proposing solutions on such issues as transport, pollution and specific area regeneration. The findings and projects will be exhibited for professionals and the public. Design: Re-inventing the Bicycle. An extensive multi-disciplinary initiative together with Lieux Publics, Marseilles and their design of 700 sound sculptures, that will look beyond the bicycle’s capacity as a means for transportation, and explore its possibilities as a musical instrument, design object and aesthetic form, promoting further use in society and innovative approaches to developing a potential growth industry. I.8 The proof is in the pudding: Detailed substantiation of the claims made in the answers I.8 & I.9 can be found in the following three questions and in Section II.
European Dimension Due to its geographical position, at the intersection of three continents, its truly multicultural heritage, troubled, divided present and the Vision of Nicosia 2017 for a future built on the convergence of ideas and people, the City has the potential to add a truly distinctive voice to the European Conversation. Furthermore, being on the fringes of the Continent and separated from the mainland by the Mediterranean Sea, we see the ECoC event as a unique opportunity: To strengthen cooperation between the cultural operators, artists and cities of our country and other Member States in all cultural sectors; –– through collaboration and experience exchange with ECoCs past and present, twin cities with cities which share common issues and visions, either via direct City-To-City exchanges or active participation in collaborative forums,
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–– through the hosting of major international conferences on matters relating to all aspects of culture, –– by actively encouraging mobility, at the institutional, artistic, or technical level, of young Cypriot and European professionals, researchers and students via a network of residencies, workshops, camps and apprenticeships, –– by creating, and consolidating trans-European professional relationships with foundations, production companies, cultural institutions through event and audio/visual co-productions delivered to the highest technical specifications, –– through a concerted programme of cultural exchange and artistic co-operation between Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, establishing Nicosia, and Cyprus, as a European Hub, a common point of cultural contact and a bridge between continents, facilitating the mobility of artists and the constant flow of new ideas and actions.
Paschalis Panteli
To highlight the richness of cultural diversity in Europe; –– through a series of European exhibitions tracing Nicosia’s distinctive origins as a European gateway to a shared multicultural heritage that spans empires, continents and millennia, –– by utilising Nicosia’s position on the cultural map to generate site specific events which highlight the complex multicultural patchwork of influences on the city’s architecture and urban topography, –– by activating the region’s plethora of culturally marginalised ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, immigrant communities and other marginalised groups through events and actions which celebrate
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difference and create synergies between different practices, beliefs and perspectives, –– through the organisation of youth-centred multidisciplinary festivals which explore and celebrate pluralism: the influx of influences from a myriad ethnic cultures that are constantly rejuvenating European art, music and performance. To bring the common aspects of European cultures to the fore; –– through a conceptual approach (Bridging The Buffers Between Us), that is as crucial to contemporary European society as it is particular to the geo-political realities of Nicosia, –– by constantly interrogating, through actions, workshops and events, the Buffers between communities, nations and cultures and exploring ways to overcome them through active collaboration, –– through a programme that acknowledges the disengagement and disillusionment of ordinary citizens, and especially young people, and seeks ways to empower and consolidate protest into a force for cultural development, –– through a value system that encourages pluralism and diversity, not as an end in itself but as a launchpad for cultural development through co-operation, integration and synthesis, –– as a vital and strident effort, in the wake of a raging economic crisis, to disengage cultural production from its heavy reliance of public sector funding and the consolidation of ground-up networks of producers into sustainable, entrepreneurial industries. To Strengthen The City’s ties with Europe; –– through the constant promotion of European values intrinsic to the ECoC event, to the general public at the local level, –– through an international awareness campaign that will emphasise The City’s distinctive character and identity, –– by instilling a sense of European pride in the population through events, exhibitions and festivals which visibly demonstrate the richness of European Culture and open the door for new discoveries and opportunities of engagement, –– by linking the youth of the city with culturally active youth throughout the continent via on-line actions and networks geared towards creativity, exchange and collaboration, –– through a concerted mentoring programme of European apprenticeships exchange programmes and residencies for young Cypriot entrepreneurs and culture professionals, so they can learn best practices and European methodologies, develop strong European contacts and transfer them to local industries.
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I.9
City and Citizens From the outset, Nicosia 2017 was conceived as a people-led event that engages and empowers citizens, and provides avenues for meaningful expression, creation and participation to every section of society. In preparing our application and our programme we have ensured that Nicosia 2017: Will attract the interest of the population at European level; –– through the universality of its concept, predicated on the notion that Buffers are everywhere, at a time when large swathes of Europe are struggling to preserve or repair the fabric that holds their society together, –– through the development of a programme born of unique Cypriot particulars, yet rich in European and global resonance, –– by selecting a communication and international awareness campaign that highlights the unique characteristics of the Buffer Zone and its associated events, –– by activating our immigrant communities and minorities from the ground-up to provide a truly multicultural experience for visitors and locals alike, –– by ensuring that the region’s rich cultural infrastructure will be even more accessible and capable of attracting international events of the highest quality, –– by developing unique, ‘could only happen in Cyprus’ international festivals and events targeted at broad audiences from all over the world, –– through the development of enticing and comprehensive tourism packages, in collaboration with our partners in the holiday industry, targeted at all segments of European society; from luxury cruise or VIP packages to backpacking adventures and couch-surfing. Will encourage the participation of artists, stakeholders in the sociocultural scene and the inhabitants of the city, its surroundings and the area involved in the programme through, –– a communication strategy based on the concept of citizen involvement - that each of us holds the future in the their own hands, –– a project solicitation and selection process that emphasises citizen creativity and the development of new voices, –– a series of initiatives aimed at the inclusion of marginalised communities in the creative process, –– the creation of a fleet of portable performance and exhibition spaces designed to take mainstream culture out of venues and transfer it to the streets, housing developments and villages,
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–– an expansive programme of micro-budget events and actions, called sm.ART 365/5 designed to enable as many citizens as possible to produce events for the ECoC year, –– the development of a comprehensive network of ‘alternative venues’ which will turn shops into art galleries, cafés into cinemas and parking lots into amphitheatres, –– the design and implementation of a ‘Virtual City’ ecosystem of augmented reality applications and site-specific content to fuse the digital lifestyle of new generations with the real-world exploration of all the city, its heritage, its venues and its streets have to offer.
Larnaca Municipality Archive
Is sustainable and an integral Part of the long term Cultural and Social Development of the city, –– by developing a new venue creation/rejuvenation plan fully in line with the city’s long-term development strategy of culture-led growth (see I.6, p.24), –– by placing emphasis on the development of new audiences, through the exhibition, production and promotion of alternative/street/cyber culture in the city’s mainstream venues, –– by encouraging the growth of sustainable cultural tourism through the development of unique, returning international festivals, –– through a concerted system of workshops, project development, mentoring and international exchanges, towards a revitalized, sustainable and entrepreneurial Cultural Sector.
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I.10
Synergies Established Synergies: Nicosia has been proactive in its engagement with European Programmes and Institutions, ever since Cyprus’ accession to the EU. A founding partner of the European Office Cyprus, Nicosia has been integral to the conception and execution of initiatives like Cyprus’ EYES Are Open, which connects Cypriot Entrepreneurs with the opportunities provided for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs. Next year, the programme will continue as Europe’s EYES are open, and the plan is to extend it past 2014. As Nicosia 2017, we are excited about the confluence between the rationale of the upcoming phase of EU Programmes (2014-2020) and our own values and goals concerning the promotion of ground-up, innovative and sustainable culture and we intend to be as prepared as possible at both the Organisational/ Institutional and Grass Roots levels to make the most of them: To better prepare ourselves, we will actively engage with local (The European Office Cyprus) and international networks, particularly Eurocities, (of which Nicosia is the only member from Cyprus, and which includes the Turkish Cypriot community of Nicosia as an associate partner) working through relevant groups and co-operations forums on Culture, economy, environment and knowledge, mobility and social affairs. Within the framework of the Creative Industries Working Group (joint working group linking Urban Regeneration and Cultural Development) and the Culture Access and Entitlement Work Group (which focuses on all aspects of accessibility), we will seek co-operation on our existing or new initiatives to provide European added value to our own initiatives and to contribute our own experience to the constant reevaluation and development of European Funding programmes. To prepare our partners, cultural actors and citizens, we will use our entire Communication and Social Networking Ecosystem to create awareness for, and promote the opportunities presented by European Awards for Cultural Innovation, such as the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, and the Commission’s European Border Breakers Awards, especially in relation to our multicultural youth-centred Music and Arts festival initiatives (see AfroBanana Republic, p.74, and The Scarabeo Project, p.77). Envisioned Synergies include: The consolidation of funding through the Connecting Europe Facility for our green, technologically innovative infrastructure projects, especially the Multicultural Innovation Centre (see p.53), which would require accessible, sustainable transport links and broadband coverage for the Buffer Zone area (a major tenet of the new programme) and Neropolis (see p.55), which of itself, is a green infrastructure project based on sustainable materials. The promotion of innovation through connecting young entrepreneurs, research initiatives (especially The Centre For Experimental Architecture, see p.54) and Small/Medium Start-ups with COSME (Programme for the Competitiveness of enterprises and SME), especially those who are seeking to engage in Cross-Border or Inter communal activities. Linking national and international access to Nicosia 2017 life-long learning initiatives like The Public School (see p.53), integrating our
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student exchange programmes (see Music Camp p.53), residencies and Multi-cultural, social integration-through-Sports initiatives (The Immigrant World Cup, p.77, The Real Madrid School, p.53) with the new, all inclusive ERASMUS FOR ALL initiative. Empowering and renewing the creative industries with the involvement of Creative Europe, especially and right in line with new policy, the audio/ visual industry, (see VI-VID ZONE, p.58), taking particular advantage of the new €210 million financial guarantee facility, which would enable small operators to access up to €1 billion in bank loans, a policy which overcomes a major obstacle for new producers who are trying to close financing on their projects. I.11
Target: Everybody One of the fundamental values of Nicosia 2017 is INCLUSION; of unheard voices, new perspectives, upcoming talent, immigrant groups and ordinary citizens, while one of the basic tenets of our methodology is ACCESSIBILITY for groups who can’t, or won’t, engage with culture, and for areas where Culture is usually absent. Our strategy for engaging Young People, begins with the Communication Strategy (see p.114), a fresh, viral and interactive approach that relies on the recipient to spread the message, allowing her to redefine, reshape or refine that message in the process and continues through the years of preparation with workshops and brainstorming sessions (see Social Innovation Camps, p.57), designed to actively empower them through systems of expression that produce tangible results. The programme for the year itself includes a series of actions and events that are aimed at acknowledging the active role young people already play in ‘unofficial’ culture, from the football stadium (See Ultras, p.68) to the walls of the old city (See, Graffiti Festival p.70), and focuses on Youth Culture
Varnavas Varnava
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as a potentially huge contributor to sustainable tourism through the development of grass-roots festivals such as The AfroBanana Republic (see p.74) and The Scarabeo Project (see p.77). Immigrant communities, minorities and other marginalised ethnic groups, will be welcomed from the outset as a vital part of Nicosia 2017. Not only will the primary language of Communication, including the ‘Get In The Zone’ slogan, be in English but a dedicated multi-lingual radio station (see Radio ‘17, p.57) will be on-air 24/7, providing a two-way forum of communication between the communities and Nicosia 2017. Various aspects of the programme, such as Suspended Cities (see p.71) are specifically designed to promote active participation, contribution and the exchange of cultural traditions with these groups (see Back To The Roots, p.54) while the Immigrant World Cup (see p.77) will be an initiative that centres on the grass roots organisation and co-operation of the communities’ own, built in support networks. Groups with limited mobility due to age, disability or limited financial resources, will be a central focus of our Accessible Zone (see p.56) infrastructure initiatives during the years of preparation, while Parallel Routes, a multidisciplinary initiative for the empowerment of the disabled through sport and filmmaking, will be developed in close collaboration with Disabled Persons Advocacy Organisations both in Cyprus and in Europe. To ensure that Nicosia 2017 is experienced fully throughout the participating region and beyond, especially in rural and other ‘off grid’ areas which rarely get a chance to host or experience cultural events, we have developed the Art Fleet (see p.56), a squadron of ten specially designed, sustainable, multipurpose mobile performance and information platforms whose purpose will be to take culture out of its traditional forums and plant it in village squares, in the gardens of old people’s homes and the exercise yards of prisons, to name but a few.
Varnavas Varnava
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I.12
Making Connections Cultural Operators Based in Cyprus For Nicosia, Local = National As the Capital of Cyprus and the home of most of its Universities, Research Centres, NGOs and major Cultural Institutions, it would be fair to say that most of the connections made by Nicosia 2017 on the local level could equally be considered connections at the National level as well. For this reason, we feel that the best way to answer to the first two parts of this question is to present them together... Cultural Institutions and Foundations: From the outset Nicosia 2017 has enjoyed the support of Nicosia’s major Cultural Foundations, such as the Pierides and Leventis Foundations, with whom the established framework for co-operation will be based on the idea of ‘unofficial culture’ in established venues (see Ultras, p.68). Further collaborations are envisioned with the vast majority of institutions in the region, including The National Theatre of Cyprus, the Cyprus Cultural Centre (see International Performing Arts Congress, p.67), as well as European Cultural ambassadorships such as the Goethe Institute and the British Council. Unions of Cultural Professionals: Our call for projects created meaningful dialogue and plans for collaboration with several of Cyprus’ biggest unions, including the National Union of Composers and The National Union of Architects, both of whom will be instrumental partners of Nicosia 2017 in the District Sopaz initiative (see p.52). NGOs and CSOs: Exploring meaningful co-operation between the island’s two largest communities, we reached out to Bi-Communal NGOs to begin the process of building trust and establishing the basis for collaboration. This resulted in a media partnership with the CCMC (Cyprus Media Community Centre) during the preselection phase and a series of exciting Buffer Zone projects for our programme, from Youth Power, CCMC, Future World Centre and CYINDEP (see Multicultural Innovation Centre, p.53). The United Nations: We view the UNDP as a key potential partner in all Buffer Zone related initiatives and one of several bridges between the communities. The basis for co-operation was established during the preselection process with meaningful information exchanged and advice received on how best to proceed. Advocacy Groups: Through KISA (Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism), we have established meaningful contact with grass roots Immigrant Support Networks and have begun reaching out to other advocacy groups like accept-LGBT, and groups promoting the rights of people with disabilities. We are planning to make to contact with similar organisations in the North, including the Turkish-Cypriot Wheelchair Basketball Association who we hope to include in our Parallel Routes programme. Universities and Research Centres: As the bedrock of Nicosia’s future in all sectors, Universities and Research Centres have been among our - 37 -
first ports of call. Nearly all research, experimental development or design projects in the programme directly involve one or more of the City’s Educational Centres and more details can be found in the Programme section of this application. Service/Humanitarian Organisations: Vital first contact was established with important sources of volunteerism and gateways to fresh money and professional networks like the local branches of the Round Table, the Rotary Society and others. Buffer Zone Reconstruction Initiatives: The region has a long history of bi-communal reconstruction initiatives. We have turned to the Nicosia Master Plan (Nicosia’s oldest and most effective Bi-Communal reconstruction initiative, whose interdisciplinary study of the architectural heritage of the Buffer Zone received the 2011 Europa Nostra award for research) and the Reconstruction and Resettlement Council for information, advice and the identification of synergies and avenues of collaboration going forward. These organisations will play an active role, both as providers of insight, people and technical experience for the projects of Nicosia 2017 but also as gateways to a large international network of Cultural Regeneration specialists such as Europa Nostra, whose experience and perspectives can only enrich our own efforts. Other Networks: Throughout the preparation process, countless other formal and informal Cultural networks were consulted with, or involved in other meaningful ways: Facebook groups, DJ collectives, collectives of Bicycle Enthusiasts and internet forums dedicated to local music scenes were tapped into, while football clubs, publications, radio stations and web blogs all participated in our outreach campaign, and are as excited as we are about the prospect of deepening our collaboration.
Cultural Operators Abroad Synergies with Related Cities: During the preparation period we set the foundations for fruitful exchanges of experience, based on mentoring and cooperation on issues of mutual interest (including regeneration, use of Structural Funds, development of culture-led tourism, use of PPPs) with cities throughout the continent. Our primary area of focus was on cities who share a common, troubled past and who have used Culture as a means of building bridges, specifically Berlin, Dublin and the UK City of Culture for 2013, DerryLondonderry, whose programme of promoting social unity through culture-driven growth has much in common with our own. With the latter, we envision: 2013: Exchange visits between the City of Culture Company 2013 and Nicosia 2017 (since Derry-Londonderry will be at a level of preparation in 2013 that Nicosia 2017 will reach four years later, and the presentation of the paradigm of City of Culture 2013 to citizens, NGOs, cultural actors and businesses in Nicosia, highlighting common elements, good practice and providing inspiration towards the mobilisation of the widest possible involvement in the ECoC 2017 project across all groups and communities of the participating region. - 38 -
2014-2016: Development of joint projects with the participation of actors from both cities (funding for such programmes could be sought from European programmes for Interregional cooperation, the new Creative Europe 2014-2020 programme, Europe for Citizens 14-20, etc). 2017: One or more joint events to be included in the programme of Nicosia ECoC 2017. Learning from former ECoCs and other Successful Cities: Due to our focus on the regeneration of depressed areas we have sought mentorship from Liverpool, based on their amazing work in this regard as the ECoC for 2008. As a large region representing 9 municipalities, we forged close links with Luxembourg and Greater Region 2007, receiving insight on matters relating to our organisational structure and proposed systems of regional integration. On the development of Sustainable Cultural Tourism we have sought exchanges and insight from Sibiu, following the successful development of their annual Theatre Festival and have also sought collaboration with Edinburgh, Turku, Riga and Vilnius among others.
Aigaia School of Art & Design
Partnering with Film Schools and Development Programmes: As mentioned in the programme (see p.51), the development of the AudioVisual industry is a core parameter of Nicosia 2017’s years of preparation, planned through extensive workshops and exchanges with international film schools and talent development programmes. To gain experience in this sort of collaboration we began by partnering with the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, one of
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the best film schools in the world, as co-organisers, together with the International Children’s Film Festival of Cyprus, of DOCYouthCamp, a week-long inter-communal short documentary production workshop in the Buffer Zone for young and emerging filmmakers. Going forward, we plan on consolidating existing connections between members of the team and the Berlinale Talent Campus, the Binger Film Lab in Amsterdam, The Doha Film Institute and the London Film School, and use these connections as a platform for further contact and collaboration throughout Europe. Mobility of Artists and Researchers: Several of the research and educational exchanges and partnerships that will be supported by Nicosia 2017 (see Mapmakers p.66), have already been established. We hope to build and expand this network of collaboration, and to create synergies with organisations and initiatives geared towards exchanges of researchers and insight such as Les Rencontres’s European Campus Initiative, of which Nicosia is already a member.
Nicosia Municipality Archive
Youth Activation initiatives: As a programme focused on the involvement of young citizens and with the development of young culture professionals we have sought to create awareness about youth-driven urban intervention projects like the Inside Out Project, which Nicosia will be participating in for the first time on 21st September though the Be the Change initiative. Funds: To inspire and support the mobility of artists both to and from Nicosia 2017, we hope to create synergies with funds like the Roberto Cimetta Fund, the mobility for cultural professionals, and the European Alliance for Creative Industries. We have also began exploring with the Stelios Foundation the possibilities of creating funds Knowledge Repositories: Do deepen our know-how and network on all aspects relating to the development of Nicosia 2017, we hope to be - 40 -
in constant dialogue both with our partners in Eurocities, as well as tapping into specific programmes targeted to critical aspects of our bid, such as YOUROPE; The European Festival Association for insight into the developing our Festivals and TED Global, through TEDx Nicosia, a key partner of Nicosia 2017, with a view to organising a dynamic series of conferences based on Cultural Entrepreneurship and Innovation. International Cultural Forums: To increase Nicosia’s visibility as a distinctive European destination at the crossroads of continents and cultures we will forge close links with the European Institute for Cultural Routes (IEIC) of the Council of Europe and will actively seek the enrichment of our programmes through synergies with the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), especially with regards to the ongoing MENA (Middle East, North Africa) Project, which address Democratic Empowerment, Cultural Policy and Creative Economy in the MENA region.
I.13
An Innovative Project Nicosia 2017’s application constitutes an inversion, in Cultural terms, of ‘accepted wisdom’ and ‘standard practice’ in almost every one of its core values and goals. It proposes that given the inspiration, the means and the know-how, seemingly disengaged and disillusioned citizens, especially young people, can actively take the initiative for the betterment of their city and society. It seeks to transform artists and producers into Entrepreneurs who know how to attract investors and generate sustainable projects that please audiences while reinforcing (through independence from government funding and scrutiny) all those qualities that make them vital to society in the first place. It views ‘High Culture’ as a contradiction in terms. It contends that having all the theatres, galleries and museums in the world (and Nicosia has quite a few) is meaningless if the most exciting art occurs on the streets or on-line and stays there. It also contends that the most transcendent art is that which can exist and be experienced, just as powerfully, outside the purpose-built halls of its inception, and intends to test that hypothesis by taking art to places it would never normally go. It states emphatically that where institutions and governments have failed to bring the communities of Cyprus any closer in almost 40 years, a concerted, ground-up project founded on mutually beneficial collaboration and trust can do it in four. It perceives ‘difference’ as an indicator of the uniqueness of individuals, not as a demarcator of ethnicity, social class or religious beliefs and seeks points of connection on that basis. It aspires to Social Cohesion through Pluralism, not despite it.
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It believes that the most sure-fire way of damning Heritage to obsolescence is by labelling it as such... ...and that the only way to truly preserve Heritage is to bring it kicking and screaming into relevance with the present. It asserts that, if planned properly, a new state-of-the-art Culture Centre can do more for the growth and development of a depressed area than a new state-of-the-art Shopping Mall or Office Block. It defies prevailing economic thinking regarding austerity-led crisis management and invites the leaders of the private sector to think of themselves as Investors in the City’s future, not as Sponsors of a yearlong Arts Festival.
I.14
A Fundamental Impact For Nicosia, a City divided by a physical Buffer Zone and fragmented by myriad others; the medium and long-term effects of being awarded the title of European Capital Of Culture and successfully running a programme based on Convergence could be fundamental. The goals of Nicosia 2017, as outlined in I1, are synergistic and mutually dependent: they envision Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, and presuppose Culture, Society, and Urban Development functioning as spokes on the wheel of progress; each as necessary to forward momentum as the other. So perhaps, it would be more helpful to discuss, and assess the broader desired outcomes of Nicosia 2017, and include the Urban, Social, and Cultural parameters of each. Convergence of Culture and Urban Regeneration: Regenerating existing and creating new Flagship Cultural Infrastructure would greatly impact the economic and urban growth of the city. It would trigger the development of associated infrastructure, and it would stem the flow of inhabitants, especially the professional class, and businesses out of the city centre by creating more jobs, and more associated businesses. Regenerating the city centre would also have massive, long-term effects on social cohesion, as it would create venues for collaboration, artistic expression and cohabitation across socio-economic and ethnic groups. This is especially true of the projects in the Buffer Zone: Convergence of Greek-Cypriot, Turkish-Cypriot and other Communities: The Buffer Zone has long been referred to as the ‘Glue’ that could bring the communities together. Therefore the creation of common grounds for co-operation, while contributing greatly to the Urban Regeneration of the Walled City, and beyond, would act as a catalyst for the development of common endeavours in education, business and art, by providing the venues for such collaboration. Together with Nicosia 2017’s inclusive development process and collaborative programme, we believe that the regeneration and use of the Buffer Zone for mutually beneficial projects will trigger a paradigm shift in the methodology, and
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practice of our approach to integration. If successful, this new pro-active, ground-up model of collaborative convergence will transcend the buffer zone itself and will, over time provide the catalyst for true co-existence and integration for all communities on the island.
Brian JC Osborne
Convergence of Culture, Entrepreneurship and Innovation: A major parameter of our program is the development of a new entrepreneurial and sustainable Cultural Industry; technologically astute, aware of the opportunities and best practices that Europe provides, fully in tune with audiences, and able to nurture and sustain local talent. In the immediate aftermath of Nicosia 2017, we hope to have established a new generation of voices, with the potential and the know-how to be heard across Europe. In the long-term, we hope this new generation will be as internationally recognised as leaders of innovative Culture as the European mentors that will help us, in the years leading up to 2017, to discover, develop and train them. Convergence of Citizens and Culture: Long-term sustainability and growth for the cultural sector requires audiences as well as venues and cultural entrepreneurs. Our programme features a concerted, multi-pronged audience development strategy to (re) introduce citizens across the socio-economic spectrum to culture, either by encouraging their ground-up participation or by taking culture out of mainstream venues and taking it right to their front door. Together with new smartphone systems of information, unifying a disjointed cluster of events and venues into a coherent ecosystem of real-time information, directions and ticket acquisition, our plan is to transform participation in culture, from a one-off, or special event, to a continuous, integral and accessible component of city life. Convergence of Society and European Values: Mainly due to our distance from the mainland and the short period of time since our accession to the EU, most of Cypriot Society has experienced the European Union only as a financial, political and regulatory institution,
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not as a vivid Cultural Idea or value system. Through direct awareness campaigns, events and actions with a true European Dimension and exposure to the best that European Culture has to offer, Nicosia 2017 will change this dramatically. Getting citizens to embrace, in the medium term, the values and principles Europe, would lead, in the longer term to:
Antonis Minas
Convergence of Public Awareness and Long-Term Policy: Creating awareness, acceptance and support for initiatives that are essential for sustainable mobility, environmentally responsible urban development and social cohesion, is a key component of long-term strategy. Just as with audience development and its relation to Cultural growth, Society is the bedrock of all progress. Social awareness and desire for change has to lead, or at least run parallel to any radical changes in the urban landscape and way of life. Convergence of Culture and Sustainable Tourism: Marquee Cultural Infrastructure with a revitalized service sector around it and a strong cultural industry to enliven it, are crucial to the growth of sustainable tourism for a region that, aside from Larnaka, has no sea. One of the greatest long-term effects of Nicosia 2017 will be exactly this. Starting with the international promotion of Nicosia through our communication strategy, and its re-branding as a Hub of living multicultural heritage and active cultural innovation, bolstered by a programme which will be attended by thousands of visitors, and through the creation of sustainable, returning events with international appeal, Nicosia can become a pole of attraction for high quality tourists from all over the South Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe, and beyond. This in turn, can only encourage more synergies: with intercultural inclusion, dissemination and integration of European ideals and values, still more sustainable cultural initiatives and culture-led growth and always more smart, sustainable, inclusive progress.
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Safeguarding Convergence: A Declaration of Intent The Municipalities involved in this application are determined to ensure that Nicosia 2017 and its programme achieves its full potential. For this reason, a significant portion of the budget has been allocated to 2018-2020, to ensure that proper evaluation, consolidation and transition is carried out, without exposing the organization, or its projects, to any political and economic circumstances that could endanger the continuity of its long-term programme.
I.15
Reshaping Ourselves 1. Rethinking Receiving feedback from the selection panel following the first round of selection prompted an extensive rethink of our methodology and a reassessment of our approach. Though much had been achieved in the first phase of preparation, including the consolidation of 9 municipalities into one coherent and united candidate region and the safeguarding of the bid from political interference through the appointment of the ARTos Foundation, a local, non-profit, non-governmental Culture and Research Foundation as the project co-ordinator, it was clear that certain areas needed rapid improvement: Concept: Too complex and philosophical Programme: A lack of ground-up projects due to an uninspiring awareness campaign Finances: Too much dependence on Government Funds Turkish Cypriot Community Participation: Had not yet been addressed A Panel of Local and International Cultural Experts was formed for a weeklong brainstorming session in Nicosia to discuss these issues and ways of going forward. These sessions where centred around the question: What do we mean by ‘Reshaping The Future’? Over the course of the week, the exploration and discussion produced the following assumptions: Assumption 1: ‘Reshaping’ instead of merely ‘Shaping’ implies that we already have a future. And that we don’t want it. Assumption 2: The Programme of Nicosia 2017 is a way of moving from the Future We Have, to the Future We Want. Assumption 3: The Future We Have stems from the Present. The present is defined by Stasis, caused by social, ethnic, cultural, generational and geographical division. Assumption 4: Ergo, The Future We Want is defined by Mobility: social mobility, sustainable mobility, and cultural mobility. Assumption 5: The Greatest Symbol of Stasis and main roadblock to actual Mobility in our society is The Buffer Zone: either as a physical barrier or an excuse for lack of progress and development.
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Assumption 6: The only way to Reshape The Future is to overcome, through Culture, the Buffer Zone and all buffer zones that exist between us.
2. Reinforcing Following the conclusion of the Panel of Experts’ sessions, the existing project co-ordination team, led by the ARTos Foundation was reinforced through the creation of a Core Project Management Team consisting of: Project Manager: Mr Stavros Pamballis, filmmaker, writer and journalist, tasked with conceptualising the application, developing the communication strategy and liaising with all stakeholders and partners of Nicosia 2017. Project Co-ordinator: Miss Katerina Andreou, Cultural Officer of the Municipality of Nicosia, responsible for linking the Core Team to the Municipality, safeguarding the former’s independence and ensuring the latter’s continued co-operation and support. Project Curator: Mr Achilleas Kentonis, Artistic Director of ARTos Foundation, tasked with the development of the programme, preselection of project applications, liaising with cultural actors in Cyprus and abroad and co-ordinating the ARTos team of researchers, writers and designers. The Core Project Team would be supported by Project Advisory Committee, a consulting body consisting of Mrs Maria Mavrou (Head of the Office for European Affairs, Nicosia Municipality), Dr Yiannis Toumazis (Director of the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre), Mrs Loukia Hadjigavriel (Director of The Leventis Museum and President of Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO), Mr Guy Dockendorf (Chairman of the board, “Luxembourg and Greater Region, Cultural Capital of Europe, 2007”) and Ms Daina Miskouri, (representing Deloitte, the team’s sustainability adviser). The team made some immediate decisions: The Concept had to re-imagine the Buffer Zone, Nicosia’s greatest weakness into an empowering Call to Action and a symbol of potential Unity, not perpetual Division. To begin an intense, whole-hearted and decisive process of opening up Nicosia 2017 to Turkish Cypriot Cultural Actors, Bi-Communal and multicultural NGOs and CSOs and Immigrant Organisations. All Communication and Promotion Campaigns, Media-Buys and Copywriting to be conceived, developed and executed in-house with outsourcing of graphic design, web design and Audio Visual production to young professionals and start-ups. To relaunch the awareness campaign and begin a new call for projects and ideas with three different ways to apply, directed at the everyday citizen, enthusiastic amateurs or students and experienced professionals. To rip up the original finance plan and draw up a new one, predicated on the active engagement and participation of the private sector, either - 46 -
Antonis Minas
through direct investment or targeted, substantial in-kind support. To this effect, Miss Marina Theodotou, founder and director of TEDx Nicosia, was hired as Fresh Money Consultant and Investor Liaison.
3. Relaunching Armed with the full support of the Mayor and Municipal Council, the team proceeded with their plans. The concept seemed to strike a nerve with the public and the open air events associated with Nicosia 2017 were extremely well attended, while hundreds of ordinary citizens, companies and organisations began to send in applications.
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The Core Project Team began information and brainstorming sessions with BiCommunal NGOs like Youth Power, CCMC (Cyprus Community Media Centre) and CYINDEP (The Cyprus island-wide NGO Development Platform), starting to build trust and develop some truly substantial Buffer Zone projects that would benefit all communities on the island. Through close collaboration with KISA (Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism) consultation began with organised immigrant groups, needs accessed and ideas exchanged.
ARTos Foundation Archive
Meanwhile, the ARTos team were continuously developing projects based on collaborations between Cypriot and International institutions and networks and collecting, evaluating and providing feedback on proposals that were pouring through the website. The Municipality contributed greatly to this phase. The Office of European Affairs sent out calls for collaboration, mentoring and insight to Cities across Europe, especially to those who had recently run successful, relevant ECoC programmes, while the Technical Department and Nicosia Master Plan advised on the projects envisioned for the region, and the needs and gaps in policy or funding that Nicosia 2017 might help overcome. At a series of working breakfasts, the concept and vision for Nicosia 2017 as a socio-economic and cultural reconstruction project was presented, by the mayor, to national business leaders. The response, in terms of letters of intent and follow up meetings, was extremely encouraging and a vital component of the new finance plan.
4. Reworking The Call for Projects closed on the 1st of June. The ARTos Team were tasked with Pre-selection, evaluating all proposals based on the following criteria: –– Relevance and/or Applicability to Concept and Themes –– Originality/Innovation - 48 -
–– Feasibility and co-financing possibilities –– European Dimension –– Audience Participation –– Cross Media possibilities The pre-selected projects were organised by thread and presented to the Core Project Team, who made a short list, offering suggestions and asking questions geared towards clarifying the selected projects or enhancing their compatibility with the Concept. On the completion of the feedback and resubmission phase, the Core Project Team and ARTos set about mapping a provisional programme based on the Narrative and Transformative Three Act Structure of Nicosia 2017: Exploring, Bridging, Transforming. This provisional programme was presented to the Project Advisory Committee who provided further filtering, financial scrutiny and evaluation of the submitting bodies, and following a final round of clarifications, feedback and mapping, the indicative programme was locked and began to be incorporated into the final application.
5. Refining
With a clear picture of its vision, the projects and events that would bring that vision to life and the cost of realising them, the Financing Plan for the event was carefully put together by Deloitte, weighing the gloomy forecast for public finances against the prospects of enthusiastic private sector support for Nicosia 2017. On the Organisational front, and wishing to safeguard the integrity and truly intercommunal nature of the Nicosia 2017 organisation, the Core Project Team conducted extensive consultation sessions with legal advisers, the Advisory Committee and foreign experts to arrive at a structure that guaranteed Turkish Cypriot participation, disengaged the organisation from political interference and allowed for a smooth transition from the status of Candidate to that of Nominee, were Nicosia to be selected.
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II The Journey
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I I.1
We have divided the Journey of Nicosia 2017 into 3 Stages. Departure Zone 2013 - 2016
Convergence Zone 2017
Regeneration Zone
Accessible Zone
VI-VID Zone
Exploring Harbingers Mapmakers Pathfinders
Bridging Playmakers Mythbusters Blockbusters
Transcending Groundbreakers Trailblazers Unifiers
Evaluation
Consultation
Consolidation
Connection Zone 2018 - 2020
— Stage One Departure Zone – 4 Years Of Preparation, Decades Of Impact The threads that form the structure and carry the concept of the programme for the ECoC year, as outlined in I.2, originate much earlier, and extend far beyond the twelve months of 2017. Revitalizing marginalised or abandoned urban areas, setting the Cultural Sector on a course of sustainable growth, tangibly empowering the forces of Civic Society, and promoting a ground-up culture of entrepreneurship, multiculturalism and inter-communal co-operation takes groundwork, long-term thinking and decisive first steps. For Nicosia 2017, that groundwork is all about: –– Triggering Regeneration, –– Ensuring Accessibility, and –– Empowering the AudioVisual Industry.
(a) Regeneration Zone In setting out our urban regeneration plans for Nicosia 2017, we focused specifically on repurposing, or creating, venues that while complementing (and in some cases spearheading) the long-term development plans of the city and region, are also vital to the themes and goals of Nicosia 2017. Once completed, these rejuvenated spaces will be integral venues for the programme during the ECoC year itself and, over time, are sure to become cornerstones of its legacy. Here are some of our envisioned, long-term infrastructure projects. District Sopaz A post industrial ghetto on the fringes of the Buffer Zone, the Sopaz area is screaming out for repurposing and features heavily in municipal - 52 -
and state government urban regeneration wish-lists. We propose to kick start the process by restoring and transforming the large, unused section of Sopaz Factory (cavernous, acoustically fascinating chambers, idle gargantuan machines, et al) into a unique, multipurpose centre for the contemporary and experimental arts. Part performance space, part seedbed where emerging artists from both sides of the Buffer Zone can rehearse, experiment and interact, District Sopaz is one of Nicosia 2017’s flagship projects. Nicosia 2017’s Own HQ To be housed on premises acquired by the municipality explicitly for this purpose, in what is currently the shell of a neo-classical building just opposite UN HQ at the Ledra Palace checkpoint, Nicosia 2017’s centre of operations would be far more than just an office. We envision it as a meeting point; a welcoming drop-in centre where anyone can pass by for advice, mentoring and information. Informal roundtables, workshops and multicultural collaboration initiatives will be a regular feature. A place where any citizen, or visitor, will feel welcome to come and share their concerns, hopes and ideas with us, and with other citizens from both sides of the Buffer Zone. Multicultural Innovation Centre In The Buffer Zone Proposed by Youth Power, one of the Island’s most active, and effective, Bi-Communal NGOs, this project envisions the regeneration of a building in the heart of the buffer zone, and its conversion into a multicultural centre for Young Entrepreneurs. Designed to include a shared Maker’s Space complete with powerful design labs and 3D printers, as well as ample room for international workshops and networking events, this project follows in the great tradition of the Nicosia Master Plan, a long-standing bi-communal co-operation initiative which, under the auspices of the UN, carries out projects that greatly impact all communities. It will house several of Nicosia 2017’s Convergence Projects, including: Public School Nicosia: an open, physical and virtual educational platform that will generate courses based on the demands of the public. Based on the concept of a school with no curriculum its ultimate aim is to reshape the concept and understanding of culture beyond classic academicism and elitist tools and models. Music Zone: Summer music camps for all children of Cyprus, particularly from marginalized groups. Social Innovation Camp: (please see Accessible Zone, on p.56) Cyprus Culture Centre, Nicosia Seemingly on a perpetual go-no-go loop, this project, whose development is an essential component of the long-term growth of sustainable tourism in Nicosia, is currently too reliant on the state’s fragmented EU fund disbursal policy. We hope that becoming Capital of Culture would be a catalyst for a more concentrated allocation of funds, as well as an opportunity to attract private investment to a venue that could form a centrepiece of the ECoC programme and a definitive building for the city itself. The Real Madrid Social Sports School An international initiative by the football giant and presented to the Nicosia 2017 team by the club themselves, this project would create - 53 -
a simple but well equipped sports school in the buffer zone, where girls and boys from all communities would learn to co-operate and respect each other through sport. In a country where football carries strong, divisive, ethnic and political affiliations (see Ultras, on p.68) this school will be a great unifier. Back To The Roots: A botanical garden situated in the Buffer Zone Inter-communal collaboration and trust does not just happen. It needs forums, venues, and reasons to sprout and grow. This project involves the transformation of a piece of land in or around the buffer zone into a communal botanical garden and model of sustainable micro-agriculture. Willing participants from all communities will be organised into a collective and each will receive their own small patch where they can grow herbs relevant to their own ethnic traditions. The collective will then handle the packing, marketing and selling of the produce as well as the remuneration of the producers. Small displays beside each patch will inform visitors of the cultural and geographic origins of each herb, as well as its uses. Along with a maze for children and space for installations the garden will provide outdoor venues for alternative education initiatives, like Every Human Being Is An Artist, inspired by the work of Joseph Beuys, and the Urban Garden Workshop, a culinary workspace with a communal Clay Oven where traditional regional cuisine can shared, practiced, and infused with new influences. The Pancyprian Overseas Chinese Association has already requested and received permission to provide seminars based on traditional Chinese Medicine and Tai Chi. Centre for The Revitalisation of Cypriot Handicrafts - Lefkara The preservation and sustainable growth of cultural heritage industries is a crucial European issue. This project aims at the celebration, preservation and revitalisation of the moribund Lefkaritika lacemaking and embroidery industry through the rejuvenation and repurposing of a dilapidated property in the village of Lefkara into an on-site Training Centre and Museum. Backed by extensive research, the Centre will strive to develop and preserve the best practices of the past while exchanging know-how and developing strategies to address common challenges with handicraft industries throughout the region and Europe, especially Venice (a sister city of Larnaka). It will also seek ways to make Lefkaritika relevant to contemporary stylistic needs through design contests and fashion shows (see Handmade Europe, on p.75). Research Centre For Experimental Sustainable Architecture A common project with The University of Cyprus, this centre will be a platform for testing sustainable methods of living in the future. The objective is to create an interactive environment where researchers will be able to experiment with architecture and sustainable systems in an interdisciplinary framework based on the concept of trial and error, where ideas around sustainable architecture will be designed, realised and tested on a one-to-one scale. Forging strong links between institutions in Cyprus, Europe and the Middle East the Centre’s ultimate aim is to facilitate the building of sustainable structures through elemental material and affordable techniques to enable cheap, sustainable housing in depressed areas and third world countries.
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NeroPolis (City Of Water) - Larnaka The culmination of a 4-year experimental sustainable architecture project that proposes to create a platform for the use of the elemental materials of Cyprus (sun and sea water) to create new sustainable building materials (bricks and tiles of salt), with which to build a model community space for festivals by the sea. (See W.A.T.E.R, on p.75) Based on a system designed by a Dutchman, to be produced onsite in Larnaka and the direct result of techniques refined at the Centre of Experimental Architecture, (see above) the space will be used, after 2017, as a cultural centre and beach attraction for tourists and locals. Nicosia International Airport - From Airport to Artport. This proposal deals with the abandoned Nicosia International Airport, once the modernist jewel of united Nicosia, now lying empty and abandoned for 38 years inside the Buffer Zone, and proposes its conversion into a cultural space of co-existence and common creative activities between the different cultures on the island. The symbolic impact this would have on all communities and towards efforts at promoting true multiculturalism on the island would be incalculable. A lot has to happen before this dream (albeit meticulously prepared, thoroughly researched and professionally presented) can be even begin to be realised, and the possibilities of it being ready for 2017 are slim, at the very best. However, we are including it here because we are certain that with the momentum, trust and spirit of collaboration fostered by the programme of Nicosia 2017, we can at least help to lay the foundations, for what could be the definitive reconstruction project for the cultural future of Nicosia, and all of Cyprus.
Antonis Minas
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(b) Accessible Zone Nicosia 2017 intends to be a truly universal ECoC; one that actively encourages participation, interaction and co-operation from all its citizens and visitors. So we have set ourselves a clear mission: To ensure that EVERYONE, no matter what their social class, ethnic group, disability, age or side of the Buffer Zone, has access to EVERYTHING the ECoC has to offer. In the build up to 2017, we will be focusing on the following: Sign and Walk The City Initiative Nicosia’s street signage is notoriously inadequate, even for Greek speakers. We plan to address this by launching a public competition to find and commission the best Turnkey Solution for the mapping, design and implementation of a multilingual (via augmented reality) pedestrian road sign system of distance measurements, descriptions and ‘sights and services’ directories.
Antonis Minas
Art Fleet A squadron of ten specially designed, sustainable, multipurpose mobile performance spaces, will be taking culture where it doesn’t usually go throughout the ECoC year. Their design and implementation will be a competition open to university students, experimental architects and engineers across the divide, with inter-communal, and European partnerships directly encouraged. These will include: The Mobile Repair Shop For Broken Toys: A travelling regeneration workshop rolling around the city including the Buffer Zone and beyond, inviting children from all communities to bring their broken toys and repair them together. The Library: The old mobile library bus of the Ministry of Education and Culture will be repurposed as a travelling collector and transmitter of memory and history. In its new role, the mobile library
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can be converted into a mobile archive integrating new media and technologies, Internet and GPS. Reels on Wheels: A state of the art projection vehicle, this member of the fleet seeks to recreate the experience of gathering in the neighbourhood square to watch a film under the stars. Programmes will be developed through requests from the communities themselves. I Have Good N/E/W/S For You: A constantly moving information centre, (hence North, East, West, South) disseminating information on the programme, signing up volunteers, and handing out free event passes to the elderly and those in need, all over the island. Radio ’17 Developed and run in collaboration with university media departments, this radio station will broadcast information for the programmes, events, calls for proposals and competitions of Nicosia 2017, in 17 different languages, through soundbites, interviews and news bulletins. Our hope is that after 2017, it will take on a life of its own, as a connection between immigrant communities and visitors, and the cultural life of the city. Top Priority to Sustainable Mobility Works Many of the participating municipalities have already embarked on, or committed to, ambitious improvements to their sustainable mobility infrastructure. Nicosia 2017 will work side by side with these efforts, advocating for private investment, campaigning for public awareness and support and, potentially, spurring a more concentrated distribution of Government funds, to prepare of the city in time for the ECoC Year. Upgrading Accessibility Infrastructure at Venues Though some work has been done to improve the accessibility of our cultural infrastructure for people with disabilities, there is still work to do. After conducting a thorough survey we will embark on series of joint ventures with venues and partners who are willing to contribute, to try and ensure that, from assisted listening at theatres to wheelchair accessible seating in concert halls, Nicosia 2017 can be enjoyed by everyone equally. Social Innovation Camp, Nicosia Beginning in 2013, and continuing past 2017, Social Innovation Camp will be a new way to bring people with ideas on social issues together with people who understand technology – connecting local authorities, civil society, the business and technology sectors together to build practical, real solutions to everyday challenges in the form of new social projects and ventures. This project aims to strengthen these relationships to promote solutions to everyday accessibility and social mobility problems in Nicosia through the development of technologybased social ventures. By focusing on collaborative problem-solving, Social Innovation Camp Nicosia will facilitate contact between disparate communities, thus promoting social cohesion, bring citizens closer to the decision-making process and offer an alternative forum to enhance cross-sectoral networks and collaboration on issues of common concern.
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(c) VI-VID Zone
Six Initiatives for the A/V Industry
Varnavas Varnava
NICOSIA 2017 believes in the power of the moving image: –– as a vehicle for unheard voices, expressed in a universal language –– as a powerful means of awareness-raising and information exchange on a global scale –– as an engaging platform for genuine trans-border, and intercultural collaboration –– as a local industry with massive ground-up, youth-driven, sustainablegrowth potential celebrates the radical democratisation of the means of content creation and dissemination brought about by the advent of affordable HD shooting and editing solutions on smart phones, tablets, and digital SLRs, and the development of on-line content curation and distribution networks embraces the need to provide accessibility, encouragement and training to a new generation of enthusiastic amateur content creators, as well as growth and development opportunities to already established industry professionals and aspires, by 2019, to have contributed actively to the creation of a revitalised, innovative, self-sustaining and internationally recognised Cypriot audiovisual industry, able to hold its own wherever A/V content is disseminated: from Cannes to YouTube... We have resolved therefore, that A/V content creation will not be a programmatic thread but an ever-present fibre which enhances, documents and promotes every other aspect of Nicosia 2017 through: - 58 -
1. The commissioning of dozens of short and feature length documentaries from a variety of creators from all communities, chronicling each aspect of our programme, and documenting entire facets of our journey towards inter-communal collaboration, European values and sustainable development. These films will not only be used to complement and promote the events and programme but, more importantly, as educational tools on best practices; depicting the highs, as well as the lows, of our efforts and all the lessons we learned along the way. Besides offering technical support and advice, Nicosia 2017 will cede all editorial control and ‘final cut’ rights on these films to the creators themselves. 2. The appointment of an in-house A/V promotion and awareness Commissioner who will ensure the widest possible dissemination of our A/V promotional budget by soliciting pitches and bids from young filmmakers or entrepreneurial A/V production houses. Just as we have done throughout the second phase of our candidacy, all promotional clips, highlight reels and web animations will be commissioned from emerging talent, developed, step by step, like short films, and then distributed with the names of their creators prominently displayed. 3. The disbursal, of ERASMUS FOR ALL funds to send promising young A/V producers on internships with established A/V entrepreneurs throughout Europe, and to facilitate the setting up of workshops and residencies, headed by internationally renowned producers at our Multicultural Innovation Centre in the Buffer Zone, of CREATIVE EUROPE funds to send young A/V creatives to residencies and development labs abroad (like the Binger Film Lab and The Berlin Talent Campus), and the organisation of Buffer Zone based, youth film camps, with the participation of young filmmakers from all over Cyprus and Europe. 4. A concerted programme of free, open-air mini-film festivals, (at locations like the Moat beside the Venetian Walls) to celebrate great Cypriot filmmakers, from Michael Kakoyiannis to DerviĹ&#x; Zaim, and to showcase emerging Cypriot, European and Middle Eastern talent. 5. The creation VI-VID ZONE: an on-line component of Nicosia 2017 dedicated to the organisation of themed smart phone short film competitions, with interactive, crowd-sourced voting and commenting, to encourage maximum participation among young people from all communities. 6. The awarding of two scholarships a year, from 2014 to 2019, enabling talented young filmmakers from all over Cyprus to study film production abroad. Nominees for the scholarship will be selected through their participation in the programmes listed above.
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— Stage Two Convergence Zone – The ECoC Year As outlined in section I.2, the Programme for the Year itself is structured around three prisms/phases of action: EXPLORING Buffers (see p.64) How do we even begin a journey into a future of ground-up transformation, multicultural participation, social integration, and sustainable rejuvenation before we acknowledge and dissect the roadblocks of the past, and explore the possibilities of the present? The Exploring phase of the programme is when we learn to open our eyes and see the possibilities in ourselves and those around us, chart our place on the cultural map and trace the routes that could unite us. It is how we discover the grammar, and the language to talk to each other. Taking place within the winter months, this first phase of the programme will begin with a bang during the nation’s busiest shopping period, then move indoors with a series of radically alternative, challenging, and participatory events and exhibitions designed to attract large swathes of general public, especially groups who wouldn’t normally visit a museum and European visitors to the region’s rich selection of cultural venues, from the most grandiose exhibition spaces to the grungiest clubs, and engage them in dialogue on the many visible and invisible borders in our cities, our regions and our nations. On the academic and professional level this phase, which in many cases will begin as early as 2013, will be used to map, and then exhibit (both in physical space and on-line) the possibilities for Sustainable Mobility, Social Integration, Urban Rejuvenation and alternative Architecture through interdisciplinary research projects involving Universities throughout the region, our Danish sister city, the rest of Europe and beyond, and to identify possible points of contact and intersection on the long journey ahead. Major Cultural Institutions, like the Leventis, and Pierides Foundations, with their extremely strong links to European cultural powerhouses like the Louvre, the BOZAR and the Venice Biennale, will provide platforms for finding our voice in the European conversation, and charting our place as a region with a rich European heritage, and strong Middle-Eastern and North African influences. Complementing this, but with an eye to the future, Terra Mediterranea In Action, Nicosia 2017’s all encompassing contemporary art initiative will be exploring the connective potential of Art as negotiator and transgressor of cultural semiotics, by bringing together a network of cultural actors and institutions from the Southern Mediterranean for a series of workshops, residencies, exhibitions and interactive events. The ultimate aim of this project, which will continue till 2020, is to create synergies between local cultural actors, and their counterparts in the South-Med region and develop Cyprus into a true artistic hub that connects continents and facilitates the mobility of artists.
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Antonis Minas
BRIDGING Buffers (See p.70) Among the main goals of Nicosia 2017 is to get people to step outside, to re-discover their city, take initiatives to improve it, share experiences with those who live within it and to confront the barriers that keep us apart. Taking place in the spring and summer, the perfect time to be outdoors, the Bridging phase of the programme will be centred around the concept of New Encounters and Discovery: Of public space, of hidden possibilities and of one another. This phase therefore, is when we learn to walk, to approach each other outside the ‘safe’ walls of academia and beyond the alarm-secured glass of exhibition spaces. Accessibility, one of the fibres woven into all the threads of Nicosia 2017, will be a bedrock of this phase of the programme, providing forums for groups of people who are ignored, marginalised or ridiculed by mainstream society to express themselves and connect in a meaningful way with the general population. The ArtFleet, meanwhile, will be taking to the hills, the back streets, the housing projects and the village squares, taking ‘high’ culture where it doesn’t normally go. Centred around European Neighbours Day, a series of communitydriven initiatives of topical micro-regeneration will foster the spirit of cooperation and individual involvement, while bridging the space between the Urban and the Natural environment.
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Around the end of the school year, a series of residencies, workshops and camps for children and young adults from both sides of the Buffer Zone, and from all over Europe, will be especially designed to provide underprivileged youth with access to educational and vocational opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them, with a balanced selection of attendees to ensure maximum inter-communal dialogue and collaboration. This phase of the programme will climax with a series of high calibre events designed to showcase Cyprus’ unique European dimension as a bridge to three continents, and its potential role as a facilitator of meaningful, process driven cultural dialogue between diverse, and sometimes divergent, socio-cultural sensibilities. TRANSCENDING Buffers (see p.75) Having learnt to talk the talk and walk the walk, having primed and tested, and stretched our threads, our communities and ourselves a long way out of our Comfort Zones, it’s time to test how far we’ve come. The final phases of the programme aims to deliver a series of visionary, technically and aesthetically groundbreaking, socially and economically innovative and, most importantly, culturally and aesthetically unique events that will resonate throughout Europe, and shake the foundations of what we, as Cypriots, believe is possible. Many of the events in this phase of the project are still theoretical. They require methodical preparation, multidisciplinary synergies, intercommunal negotiation, co-operation and trust. In other words, they require Convergence... Many people have asked us if we have a Plan B for this section of the programme. In case we fail to get this far in four years. Our answer is no. There is no Plan B. For Nicosia, for its communities, for Cyprus, the programme of Nicosia 2017 is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to change and to grow. To change and to grow, fundamentally. And we will seize it.
— Stage Three Connection Zone – 2018 and beyond We see the end of the ECoC year not as an arrival, but a connection; yet another stage on a journey that has no end. Evaluation: A moment to take a deep breath, evaluate our programme, our progress and ourselves. To take stock of what worked and what didn’t. To consolidate and, where necessary, reboot our initiatives. Consultation: An opportunity to share our journey and its lessons with the rest of Europe, in forums like EuroCities, and in more public arenas, - 62 -
through the curation and distribution of the A/V material collected and produced throughout the process. Consolidation: Convergence is a dynamic process. Unpredictable and fluid. No matter how successful we are by 2017, our work, as a society, will be far from over. In the hope of maintaining and developing the operational structures and platforms for inter-communal, cultural and entrepreneurial collaboration set up for Nicosia 2017, we are setting aside a portion of our budget for the founding, in 2018, of new independent organisations that continue to function as independent funnels of collaboration and ideas between the communities. And herein lies the true potential legacy of Nicosia 2017, and how we hope it will be remembered in the decades to come: Not as end in itself, but as a beginning.
I I.2
A Selection of Events for 2017 Flexible Threads: A note on the Programme and Selected Events. Our public call for projects and ideas resulted in hundreds of applications. Of these, we are presenting but a few dozen - the ones we are determined to commit to now, 5 years before the event itself, and the ones we feel best reflect the spirit, concept and values of Nicosia 2017. This is because, as an ECoC candidate navigating the long, difficult journey of true multicultural trust and involvement at the grass roots level, and envisioning the future in a murky economic environment we are determined to keep our programme, its development and content as open to emerging voices, as responsive to new socio-cultural trends and as impervious to financial turbulence as possible. To achieve this, going forward, we are committed to: Commission original projects from young and emerging artists in all disciplines, some of whom don’t even know they are artists yet. Reserve ample room, and funding, for the emergence, development and participation of Cultural Actors from the Turkish Cypriot and other communities in the region, as trust and collaboration grows over the years of preparation. Balance the desire to deliver a diverse, high quality programme against the need for fiscal responsibility and realism as we navigate a turbulent financial period for Europe, and for the South Eastern Mediterranean region in particular.
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Exploring:
A Selection of Actions and Events.
1. Harbingers In late December, as the city’s streets pulse with the rush of last minute shopping, a series of physical interventions in public spaces will act as teasers for the year to come. These interventions will be designed to encourage and reward public curiosity and participation, promote the exploration of less visited corners of the city, from disused lots in the old town to housing estates in the suburbs, and alert participants to the theme of visible and invisible buffer zones. They will include: The Giant Wind Chime A space-specific installation of a Giant Wind Chime in the disused Ledra Street / Lokmaci corridor, right on the Buffer Zone, in the heart of the Old City. A suspended object, transient and aesthetically beautiful, peaceful and always in gentle motion, the Giant Wind Chime will transform our feelings and associations of the space from ones of conflict and separation to those of transformation and hope. Responding to the breeze, reflecting even the subtlest changes in light, accompanied by a specially created sound installation and lit up at night, the installation will set a peaceful, pioneering and imaginative tone for how this space can be (re)imagined, experienced and used in the future. Its construction will be led by two Berlinbased architects, and will take place on-site, with the assistance of artists and craftsmen from all local communities. The Door Project Hundreds of doors appear on sidewalks all over the participating region, and in the Buffer Zone, seemingly overnight. Will you open them and walk through, or deliberately change course to avoid them? Patchwork, sourced from the doors of abandoned Buffer Zone buildings (with the owners’ permission) as well as from ghettos and conflict zones across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, each door will be tagged with a QR code containing its history, origin and the memories of the people who lived behind it. With a large portion of these doors being placed in disused, or residual spaces and marginalised neighbourhoods, and through a competition (through GPS tagging) to be the first person to visit them all, The Door Project aims to introduce the public to the Programme’s themes and values in a fun, informative and interactive way.
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New Year’s Eve Street Party In Cyprus, Municipal New Year’s Eve festivities (street parties and firework displays) are attended mostly by the City’s immigrant population, with locals preferring to stay indoors, at house parties, restaurants and clubs. There is therefore no greater way to set the tone, and kick off the ECoC year other than holding the mother of all crowd-sourced, and crowd-curated, street parties to welcome 2017. With selection and programming being left largely to the public, through social media portals set up specifically for this purpose a year in advance, on New Year’s Eve on both sides of the Buffer Zone, selected professional and amateur artists, established pop stars and garage rock bands, am-dram performers and established ensembles will be invited to take to the streets (as well as roofs, balconies, and parking lots) and party the night away. The evening will include the debut performance of ‘The Cypriot Concerto’ a fusion of Cypriot folk music and classical music, building a bridge between Cyprus’ centuries-old music culture and that of Europe, composed by young Turkish Cypriot Emre Oztek, in collaboration with Greek Cypriot pianist Martinos Tirimos, the Cyprus Symphony orchestra and a multicultural ensemble of musicians and performers. To be performed on the Venetian Wall, with special VIP ‘rooftop seats’ on the surrounding buildings reserved for volunteers and competition winners. With large multicast screens broadcasting highlights from all over the region in the main squares, 3D light-shows recreating the past and imagining the future of monumental city infrastructure, Volunteerism Squads collecting New Year’s resolutions to from people donating whatever they can of their time and energy in the months to come, and selected artists and audiences from all over Europe and the Southeastern Mediterranean region participating via satellite link, we are hoping for a night that inspires, entertains and unites at a local level, and one that provokes enthusiasm, curiosity and awareness for Nicosia 2017 internationally.
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2. Mapmakers One of Nicosia’s greatest assets is the high concentration of Universities, academies and research centres. The projects in this section will involve this sector, and key partners from Europe and the Middle East, from as early as 2013, but in a series of exhibitions, workshops, conferences and interactive events in early 2017 will be used to chart progress, involve the public and create awareness of major European issues. Cypriot Myths - Legends - History. A European Perception. A travelling exhibition, initiated by the Leventis Foundation, in collaboration with European cultural powerhouses, to unite and present the works of European Masters, from antiquity to the present day, that were inspired by the myths, legends and history of Cyprus. Accompanied by a series of seminars, this exhibition will create awareness throughout Europe of Cyprus’ place on the continent’s cultural map and, upon its unveiling in Cyprus at the beginning of 2017, will be an invitation to assess and enrich the European values of our everyday lives, practices and cultural pursuits. SITOPIA: A Common Starting Point. An expansive, trans-border, and transnational research project, investigating the types of creativity and heritage involved in the production, and consumption of food. The Project works towards designing and facilitating creative collaborative processes around the gastronomic arts, the history and science of food as well as the theory of Sitopia: that food (Sitos) is a designator of place (Topos) and culture. Working in parallel, a sister research project, ‘Common routes of Gastronomy’, Sitopia will conclude in an exploration through an exhibition, a short film and workshops, the study of at least 5 food/drinks across the centuries in Europe and the Mediterranean, with a special focus on the art of making Bread, from antiquity till today. The findings of this initiative will be used to help traditional food manufacturers develop the necessary know-how and techniques to attain UNESCO Intangible Heritage Certification. Body In Habitus A multifaceted research, choreography and performance project which aims to hold a mirror up to society and actually make us see ourselves and each other, and the many individual ways we inhabit and experience our cities, through the study of the body language of citizens from different social backgrounds, generations, and cultural roots. Audiovisual research material will be collected, workshopped, choreographed, exhibited and performed at site-specific events throughout the region. Terra Mediterranea Exhibitions Accumulating 4 years of groundwork, research and creative collaboration across the South Eastern Mediterranean, the exhibitions will be organised at the Nicosia Municipal Arts
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Centre (The Powerhouse) and several other venues of historic, architectural or industrial importance. The exhibitions investigate current local and global issues, as well as the colonial past and the post colonial present of the region. Parallel exhibitions will be organised in different countries of the region in cooperation with the collaborating institutions. Cinema Workshops – ‘The Buffer Zone’ The educational programme in filmmaking kicks off with the one of a kind film “Méditerranée” by French New Wave director Jean-Daniel Pollet. The film’s poetic freedom in crossing borders back and forth in space and time from antiquity to modernity, assembling images of different nature from a trip around the Mediterranean, combing and recombining them in editing, creates an astonishing perception of the secret flow of the Mediterranean Sea and culture(s). This will be the key approach to the workshops where participants will be asked to explore their own viewpoint on the Mediterranean, focusing on what brings together but also on what separates its peoples, be it exactly the same thing that they may claim as only theirs. Each workshop will concentrate on a specific filmic aspect, such as framing for instance, enabling a deeper understanding of its expressive potential. Special screenings of the final results of each workshop will be organised in the open air, on less conventional surfaces along the buffer zone, allowing a new perception of a possible inter-communal dialogue. Cyprus In The Studio A multimedia exhibition and book launch detailing the exploration of the family portrait studio photography that used to take place in Nicosia and Larnaka during the development of the urban middle class of the city, which originated during colonial times and climaxed in the 1980s. The project will involve the archiving, refurbishing and digitising of lost family portraits from the negatives still languishing in the basements of photo studios, the identification, with the help of a crowd-sourced on-line database, of the people in the photographs and the production of new family portraits of them and their descendants, today. Tracing the shifting demographics and population movement of the years after independence, this project has the potential to highlight the points of contact between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, and re-awaken common memories and experiences. International Performing Arts Congress of Cyprus In collaboration with Cyprus Culture Centre, and The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), this global event will include a practical and a theoretical approach (performances, presentations, debates, lectures and workshops), dealing with fragmented geographies of time, culture and place, as framing devices for performance, and will discuss the impact of pluralism, cultural shifts and new technologies on the performing arts.
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3. Pathfinders A series of ‘first of their kind’ events taking advantage of Nicosia’s rich cultural infrastructure, detailing its complex multicultural past and planting the seeds for sustainable, returning events that will continue to grow after the ECoC year. Faith Fest From the Sufis of Constantinople to the Gospel Choirs of Chicago and Hassidic Punk bands from Israel, this World Festival of Religious Music and Performance will celebrate the Culture of Faith, while disengaging it from Dogma. Spread out over 10 days, in Churches, clubs, concert halls, monuments and sports arenas throughout the participating region, highlighting its Multicultural past and present, the Festival will be accompanied by a series of exhibitions tracing the complex history of religion on the island, focusing especially on the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Ultras Anyone who has ever walked into a derby between APOEL and Omonoia (Nicosia’s largest football clubs) will tell you that the songs the fans come up with, the choreographies, they conceive and execute (with the co-ordination of thousands of spectators) and the banners they design are among the most exciting examples of contemporary folk art (or what we currently call ‘Crowd-Sourced’ Art) being produced in Cyprus. Ultras will be a living exhibition, equal part celebration of fan creativity, sourced from camera-phone videos shot by the fans themselves, and examination of the history Cypriot Football as a voice for the unheard, charting the effects of its politicisation and fragmentation, (by Colonial rule, the Greek Civil War and the invasion), on the history, culture and civic society of the island. A local spin on a global issue, the exhibition will include a broader European context, examining the charged, two-way relationship between football and society, in contexts including the role of organised Ultras groups in the Bosnian war, the forging of a mediated Jewish identity by fans of Amsterdam’s Ajax football club and the use of football as a demarcator of class and religious affiliation in the United Kingdom. Children and Youth Film Festival A special, enhanced edition of this annual festival, with screenings of age appropriate films centred on difference, and special filmmaking workshops designed to foster expression, collaboration and understanding in a common, visual language.
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Old Nicosia Revealed What started as an attempt, by photography enthusiasts, to document all the old signs in old Nicosia, a part of history that is being taken away by time, desolation and abandonment, has evolved into a facebook phenomenon involving everyday citizens, NGOs, photographers, lovers and friends of the old town. Nicosia 2017 seeks to embrace this ground-up collective, nurture it, and help it achieve its goals, which include shooting in UN controlled areas, encouraging international participation and awareness and getting their hands on some proper equipment. In turn, Old Nicosia Revealed will be a living photographic chronicle of the next 5 years, and the ECoC’s impact on the life, environment and redevelopment of Old Nicosia. A region wide exhibition is planned for 2017, with the vast, and rapidly expanding, collection being randomly dispersed in galleries and exhibition spaces all over the map, prompting a treasure hunt through the City’s cultural infrastructure, followed by a tour of major European Cultural Venues, to raise awareness and promote Nicosia 2017 throughout the continent.
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Bridging:
A Selection of Actions and Events.
1. Playmakers Aiming to transform the notion of public space, and to emphasise the everyday citizen’s ability to be a creative force within it, a series of actions, interventions and activities, using technology to enhance interactivity with the spaces we inhabit. Pick-nick Project A series of Cross-media and Urban Interventions that mimic the style of Advertising Campaigns, to “expose that which is secret and strip it of its force.” The creative team of writers, curators, visual artists and performers will work in the public space to communicate visual and textual messages that relate to citizenship, identity and the formation of the public consciousness and opinion. In so doing, pick-nick will build open platforms of interaction and exchange on current social and political issues so as to question, reformulate and contest prevailing norms and ideologies, and thus, to create new meanings, experiences, understandings, relationships and situations. Tramba A collection of permanent Musical Installations placed inside marginalized or unused public spaces, inviting passersby to interact with a durable interface made up of strings and percussive surfaces. The performance is recorded and stored on an on-line database where it can be shared, commented on and edited by anyone. The ultimate idea is to combine the pieces into a crowd-sourced ‘symphony’ of urban creativity. Graffiti Festival Youngsters, pupils and students aged 25 and under will contribute their own graffiti in various city spots. The festival aims to transform dark and forgotten parts of the city. Digital graffiti will be part of the festival during which artists using the latest technologies to project their original artworks onto the town’s iconic white walls. Whispering Cities: Notes in the Virtual History Of Places This is a project that deals with the layering of oral histories, official narratives and personal anecdotes into the virtual space of Nicosia. It will use GPS technologies and the development of an app to map unique voices into specific places. The app will be launched in Nicosia and Belfast and spread to other cities through user participation. It proposes a website, collaborative music performances, zine, and will culminate in an artist book including a CD.
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Walk In the Present, Navigate Through The Past Based on a University of Cyprus/Leventis Foundation research project, this project aims to create an interactive, augmented reality application of the walled city of Nicosia as a united functioning city of two communities, functioning as one during the end of the 19th century. It will be a 3D model based on archived material and historic sources and will present the every day environment of the city and its people, with perspectives from both sides of the current divide.
2. Mythbusters Is a city without a physical buffer zone that much more open? Is being gay a choice? Does it matter either way? Are immigrants that much different from refugees? Can high culture only exist in developed areas? Does social rehabilitation begin and end in prison? These are just some of the universal questions this confrontational phase of the programme seeks to involve the public in discussing, with events and actions balancing local participation, European Cultural actors and global perspectives on hot button issues. Suspended Cities This exhibition project refers to the cities left behind by refugees, immigrants and expatriates and the objects (photos, videos, charms and souvenirs) from their homeland in order to preserve their identity and dissent, and to create resonances of shared experience between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot refugee communities, and the recently arrived immigrant and political refugee communities on the island. Packaged with a multimedia component chronicling the meaning and story behind each object, the project will be exhibited in the mostly abandoned old cafÊs in the heart of the regions’ refugee housing developments. Hastily built after 1974 to house Greek Cypriot refugees, many of these developments now languish in disrepair, and have become the province of the elderly and immigrants with nowhere else to call home. In My Shoes What if your city were divided? What form, tacit or tangible would that division take? What would life be like? These will be the questions addressed by a collection of 17 Short films, with a maximum length of 6 minutes, to be produced in collaboration with Leading Film Schools and or Talent development programmes (like the Berlin Talent Campus or the BFI's Lighthouse scheme) across Europe, including two from Cyprus. The ultimate aim of creating one, Festival grade Feature length patchwork film that raises awareness about Nicosia but also engages European filmgoers on the subject of living with, acknowledging, exploring and overcoming divisions.
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Gay(Z)one In Cyprus, we refer to homosexual men in the plural as, ‘the Gays’. The grammatical error is indicative of how far we have to go down the road of enlightenment on this issue. So, instead of settling on an easy, box-ticking agenda just to say we’ve tackled the issue, we have decided to open up the first day of each week of this phase of the programme to accept LGBT Cyprus, and likeminded organisations all over the island(including the North) and the Middle East, so they can curate 12 mini-festivals, across our entire ecosystem, (on-line, Apps, radio, 365/5, ArtFleet) with programmes, films, music, performances workshops and events of their choosing. Social Ride A Terra Mediterranea initiative. The curatorial team, the artists as well as other people involved in the art and design world (artists, architects, designers, cultural officers and producers among others) will transform different spaces into restaurants, libraries and social lounge cafés. These spaces will host and accommodate people from sensitive social strata (such as prisoners, economic refugees or people suffering from addictions). The ‘guests’ will be selected after consultation with various official bodies such as the Red Cross, the Welfare Office and others. The guests will be given guided tours of the exhibitions and participate in workshops and other events which will conclude with a specially prepared dinner for the guests within a specially converted space. Lights In The Dark A Season of newly-commissioned plays written by local and international playwrights and performed by a multicultural cast of professionals and amateurs, Lights in the Dark will consist of a concerted programme of site specific theatre, within the old city and other lessvisited or ghettoized areas including housing estates and immigrant neighbourhoods (with the participation of immigrants themselves). Its aim will be to bolster the theatre industry, to entertain and educate the public about the region's rich multicultural past and to confront them with its troubled multicommunal present, while encouraging the exploration of ‘NoGo’ zones across the region. Inspired by local realities, yet global in resonance, we hope that these plays will take on a life of their own, so that they can be performed in similar urban environments throughout Europe and the Middle East, thus contributing to the European Dimension of Nicosia 2017, and earning some international recognition for Cyprus’ promising dramaturges and playwrights.
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3. Blockbusters Timed to coincide with peak tourist season, this phase sees the culmination of our attempts to bridge the local with the European, the intimate, ground-up support of local artists and their exposure to the world stage, the creation of legacy events that will only grow after 2017, and a series of events geared towards attracting sustainable, high quality tourism. Othello At Famagusta Castle A play by an Englishman about a North African employed by Venetians to protect Cyprus from invasion by Turks, Shakespeare’s most multicultural work would have been a fitting climax to our theatre season no matter the venue. Add the fact that we intend to do our utmost to see it performed, on-site, at its original setting, Famagusta Castle, right on the Buffer Zone, and you can see why we feel that this could be a highlight of the year, and a great magnet for cultural tourists, and Shakespeare enthusiasts from all over the world. To be directed by legendary British director Roger Michell, starring lead actors of international standing, employing local theatre technicians and involving large numbers of citizens of all ethnicities as townspeople, soldiers, and household staff, we firmly believe this production will become a landmark in inter-communal collaboration and give all communities on the island an achievement to cherish. WOMEX As a polyglot intersection of continents and cultures, and one that must always find ways to develop its creative industries, Nicosia had to think carefully about the sort of marquee International events it would like to include in its programme. We chose Womex, the International professional market of World music because it fulfils several of our criteria, including the attraction of a huge number of participants from abroad and massive potential for the transfer of know-how to local producers. We also feel that the organisation of the event in Cyprus would give the event itself a special dimension, as due to proximity and affordability, the participation of less established Artists and Record Labels from the Middle East and North Africa would be greatly increased. Already packed with concerts, screenings and networking events, our Womex will be augmented with special events inside District Sopaz and festivals designed to promote Cypriot artists (see Afro Banana Republic, below).
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Afro Banana Republic Community Festival Though Cyprus has perennially produced vibrant alternative music scenes, these have never developed past their cult local fan-base or found the means to develop into industries. One of the greatest barriers to the development of a self-sustaining alternative music scene in Cyprus, has been the inability to reach large audiences, due to the costs associated with touring. As a long-term initiative to establish best practices for supporting local independent music, Nicosia 2017 has elected to support Afro Banana Republic, a young, multicultural Cypriot record label and arts collective who have already made an impact locally through the organisation of multidisciplinary community festivals, and the release of promising, original records. We will do this through the year-on-year development of the festival, the provision of research money to facilitate travel and the exchange of know-how and experience with community festival organisers abroad, especially Berlin, and the development of new infrastructure (like District Sopaz) that allows for easier access to recording and rehearsal spaces, and venues that attract broader audiences to alternative music. Our ultimate goal is to make this festival a sustainable, yearly European-level event that attracts young people from all over the region and provides a valuable platform for the growth and development of local and foreign artists.
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Transcending:
A Selection of Actions and Events
1. Groundbreakers Fusing research and action, past, present and future, local and global perspectives and a plethora of disciplines, the events in this section aim to push the envelope and create new ways to communicate, create and experience. W.A.T.E.R A Nicosia 2017 initiative W.A.T.E.R aims to become the definitive European festival around the theme of Water, and all the ways it impacts the arts and sciences. With a special focus on island traditions through the prism of youth culture, the festival’s inaugural iteration planned for 2017, on-site at NeroPolis in Larnaka (see p.55), will be a living model of elemental material and forward thinking design. Space Claiming Devices: The Nicosia Vertical Lines Project What happens when your horizontal progress is limited by roadblocks? Why not think vertically instead? A collaboration with the Space syntax Research Lab at UCL, the project envisions the construction (in close collaboration with local actors and groups), of Wireframe Vertical structures within neighbourhoods, in open spaces where local inhabitants can intervene and develop them according to their own needs: A hanging garden, a children’s fine art installation, a lighting platform, etc. Through the Nicosia Master plan, this project will include neighbourhoods north of the buffer zone and will culminate in exhibition and publication. Handmade Europe In collaboration with The Centre for The Revitalisation of Cypriot Handicrafts (see p.54), this Fashion Week will feature series of fashion exhibitions and designer workshops designed to break the barrier between traditional, handmade European textiles and chic urban couture. Featuring up and coming designers from cities rich in handmade heritage, Handmade Europe aspires to be the first of an annual series of events on this theme. The events will take place mostly outdoors, in places of monumental historical significance, such as the Archaeological site at Ancient Idalion, or the Ancient Port at Kition (Larnaka) to add a striking visual contrast and to stress the significance of a living, revitalised heritage industry.
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2. Trailblazers Reclaiming abandoned spaces, re-connecting old points of contact, forging new routes and paths of progress and collaboration, these events will carry a deep emotional impact for local communities, and provide once in a lifetime opportunities for visitors to engage in what makes Nicosia 2017 a potentially unique cultural and physical experience. Nicosia Marathon - Around The Wall With its five races and plethora of cultural events, the Nicosia Marathon was always going to be an important event for Nicosia 2017. However, our great ambition is that, through the development of trust and collaboration over the next few years, the 2017 Marathon will be the first to feature a route that goes around the entirety of the Venetian Walls, connecting both sides of the city in one special, international sporting event. Reclaiming Vague Terrains A series of experiential activities allowing participants to explore and interact with the city’s vague terrains, such as the vast network of unexplored rooftops inside the Venetian walls. Running throughout the year, it will explore through interdisciplinary actions, the physical memories and historical topographies of Nicosia and will climax during the final phase of the programme with the installation of a network of temporary bridges on rooftops to allow access to new perspectives on the old city. Working in collaboration with The Nicosia Master Plan, so that it can take place, simultaneously on both the northern and southern edges of the Buffer Zone, this phase will be held in conjunction with rooftop concerts and performances to provide a unique experience for those who attend. BI.CY.CLE Running along the eastern half of the Buffer Zone, the old road of Pirogiou connects Nicosia and Larnaka in half as many kilometres as the current route, and has been abandoned for more than 30 years. Only recently cleared completely of mines by the United Nations, it would make a poignant bicycle route for Nicosia 2017. Working together with the United Nations, and establishing collaboration with Bicycle Enthusiast Societies on both sides of the Buffer Zone, we hope to establish a one-day cycling event that if successful, might encourage the road’s return to more regular use.
3. Unifiers Just that, and nothing less. Immigrant World Cup A Nicosia 2017 initiative, with the collaboration of our partner Cities all over Europe, it will begin, in 2015, as a series of local tournaments in each of the participating municipalities
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and European partner cities, involving teams selected from immigrant neighbourhoods, (selected therefore by postal code, not country of origin), with the winners from each city travelling to Cyprus for a week-long football tournament and multicultural street festival. The Scarabeo Project The culmination of a youth-driven, 4 year crowd-sourced festival curation project, developed through multidisciplinary on-line talent contests (DJ electronic music, photography and live performance) on themes like Invisible Barriers, and Transcending Sounds, across a network based in 16 European countries, including Germany, France, Denmark, UK, Netherlands, Hungary and Malta. The winners and their projects will participate in a multidisciplinary festival which will take place in 2017 with all winners of previous years, workshops and professional meetings of cultural producers. With simulcasts all over the world, this event is envisioned as a three-day celebration of ground-up youth-culture as a pioneering force that unites and explores, far in advance of official cultural policy. Closing Ceremony: Cymphonia Proposed by Dr Marios J. Elia, acclaimed composer of ‘Autosymphonic’, this visionary, multidisciplinary, crowd-pleasing project, created especially for Nicosia 2017, will be part celebration of all that has come before it and part call to further action; a vivid reminder of the need to keep going. The work’s goal is to create an audiovisual world that will mirror Nicosia’s singular European dimension – a celebration of its unique heterogeneous identity. Well-known singers from Cyprus, Greece and other European countries will contribute, as well as the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, youth and adult choirs, folk instruments and electronica. Aiming to represent the connection between Nicosia and the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa the event primarily aims to take place at the Nicosia International Airport. The concert will include a visual mis-en-scène of three-dimensional mapping (lighting, videos, laser, animation, etc) depicting the airport in full operation, while theatrical and dance/ballet ensembles will give physical expression to the idea of flight. Elements related to the history of (old and modern) Nicosia, like old buses, bicycles and cranes will also be incorporated in the music and scenery. Various groups of musicians will perform using tools related to traditional Cypriot occupations, like looms and forging tools, as musical instruments. Countless amateurs and semi-professionals of all ages will contribute to the realisation of the show and special preparatory projects on both sides of the Buffer Zone will be initiated so that all of Cypriot society will have the opportunity to be actively engaged. Preparations will begin in 2013 and continue, year by year, until 2017. The entire project will be organised and produced in co-operation with leading European specialists in multidisciplinary performance, with the help of Cypriot interns and assistants. The development process is to be documented in a film, to be produced by CyBC and ARTE, and broadcast in all European countries.
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PROGRAMME ANNEX: sm.ART 5/365 It’s a financial crisis, and we know it. So, in the spirit of promoting sustainable culture, bringing our programme and its values to as many places and people as possible, and to ensure that our ECoC year is crisisproof, we are designing a special programme of 5 micro events a day, for each day of 2017. This initiative will be open to almost anything, and has only one rule: No single event can cost more than €1K to stage, and that’s before sponsorship, or in kind support from venues, equipment rental houses, etc. Here’s a small sampling of what we’ve got lined up so far: Secret Nicosia A three-hour walking tour, dedicated to opening up fascinating but usually closed off spaces to the residents of the city, Secret Nicosia is about the sheer pleasure and educational benefit of satisfying the curiosity of the public about what really goes on behind closed doors, but it’s also about bringing community life to closed, dead zones within the city. Make your own garden A micro PPP (Public-Private Partnership) whereby a wholesaler of soil and gardening supplies has agreed to offer materials and know-how to people wishing to become sustainable farmers in their own backyards, roofs and balconies. Opera in a Suitcase A stripped down opera troupe takes to the streets, and performs door to door, with a stage set that literally fits in a suitcase. Living library A series of intimate, drop-in Q&A sessions, in places like schools, businesses and cafés, designed to spread the culture of respect towards human rights through informal educational encounters with people from marginalised socio-cultural groups. BUS(K) Developed to encourage citizens to give the bus system a fair shake, BUS(K) will be a series of intimate acoustic performances by popular local rock bands taking place entirely in the back of buses. Bringing Cyprus Myths to the Streets Roadside Mythical Storytelling involving physical performance and impromptu crowd participation. Pianos in the Park The placement of pianos, drum sets and other instruments in public areas, including parks. A ten euro deposit gets you ten minutes of play. A ten euro ticket gets you a lesson. Art Travelogue A series of exhibitions of the work of local contemporary artists to be set up in shops, cafés and restaurants in busy shopping streets, where they can be admired and purchased by everyday people.
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Terpandros Fusion Workshops Ancient Cypriot Instruments, researched, restored, replicated and ready for use. These workshops would offer a new generation of musicians the opportunity to explore ways of applying the sounds of a millennia-old heritage to contemporary styles and techniques. List of Partners –– ADD-ADHD Cyprus –– Afro Banana Republic, Cyprus & Germany –– AHDR (Association for Historical Dialogue and Research), Cyprus –– Anna Lindh Foundation, Cyprus & Egypt –– APOEL FC, Cyprus –– APOTHEKE Contemporary Arts, Cyprus –– ARTE Channel, France & Germany –– Asomates Dynameis Dance Group, Cyprus –– Aware Studio, Germany –– B&B Curatorial Collective, U.K. –– Berlin Talent Campus, Berlin Film Festival, Germany –– Berlin 2, Cyprus –– Bird Watching Cyprus –– Birkbeck University of London, U.K. –– Center of Cypriot Composers, Cyprus –– Çetinkaya Türk S.K. Turkish Cypriot Sports Club, Cyprus –– Cooperation for the conservation of rare endemic plants in the buffer zone, Cyprus –– Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) –– Cyprus 2015 - Research and Dialogue for a Sustainable Future, Cyprus –– Cyprus Community Media Center (CCMC) –– Cyprus Culture Center –– Cyprus Forest Industries –– Cyprus Scientific and Technological Chamber (ETEK) –– Cyprus Symphony Orchestra –– Cyprus University of Technology –– Cyprus Youth Board –– Department of Antiquities, Cyprus –– Dirt Café, London, U.K. –– Dublin Laptop Opera, Ireland –– Dynamo Project, Greece –– EDGE –– E-flux, U.S.A. –– EUC (European University) Research Center, Cyprus –– Eurocultura Center, Greece –– European Museum Academy,Netherlands –– European University, Cyprus –– Festival du Fez, Morocco –– FLUJO CONTINUO Encuentro de Arte en Espacios No Convencionales (Continuous Flow Art Festival in Unconventional Spaces), Mexico –– Fold Gallery London, U.K. –– Food Museum, University of Cyprus –– Frederick University, Cyprus –– Frederick Research Center, Cyprus - 79 -
–– Future World Center, Cyprus –– Geodomo Cyprus Association –– German Institute for Foreign Cultural Affairs, Cyprus –– Goethe Institute Cyprus –– HASDER Folk Arts Foundation, Cyprus –– ICFFCY – International Children’s Film Festival of Cyprus –– ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage (ISCEAH), Cyprus –– ICSRD, Institute for Civil Society and Regional Development, Armenia –– Ideogramma, Cyprus –– IGLYO, International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation, Belgium –– IKME Sociopolitical Studies Foundation, Cyprus –– ILGA – Europe, Belgium –– Institute for Art, Culture and Sustainability, Berlin, Germany –– Invisible Theater, Cyprus –– ISPA- International Society for the Performing Arts, U.S.A. –– KAYAD Community Center, Turkey –– Kilkis Festival, Greece –– LGBT Accept, Cyprus –– Leicester University, Museum Studies Department, U.K. –– Leventis Foundation, Cyprus –– The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, Cyprus –– The Leventis Gallery Nicosia, Cyprus –– The Louvre, France –– Management Center, U.S.A. –– Mediation Association, Cyprus –– Musee de Cluny France –– Musee d’Orsay France –– Musiques Sacres du Monde, Morocco –– National Gallery, France –– Nero Magazine, Rome, Italy –– Nicosia Marathon, Cyprus –– NIMAC Nicosia Municipal Art Center, Cyprus –– NGO Support Center, Cyprus –– Nicosia Master Plan Office, Cyprus –– Nicosia University Research Foundation, Cyprus –– Old Nicosia Revealed, Cyprus –– Olympiakos Nicosia FC, Cyprus –– Omada Ergasias, Cyprus –– Omonoia Athletic Club, Nicosia, Cyprus –– Open Arts, Cyprus –– Palais de BOZAR, Belgium –– Pancyprian Overseas Chinese Association, Cyprus –– Peace Players, Cyprus –– Performance and Live Art Platform, Cyprus –– Phileleftheros Publishing Group, Cyprus –– Pierides Foundation, Cyprus –– Plastelini Theater, Cyprus –– Premier Shukuroglou Cyprus Ltd, Cyprus –– Professional Photographers Association, Cyprus –– Public School Berlin, Germany –– Public School Brussels, Belgium - 80 -
–– Public School Durham, U.K. –– Public School Helsinki, Sweden –– Real Madrid Foundation, Spain –– Re: Aphrodite, Cyprus –– Robert McNeel & Associates, U.S.A. –– Scarabeo, Cyprus –– Schindler Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland –– “Scum from the Sun” Cultural Producers, Italy –– Social Sculpture Research Unit,Oxford Brooks University, U.K. –– Soma Akriton, Cyprus –– SOPAZ Co-op Industries, Cyprus –– Staedelschule, Frankfurt (Advanced Architectural Design and Advanced Performative Design Departments), Germany –– SICamp, Social Innovation Camp Ltd, Cyprus –– STATTBAD Cultural Producers, Germany –– TBWA, International Advertising Agency –– Terpandros Foundation and Orchestra of Ancient Greek Instruments, Cyprus –– Thalleo Playback Theater, Cyprus –– The Space Syntax Research Laboratory, University College London, U.K. –– Tramba, Cyprus –– Transcendental Theater, Cyprus –– True Respect Ltd, Cyprus –– UNDP-ACT –– UNDP Armenia –– UNICEF –– United Nations –– University of Cyprus –– University of Nicosia, Cyprus –– University of the Trees (UoT), U.K. –– Uppsala International Sacred Music Festival, Sweden –– Visual Sociology and Museum Studiesb (VSMS), Cyprus University of Technology –– WOMEX, World Music Expo, Germany –– Xorko Collaborative Movement, Cyprus –– Youth Power, Cyprus –– “ZZZ Collectives” Cultural Producers, Spain
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I I.3
Projects: Solicitation, submission and selection. A Policy Memo. (N.B. The following document paraphrases and adapts the policy memo agreed upon before the launch of our final call for projects. We were so happy with the results that we decided to adopt, and adapt this approach going forward, if we are selected.)
1. Summary Objective To collect exciting, dynamic and feasible projects from professionals, amateurs and everyday citizens, and mould them into a coherent Cultural Programme for Nicosia 2017. Goals To energise local artists, activate the public and inspire high calibre foreign (especially European, Middle Eastern and North African) cultural creators to participate and submit creative, relevant proposals for Nicosia 2017. To get the word out as far, as wide and as loud as possible. Methodology The manner, format and process of soliciting ideas for projects from the public should reflect the values that are central to our concept. The ideas of Grass Roots culture, that ordinary Citizens can impact and reshape the future, that young people are not only wanted, but NEEDED, that every voice is important and must be heard and that a European Capital of Culture is engaged in a constant cultural dialogue on European and international issues.
2. Solicitation - Getting the Word Out Launch When we are selected and staffed, the launch event should set us on our way by setting the tone: fewer speeches, more interactivity. Traditional Media We need to be everywhere. Appearing on Television shows on ‘high culture’ is good, but we must go far wider and deeper. Great emphasis needs to be placed on a viral video campaign. Instead of traditional TV commercials, these will be in the form of content (minidocs, interviews, exposés, etc). Once these are concrete, TV stations can be approached to include them in their normal (not bought) programming. This will be a cost effective way of getting TV time. Celebrities We need a team of Celebrity spokesmen, from football players to actors, who will take on the role of representatives. They will get on TV and on the radio, and they will tell people to take part. We can also record YouTube videos of them urging the public to participate, and radio spots as well. - 82 -
New Media This will be the beating heart of our youth outreach programme. The idea is to create a living, fluid, two-way communication system that includes, and integrates our Web Site, Facebook groups, YouTube Channel, forums and constant Twitter feed, filtering through all tweets with the relevant, @Nicosia, hash-tag. The website will be our hub and should set a tone of creativity, interactivity and dynamism. This brief will be given to our New-Media partners. Creating fresh content for our site is a group effort. Once our on-line ecosystem is complete, we must all send the message out to our friends and social and professional circles and urge them to do the same We should also consider reaching out to content creators to enable us to use their content and feed it through the site. Driving users to our website, Facebook and YouTube channels will require targeted banner advertising on other sites, on-line competitions (see next point) and physical, real-world activities (see next heading: Field Work). Video is a crucial part of any awareness raising campaign. But because of our budgetary constraints and, most importantly, our methodology, we should consider the following: The announcement of an on-line competition, whereby Media students and any other amateur or aspiring professional, gets to create a video inspiring people to get involved and send in their ideas on ‘Reshaping our Future’. These will be posted to our Facebook and YouTube channels and people will be allowed to vote on them. The three videos with the most votes are then selected for a final polish (from our professional new media partners, and posted as the Official Awareness Raising Campaign, with information about how people can submit ideas). We should encourage and reward in a similar way the creation of minidocs about the problems of everyday people in the city. These can then be broadcast on-line but also on Television as true content. Field Work Digital is not enough. We have to start a physical, person-to-person movement. We can do this through: The printing of thousands of flyers, with a 25 word brief, our website address, and a very strong message (‘YOU can change our city’, for example). These flyers will then be distributed by two or three specially converted old buses or trucks, with a megaphone and a DJ, going literally neighbourhood to neighbourhood, door to door. Teams of volunteers should distribute them outside football games, outside clubs and bars on Friday nights, and outside schools. We need to work closely, as we have begun doing, with bi-communal NGOs like CCMC and Youth Power to organise events and impromptu happenings, like flash mobs. It would be great to design T-Shirts to hand out. Let’s plan these carefully, let’s make them a cool, MUST-wear accessory. Let’s have our web address on the back, with the slogan: Get In The Zone.
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Outreach A dedicated branch of the Nicosia 2017 organisation will ensure the following are as actively involved as possible in the submission process: –– The entire participating region –– Turkish Cypriot Cultural Actors –– Immigrant and Minority Organisations The Project Development Officer (PDO) and the team of Curators, will ensure that meaningful contacts briefs and contributions are exchanged with the following: –– Local and Foreign Experts –– Artists, Cultural Foundations, and Universities in Cyprus, and abroad –– Other European Capitals Of Culture and partner cities
3. Submission - Getting the Projects In The Brief Once someone decides to apply they will want to know what the brief is. This should be short, sharp and exciting. It should contain our keywords, goals and key themes. On-line Application Forms We must create three different ways to apply. IMAGINE: A one-page form, for the everyday citizen who has a great idea, but no experience or know-how. It has to be almost playful in feel. It should be a very simple document that encourages the user to submit her idea, and to be open about his level of expertise, knowing that he/she will receive the appropriate mentoring and assistance, where his/her idea selected as part of 2017. ACT: A form designed for students of your cultural actors who are only just getting their start. It should require adequate explanation of their concept and methodology but not extensive budgeting or too much technical detail. Applicants should understand that ambition should not be limited by experience but that, if selected we might pair them with established professionals, mentors or producers and/or provide them with the training they need to be able to take the lead. CREATE: A proper, detailed form with budget breakdowns by year, for established professionals, requiring ‘proof of concept’ supplementary materials. An annex needs to be added for applicants based outside Cyprus, which will enquire about the possibility of utilising local talent in key positions, as well as in lesser, more educational roles. We do not want to take on any project that does not, in some way, improve our own longterm cultural infrastructure. Technical Details We must ensure each form is user friendly, both for the people submitting it, but also for those who will be evaluating it. Save Option The form should be designed in such a way that is does not need to be completed in one go. The user should be able to save his/her work and return to it. - 84 -
Character Limit Indicators A user should have a limited number of characters to complete each section, and the form should not allow him/her to exceed them. Automatically Generated Submission Number For ease of communication, both among the evaluation team, and between the evaluation team and the project submitter, the form should automatically generate a submission number when completed. This way, we can all discuss, say project 315, rather than trying to remember that underwater puppet show project by Andreas so-and-so.
4. Selection Selection Criteria: Phase One At this stage in the process, we are evaluating projects not people. If the project is good, then we should embrace it and commit to helping the person who proposed it to improve on their deficiencies. This is all about who we want to be in 2017, not who we are now. We should therefore limit our published selection criteria to the following: –– Relevance and/or Applicability to Concept and Themes. –– Originality. –– Feasibility. –– Audience Participation –– European Dimension. –– Cross Media possibilities. Pre-pre-selection: Quick, Clear, Encouraging A special team of qualified trained readers needs to be set up, to read through the applications, and provide instant feedback to the applicants. If a project is promising but the form is inadequate, this team will give guidance and advice, and encourage resubmission. Though this team will also act as a first filter, they will have a very clear mandate, to improve rather than reject ideas. Only pranks, completely irrelevant or totally unfeasible projects will be filtered out of the rest of the process by this team. The rest will be passed on to the team of Curators, who will assess the projects on the basis of the criteria listed above. Selection Criteria: Phase Two Once projects are preselected, we must take a much closer look at the submitting bodies, their proposed partnerships and their budgets. Inperson interviews and presentations are essential at this stage of the process. Another important factor to take into account at this stage are the developing needs of the programme: –– Needs of The Programme. –– Previous Experience of Submitting Body. –– Cost relative to scale and potential impact. –– Results of Interview.
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Pre-Selection: Vetting, Refining and Consolidating The PDO and the team of Curators, will be charged with evaluating the proposals that make it past the first filter. They will select based on the selection criteria listed above, and always keeping in mind the evolving needs of the programme. The preselected projects will then be forwarded to the Finance Department for a first evaluation of feasibility, and presented to the Communities Committee to discuss ways to open them up to inter-communal collaborations. If the proposed projects are just ideas, (Imagine) potential executors will be preselected and asked to submit quotations and concept notes. Final Selection: Projects that have been thoroughly vetted, and sufficiently developed through feedback and consultation, will be presented by the PDO to the Programme Selection Committee, (an evolution of its current incarnation) whose role will be to oversee the Programme from a conceptual and logistical standpoint. Again this body will not be mandated to reject projects, but to assist and advise the PDO with the ultimate aim of developing the most exciting, relevant and feasible programme possible. After Selection Three important steps: –– Partnering: Assisting the submitting bodies to find the right collaborators for their project. –– Mentoring: On funding, technical support, EU programme applications, promotion. –– Monitoring: Frequent evaluations of development and spending, to ensure that projects stay on track, and receive timely assistance.
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Michalis Georgiou
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III Paradox
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I I I.1
Organisation From the Nicosia 2017 Ltd Articles of Association: To maintain an operational identity based on –– integrity –– independence –– inclusion To promote a collective entrepreneurial culture of –– innovation –– risk-taking –– social responsibility To provide tangible and intangible platforms of connection between –– creators –– investors –– audiences To invest the resources entrusted to it by its members –– fairly –– transparently –– diligently
I I I.1.1
The Organisational Structure of Nicosia 2017 Ltd External Auditor
Board of Governors
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Programme Development Officer
Marketing, Communication and Outreach
Administration and Finance
Programme Development and Production
Communities Committee
Regional Committee
Entrepreneurial by Nature Nicosia 2017 Ltd is proudly paradoxical: a non-profit organisation founded on a model of cultural entrepreneurship. - 90 -
Project Selection Committee
It does not see itself merely as a custodian of public and private funds or the curator of a preselected programme, choosing instead to be the active developer and co-producer of that programme and bullish in the investment of its cultural capital, taking risks by investing in new ideas and fresh talent, with the ultimate aim of accruing short- and long-term ‘profits’, and re-investing them back into the cultural economy. This nature is reflected in all aspects of the organisation from the makeup of our Board of Governors to the compactness and permeability of our operational departments. Even the nomenclature of the organisation’s three executive officers has been purposefully selected to reflect this, eschewing softer, more cultural associations in favour of hard-nosed business-related titles. Nicosia 2017 bears the status of a private company limited by guarantees, registered under the Cyprus Companies’ Act Cap 113. The structure of the organisation is designed to do three things: 1. Safeguard the independence of the organisation through the disengaging of the programme components from political interference and interaction. 2. Ensure that the complex Multicultural and multi-regional nature of Nicosia 2017 is a conduit for polyphony, not cacophony. 3. Create a decentralised, yet streamlined and led organisation that can react swiftly to changes in the socio-economic and political environment.
These are its main components: General Oversight The Board of Governors: To be called four times a year, this is a body of collective wisdom, insight and advice. Charged with the General Oversight of the Organisation, it provides an umbilical to local and state government, the private sector and other key bodies. The Nicosia 2017 CEO has a seat on this board. Members: Chairman: The Mayor of Nicosia Vice Chair: Representative of the Ministry of Education and Culture Dean of Major University Member of Nicosia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Member of the Nicosia Tourism Board Member of the Cyprus Youth Council Head of Major Cultural Institution Representative of the Regional Committee Representative of the Communities Committee Greek Cypriot Representative of Nicosia Master Plan Turkish Cypriot Representative of Nicosia Master Plan UN Civil Affairs Representative The Nicosia 2017 CEO - 91 -
A full list, and names of the Members of the Board will be presented to the panel in September. Executive Team A triumvirate who are collectively responsible for key decision-making, staffing, administration and strategic planning. The team is led by the Chief Executive Officer whose central role is to ensure that the Organisation remains on-track and on-message, responsible in its commitments (but not subservient) to the state and municipal government and in constant, developing dialogue with the communities and the United Nations. He/she has direct oversight over Marketing & Communication and Community Outreach and Development. The Brain of Nicosia 2017 The Programme Development Officer is disengaged from all government input and reports only to the CEO, while sitting on the crucial Communities Committee. He/she is directly responsible for Project Development. The Heart of Nicosia 2017. The Chief Operating Officer is the glue that holds everything together. He/she is responsible for co-ordinating the regions and has oversight over finances and logistics. He/she is also responsible for the day-to-day administration of the organisation. The Guts of Nicosia 2017. Composition The main body of the organisation is comprised of the three broad, interconnected departments that are designed to work together. Administration and Finance, which will include IT, all ticketing, internal accounting and programme finances, Marketing Communication and Outreach, including the in-house Commissioner, Public Involvement and Fundraising team, Programme Development and Production, which will include the Curatorial Team and the Development Lab; and the organisation’s inhouse mentoring programme. To eliminate unnecessary levels of Middle Management, the Executive team will be responsible for the direct oversight of these departments. Key staff will be actively encouraged to take initiatives and responsibilities while tasks will be shared and coordinated through a dynamic, real-time on-line project management system and database, to allow for flexible working hours, optimised workflow and transparency throughout the organisation. A ‘Less is More’ approach to Staff Numbers As a private company Nicosia 2017 will not be limited by the sometimes constricting service acquisition regulations of the public sector and will be free to develop its own hiring strategy to ensure that it employs the right people rather than enough people.
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The emphasis will be on young creative multi-taskers with an appetite for work and a readiness to take initiatives, make quick decisions and assume responsibilities. Wherever necessary the organisation will supplement its staff numbers with seconded municipal employees, short-term contractors and ad-hoc teams of specialist freelancers. Meaningful work-experience internships will be offered to university students and graduates, especially in 2016 and 2017. Legal advice, PMO services and Financial Auditing will be outsourced and used on an as needed basis.
I I I.1.2
Regional and Community Co-ordination: Support, Advice and Inclusion Three independent advisory committees will be called upon to assist the Executive Team in their work, to co-ordinate the Region and ensure Community involvement: Regional Coordination Committee: Representatives of all participating municipalities, with an elected chairperson who will represent the committee on the board of Governors. The COO sits on this committee. Its task is to ensure administrative, outreach and programmatic coordination between the participating municipalities, and to address problems and deficiencies that may arise. Meetings every two months. Communities Committee: A team made up of representatives of the Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot and immigrant communities, NGOs and CSOs whose role is to advise and develop inter-cultural collaboration throughout the 4 years, particularly during the main phase of the cultural programme. Centred mainly on young people this committee will serve as a direct, two way link between the organisation and the communities, suggesting avenues for collaboration and informing the CEO on the effectiveness of the outreach campaign and participation levels. Programme Selection Committee: An independent group made up of an ad hoc roster of established cultural actors, local and international, who will provide evaluation and advice to the PDO and the Curatorial Team in judging projects for the programme, or selecting bodies or individuals to support at the community, regional and international level.
I I I.1.3
Appointing the Executive Team As described in III1.1, the Nicosia 2017 organisation will be led by an Executive Team of three. Upon Nomination, the Board of Governors will begin the process of appointing the CEO of NICOSIA 2017. Once the CEO is appointed, he/she will be tasked with the support of the Board to make recommendations and advise on the appointments of the COO and the PDO. - 93 -
Profiles The CEO A tested leader, natural communicator and effective networker Acutely tuned into the broader cultural, technological, political and socioeconomic environment Proven track record in national and international Communication Experience with Trans-border or inter-communal co-operation The COO A whip-smart, efficient and imaginative problem solver Extremely well versed in the workings of Local Government An astute negotiator and diplomat Proven ability to handle complex ecosystems of information processing and dissemination The PDO A fiercely independent visionary A robust track record in European-scale projects A proven understanding of the local cultural scene Well-networked with cultural institutions in Cyprus Europe and the Middle East All Three Executives Firm believers in the concept, values and goals of Nicosia 2017 Successful, but at a stage in their careers where they still have plenty of room to grow Excellent speakers of Greek and English Able to commit till 2018 I I I.2 I I I.2.1
Finances What the city spends on Culture Spread across direct contribution to actual Cultural Events, including sports activities and community initiatives, and associated outlays towards the maintenance of cultural infrastructure and the operational expenditure of affiliated cultural venues, Nicosia Municipality’s annual budget for culture looks like this: The city’s Annual Cultural Budget Usual annual budget for culture breakdown
Total annual budget for culture in the city (€)
Total annual budget for culture in the city (%)
Direct Contribution to cultural events
Associated outlays
2008
389,752
1,179,495
1,569,247
5,5%
2009
457,047
1,267,066
1,724,113
5,4%
2010
449,365
1,337,112
1,786,477
5,8%
2011
697,293
1,420,906
2,118,199
6,2%
2012
513,466
1,457,166
1,970,632
5,7%
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I I I.2.2
The Big Picture: Full Cost Of the ECoC Project The big picture: Full cost of the ECoC project Category
Cost (€)
Programme
36,000,000
Partners, Producers, Submitting Bodies’ contribution* NICOSIA 2017’s contribution*
*18,000,000 *18,000,000
Nicosia 2017 organisation
4,500,000
Promotion and Marketing
4,000,000
Capital Expenditure (contribution to programme’s specific projects)
1,000,000
Total
45,500,000
18 Million Partners, Producers, Submitting bodies' contribution to programme 18 Million Nicosia 2017’s contribution to programme 4.5 Million Nicosia 2017 operating expenditure 4 Million Promotion and Marketing 1 Million Capital Expenditure
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Of a total cost of €45,500,000, Nicosia 2017’s overall contribution to the financing of the event has been budgeted at €27,500,000 as follows: Overall Expenditure Total Expenditure in the budget (€)
Operating Expenditure (€)
Operating Expenditure (%)
Capital Expenditures* (€)
Capital Expenditures (%)
27,500,000
26,500,000
96%
1,000,000
4%
*Our Capital Expenditure Strategy is explained in III.2.4 It’s based on the following income estimations: Total Income Total income in the budget (€)
From the public sector (€)
From the public sector (%)
From the private sector (€)
From the private sector (€)
27,500,000
20,625,000
75%
6,875,000
25%
Income from the public sector Income from the public sector
In Euro
%
Please specify: Amount Planned, Secured
National Government
5,000,000
24%
Secured
City
5,000,000
24%
Secured
Region
3,100,000
15%
Secured
EU Programmes
2,750,000
13,5%
Amount Planned
Ticketing & Merchandise
2,500,000
11%
Amount Planned
Melina Mercouri Prize
1,500,000
7,5%
Amount Planned
UNDP
1,025,000
5%
Amount Planned
Total
20,625,000
100%
We believe in this budget because: Here’s enough for a great guitar. The amplifier is up to you. As things stand, Nicosia 2017 will be able to fund 50% of a projected total Programme Economy of €36 million. Some projects, especially the smaller ones, we will be giving a higher percentage to, and that’s true of some of our own Nicosia 2017-led initiatives. But for most projects we will be operating on a very simple set of culturally entrepreneurial - 96 -
principles, providing start-up capital to new ideas and producers we believe in or completion financing to worthy projects that come in with a part of their budget already secured. To help producers find as much of their own funding as possible, we will be setting up Programme Development and Mentoring departments and staffing them with full-time local specialists and visiting international professionals to guide producers towards alternative funding channels, both traditional and innovative, and to help them develop the know-how to be able to access them creatively and effectively. It’s fresh money, honey. The Nicosia 2017 financing structure is designed to radically increase the amount of money invested annually in culture, not to redistribute it. The City’s contribution has been ensured without drawing any resources from the existing budget for Cultural events, or from any other public service, relying instead on the efficiency-raising reallocation of operational expenditure and by embarking on a concerted programme of income raising strategies such as a detailed new property registration initiative to increase tax revenue, and the redrafting of large-scale contract-payment policy to facilitate faster reimbursement of outstanding Municipal outlays. The Government’s contribution to Nicosia 2017 similarly, constitutes a Bonus set aside specifically for the Capital of Culture and will not affect existing government contributions to culture in the region. The income for the rest of the participating Municipalities, presented in the budget as the Region’s contribution, has been calculated in proportion to each municipality’s size and existing cultural spend and again, relies on efficiency and income raising strategies, not the reallocation of current cultural expenditure. Not having appropriated any of the Municipality’s existing programmes for life-long learning, social integration, or student, artist and young entrepreneur mobility, we have also guaranteed that whatever EU funds are used to bolster our programme will be in addition to those already committed, both now and in the years to come, to municipal initiatives in these fields. Finally, the same goes for the United Nations, who shall be evaluating projects on a case by case basis, and whose commitment to existing inter-communal initiatives and future events will not be affected by any potential contributions to those of Nicosia 2017. We can deliver. And then some. We want our programme to be flexible and dynamic. To soar over bumps in the road and to seize each and every opportunity to grow and expand. We are determined, in the middle of the worst financial crisis in generations, to be ready and able, on day one, to roll up our sleeves and start delivering. With €13.1 million secured, (and that’s without factoring in the Melina Mercouri prize) and all other contributions based on conservative estimates, we know we can deliver this programme. Our current contribution constitutes a 50% commitment to an overall programme economy of €36 million, which guarantees a rich, varied and - 97 -
uncompromising series of actions, events and other activities, all funded, developed and supported directly by Nicosia 2017. We will, of course, work towards expanding this budget as we go, commissioning, developing or contributing to as many additional projects as possible. We’re all in this together. We have developed a fresh and comprehensive strategy for involving the private sector at all levels of Nicosia 2017‘s funding obligations (see III2.6, p.100). In view of the support already expressed through letters of intent, direct contributions and in-kind support of events in the preselection phase, we believe that the Private Sector’s ultimate contribution to the over-all budget, including that from the city’s private universities will be significantly higher than our current estimations. But again, our first priority is to be able to deliver on our promises. Yes, we are willing to ‘sell’ ourselves. Branding is very important for Nicosia 2017. The popularity of our custom-made GET IN THE ZONE font and of the various promotional t-shirts, posters, treasure maps and metallic street-signs it has adorned over the course of the preselection phase suggests that we are on to something. As an organisation with a mission to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and sustainability among artists and producers, we fully intend to make an example of our own efforts to develop and monetise this asset through an inventive and diverse collection of in-house merchandise (oversized BabyZone T-shirts for expectant mothers? Naturally!) and the active pursuit of licensing deals with reputable merchants.
Our Operating Expenditure a) In planning our operating expenditure we aimed to ensure that not
a cent that could be spent on Culture was allocated elsewhere. Aided by a sleek organisational structure (see III1.1, p.90) and a carefully honed communication strategy (see V, p.113), we have managed to secure 68% for what matters most: Our Programme.
Programme Expenditure (€)
Programme Expenditure (%)
Promotion and Marketing (€)
Promotion and Marketing (%)
Wages, Overheads, Administration (€)
Wages, Overheads, Administration (%)
Overall operating expenditure
Total Operating Expenditure (€)
I I I.2.3
26,500,000
18,000,000
68%
4,000,000
15%
4,500,000
17%
b)
Our timetable for spending Operating Expenditure is straightforward. It assumes the gradual escalation of all activities leading up to 2017 and ensures a robust consolidation and transition period in the years that follow. - 98 -
Wages, overheads, administration (%)
Wages, overheads, administration (€)
Marketing and promotion expenditure (%)
Marketing and promotion expenditure (€)
Programme expenditure (%)
Programme expenditure (€)
Timetable for spending
Planned timetable for spending operating expenditure
2013
540,000
3%
160,000
4%
540,000
12%
2014
1,080,000
6%
160,000
4%
540,000
12%
2015
1,620,000
9%
480,000
12%
675,000
15%
2016
2,160,000
12%
1,200,000
30%
810,000
18%
2017
9,360,000
52%
1,800,000
45%
945,000
21%
2018
1,620,000
9%
160,000
4%
675,000
15%
2019
1,620,000
9%
40,000
1%
315,000
7%
Total
18,000,000
100%
4,000,000
100%
4,500,000
100%
Our programme expenditure begins immediately through the commissioning of new work, the development of pre-selected projects and the support of research initiatives and meaningful exchanges with Cities and institutions outside the country. It grows steadily through the years, with events designed to raise awareness both locally and internationally, especially in 2016, and peaks during the ECoC year. To ensure that the ECoC is experienced, at the local level, as a fundamental change in the city’s cultural life and not as a one-off event, we have come close to matching the 2016 outlay in 2018, with a gradual decrease in spending over the next two years. Our promotion expenditure will start off small, restricted to raising awareness and promoting volunteerism at the local level in the early years, before an international campaign dominates 2016, and a project-specific strategy kicks in at the local level in 2017. We have not opted to keep much of a reserve for the years after the ECoC, because we feel that the years that follow 2017 rely greatly on the degree of the ECoC’s success, and have therefore opted for a bullish approach to spending to ensure maximum attendance and participation in the year itself. Our wages, overheads and administration expenditure will start strong and increase incrementally. This is because we believe in the value of a stable, trained team that sees the Big Picture and is able to grow organically alongside the organisation, assimilating a few newcomers each year in the build up to 2017. To keep our wage bill manageable we will set out to hire fresh, eager talent wherever possible, and help them develop along with the organisation into an experienced and effective unit of seasoned professionals.
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I I I.2.4
Overall Capital Expenditure We are actively involved in promoting the commencement, completion and consistent use of many of the region’s infrastructure works, as outlined in Section IV, and will be assisting with initial operating expenditure for most of the projects described in Section II – Departure Zone. These contributions have been factored into our overall programme expenditure. Our Capital Expenditure strategy, as Nicosia 2017, is to trigger or accelerate the urban regeneration of key areas by pairing key buildings which the Municipality owns or can secure at no extra expense, with sustainable projects that are at a developed stage of planning and have other key partners already in place. While Europe is gearing up for the new tranche of Structural Funds in 2014 and the Cyprus Government drafts a new Scheme for the Regeneration of areas adjacent to the Buffer Zone, we have set aside €1,000,000 to help our projects get off the ground as quickly as possible, creating synergies with the broader area plans and proposals being drawn up by the City. As Nicosia 2017, our direct involvement at the Capital Expenditure level is limited to the following projects, which have already secured substantial parts of their financing from other sources, and covers between 5 and 20% of their total Capital Expenditure cost: The Multicultural Innovation Centre District Sopaz Music Centre Back To The Roots Botanical Garden Real Madrid School NeroPolis Centre For Experimental Architecture With the exception of NeroPolis, which will be constructed in Larnaka, the rest of the projects above will be located in or around the Buffer Zone.
The Ingredients For Success I I I.2.5
A Firmly Committed Public Sector... Nicosia 2017 has secured the backing and commitment of all partner Municipalities and the State.
I I I.2.6
And an Enthusiastically Supportive Private Sector One of the catalytic decisions taken during the late phases of the preselection process, was the appointment of a Fresh Money and Investor Liaison who helped us begin a concerted effort to rally the business community to our cause. The extremely positive initial response has encouraged us to continue and develop our strategy for engagement, which is based on three key parameters: - 100 -
1. Investors, not Sponsors As a long-term cultural reconstruction project for the benefit of all, Nicosia 2017 will not have ‘Sponsors’ but Investors. Each and every company that provides direct or in kind support to Nicosia 2017 and its programme will be encouraged to do so in a tailored and directed approach so as to best fulfil the following criteria: –– Corporate and Social Responsibility –– Massive national and international exposure –– Synergies with each company’s future development plans 2. No amount is too small, no opportunity too unorthodox Aside from the classic ‘Partnership’ models (official carrier, communications partner, etc) and Silver/Gold/Platinum exposure scales, we intend to expand our private funding initiatives in creative ways, including: –– Awards, Scholarships and Events Named after Investors. –– Product Placement in our documentaries and narrative films, always in compliance with local and European laws. –– The creation of Investment Pools: flexible depositories of contributions from small and medium businesses, for us to distribute across projects. –– The Curating of special Nicosia 2017 Project pages on Crowd-sourced Investment Websites like IndieGogo and Kickstarter. 3. Much more than cash Given the economic climate, we anticipate that about a quarter of our private sector income will be in the form of in-kind contributions or collaborations. These will range from broad technical support, services, communications infrastructure, and research personnel all the way to equipment rental, free venue hire and unpaid internships. To manage these assets especially those from small businesses and ordinary citizens, we have planned the creation of a Piggy Bank, a cultural match-making service where the offers of in-kind support from start-ups, freelancers and the general public will be databased, so they can be accessible to producers and allocated to projects where they can have the most impact.
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I I I.2.7
Our overall income is expected to be received according the following timetable*: Income to cover overall expenditure* Source of Income
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Total
National Government
500,000
500,000
1,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
5,000,000
City
500,000
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
1,500,000
5,000,000
Region
387,500
387,500
387,500
775,000
1,162,500
3,100,000
500,000
500,000
750,000
1,000,000
2,750,000
20,000
50,000
375,000
1,800,000
2,250,000
EU programmes Ticketing & Merchandise
5,000
Melina Mercouri Prize
1,500,000
UNDP
100,000
125,000
150,000
150,000
500,000
1,025,000
Private Sector
250,000
500,000
750,000
1,875,000
3,500,000
6,875,000
Total
1,742,500
2,532,500
3,837,500
8,925,000
10,462,500
27,500,000
*this table includes the â‚Ź1Million we intend to use for Capital Expenditure.
I I I.2.8
1,500,000
Committed to Culture-led Growth The amount committed by Nicosia Municipality to the three-year period following the ECoC event already constitutes a significant increase in projected annual cultural spend. Though it is impossible from this distance to speak of percentages, we know this: The experience of being a European Capital of Culture will be profound for the city, its institutions, its cultural professionals and its people. This in and of itself will increase cultural output and provide a unique impetus for an extended period of cultural development and sustainable growth. The City will do everything it can to build on this impetus and to safeguard its momentum, not just for the period after the ECoC but well into the years to come.
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Irene Stylianou
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IV Infrastructure
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IV.1
Accessibility
David Mellish
Nicosia and the participating region share a transportation grid that maximises accessibility in regional, national and international terms. Moreover, greater Nicosia is the only city with a sustainable mobility plan. The Integrated Mobility Master Plan (IMMP) forms the foundation for the development of a modern sustainable intermodal system capable of supporting an increased share of journeys by public transport and bicycle and encouraging pedestrian mobility. By air: The Larnaka International Airport is the main international gateway to the island, averaging 2.6 million arrivals a year. By sea: The Larnaka Port and Marina are located 6 km from the Larnaka International Airport, 110 nautical miles from Beirut and Tripoli, 145 nautical miles from Tel-Aviv, 230 nautical miles from Port Said and 250 nautical miles from Rhodes. Inter-city transportation: Nicosia is easily and quickly accessible from Larnaka (and vice versa), as the distance between them is 40km: a 30 minute drive. Frequent, shuttle bus services connect the airport with all major cities, including Nicosia. A regular public bus service links Larnaka, Limassol and Pafos to greater Nicosia. By tram: The Nicosia IMMP proposes the introduction of a tram system in combination with an increased number of bus routes as the vehicle to bring about a radical change in the established pattern of heavy dependence on the private car. The Mayors of greater Nicosia are vigorously supporting
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the proposal and a fully-fledged technical and feasibility study that will prepare the project for funding as a PPP venture, to be implemented during the 2014-2020 Programming Period, with partial funding from the EU Cohesion Fund. The Ministry of Communications and Works has additionally investigated, with positive results, the feasibility of introducing a light rail connection between Larnaka Airport and Nicosia city centre The route of this connection within Nicosia is to be shared with the first of the tram lines. By bus: A newly instated modern bus network connects the wider area around Nicosia with the brand new Intermodal Transfer Station at Solomou Square in the town centre, from which distinct yellow buses operated by the Nicosia Municipality offer free transportation into the historic core of the city, within the Venetian walls. Nicosia Municipality is designing the introduction of a new state-of-the-art hybrid minibus service with extensive new routes and time schedule in the historic centre but also in the modern city centre, linking the city within and outside the Walls. The new service will be implemented as a PPP project with cofinancing from the Government–funded Programme for the Revitilization of Areas along the Buffer Zone. The project will begin in 2013. On foot and by bicycle: Works for the construction of a number of cycle and pedestrian routes, according to the cycle routes master plan, have been completed in various areas in the capital. Earlier routes include the linear park of Kaimakli and the covered river bed of Pallouriotissa. More recently in the areas of Markou Drakou Avenue, Synergasias (Cooperation) Avenue, Themistokli Dervi and Diagorou Avenue, Ayiou Pavlou and Heroon Avenue, the construction of new pavements, bicycle lanes and street crossings have secured safety for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as persons with disabilities, with the addition of ramps and guides for the blind. In addition, the completion of the 12km pedestrian and bicycle path along the bank of the Pedieos river now connects the municipalities of Lakatamia, Strovolos and Nicosia with bicycle rental stations easily accessible throughout the city. Following up on the IMMP provision for a series of Early Winners (priority projects for immediate implementation) and the signing of the Covenant of Mayors the municipalities of the region are committed to actively promoting sustainable mobility in thearea. Greater Nicosia municipalities have been working jointly with the Ministry of Communications and Works and the Government Town Planning and Housing Department for the demarcation of more bicycle routes linking the city’s main universities and colleges to the city centre. The implementation of certain components of the project has already started. . The newly founded Nicosia Inter-municipal Bicycle Company has initiated a bike rental system with the participation of most of the municipalities in the region. The Municipalities of Nicosia, Strovolos and Aglantzia along with the Municipality of Kos (Greece) have submitted a a proposal for co-financing by the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Greece-Cyprus 2007-2013 for the enhancement of the system with the provision of electric bicycles (to encourage the elderly or the unfit), more stations and a local centre for sustainable mobility in each municipality, so users can have immediate access to the info they need. The plan also calls for the development of control policies that require access provisions for the disabled at all venues.
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IV.2
Absorption Capacity The total capacity for tourist accommodation at time of writing is 2,467 beds in Nicosia and 6,130 in Larnaka bringing the region’s capacity to a total of 8,597 beds. However, given the participating region’s proximity to the high capacity tourist centres of Limassol (12,988 beds) and the Agia Napa/Paralimni region (34,466 beds) we have already began planning, with tourist agent partners, the creation of a Cannes Film Festival ‘Cote D’Azur’ model of bus links to participating Nicosia 2017 hotels in these areas. This will not only allow the participating region to accommodate a far higher numbers of visitors, but it will also provide off-season clientele for the Hotels in the network. Finally we intend, as with all aspects of Nicosia 2017, to encourage and facilitate the participation of Citizens. Couch Surfing will be actively promoted both as a feasible form of accommodation for young travellers, but also as a platform for direct cultural exchange between hospitable locals and adventurous foreign visitors.
Paschalis Panteli
IV.3
New Infrastructure Details of the City and Region’s vast improvements to existing infrastructure, such as the newly completed National Theatre, were included in our first application. They form the basis for an ambitious overall vision for the city’s future: A Work In Progress... Nicosia is in the process of repairing, transforming and connecting vast swathes of its urban fabric. The Spatial Plan for the area of the Administrative centre and the capital’s civic core is the result of an architectural competition and provides the framework for the promotion of a number of metropolitan projects that aim at remodeling the entire area. The components of this master plan are isolated metropolitan public spaces or buildings, such as the Cultural Centre, a potential cultural focal point for the region, Cyprus and beyond, the New Archaeological Museum, - 108 -
the New Parliament Building, the remodeling of the old Stadium Area, Eleftheria Square and the newly completed National Theatre. The central business district regeneration is also supported by private initiatives like the art gallery under construction by the Leventis Foundation. Most of these projects are designed by internationally renowned architects such as Hopkins Architects, Zaha Hadid, Atkins, Feilden and Clegg, Jean Nouvel and Kythreotis Architects, ensuring that, apart from their functional role, they will upgrade the architectural image of the city. Just like the concept behind our bid, these improvements are integral to the city’s broader overall vision for triggering culture-led social and economic activity through a concerted, long-term plan to revitalise the city’s core. The plan involves major aesthetic and functional development work aimed at reversing the degraded image of spaces within the old city, making the area more attractive to socially active groups seeking home ownership or entertainment and mobilising investment in the area by promoting private business initiatives, with emphasis on the culture and leisure sectors, thereby creating new jobs. This is a long process that was initiated thirty years ago by the 2007 Aga Khan-award-winning Nicosia Master Plan (NMP). The NMP bicommunal team has been implementing innovative projects within the historic city, including the 2005 Europa Nostra-award winning restoration of Omerye Hamam, funded by European and international funds through UNDP, for approximately thirty years. This effort was later supported by new infrastructure projects co-funded by the Structural Funds of the European Union and National funds, with the aim of improving the built environment, mobilize the private sector to restore and reuse their properties and, not least, create medium scale social and cultural infrastructure in deprived neighbourhoods in the historic centre. Within this framework five major, multi-stage regeneration projects cofunded by the 2007-2013 Structural Funds of the EU, are underway and expected to be completed by 2015: The Regeneration of part of Takt-El-Kale Quarter and of the Old Town Hall Area in the walled city of Nicosia, the revitalisation of the traditional core of Kaimakli, the Redesign of Eleftheria Square and the Surrounding Area and the completion of the new Intermodal Transfer Station in Solomou Square in the town centre, including a Tunnel connecting the station with the Moat under the Square. In addition, work has begun for the regeneration of the western part of the walled city, financed by the Government funded Revitalisation Scheme For Areas Adjacent To The Buffer Zone In Nicosia and is expected to completed by 2014. Each of these projects involves the physical improvement of a large and important part of the city and includes the redesign of public space through the creation of sidewalks, the shaping of open public spaces, the introduction of urban furniture and the restoration and embellishment of building facades, to highlight the significant architectural value of buildings. Each project also includes new traffic management measures such as one way vehicular access, partial pedestrianisation, new parking spaces that enhance the qualitative upgrading of the area. Through the urban interventions the ‘’spirit of place’’ has returned to these areas giving renewed hope to the people for the vibrant regeneration of the historic city. - 109 -
A plan for the future...
As described above, a number of other high profile culture-led infrastructure projects are either under way or already planned, with delivery scheduled within the next few years (Culture Centre, City Theatre, Archaeological Museum, The A.G. Leventis Art Gallery and Tower, The Nicosia House of Dance, the remodelling and revitalisation of the old GSP stadium) signalling the ‘assertiveness’ of Nicosia as a ‘Capital City for Culture’.
Index
Yet, for all the development and regeneration, Nicosia remains a fragmented landscape of cultural venues, prevented from congealing into a cohesive urban landscape by the Buffer Zone.
Pedestrianization-Infrastructure
This is why Nicosia 2017’s concept is especially timely and relevant.
Improvement of traffic circulation
A comprehensive “new vision” strategy prepared by a bi-communal team in the framework of the Nicosia Master Plan, aims to secure that the future development of the city core will follow a strategy document commonly accepted by the two communities. The New Vision project was succeeded by a comprehensive detailed Area Scheme for the city centre, recently commissioned by Nicosia Municipality and currently under preparation by SKM Colin Buchanan, a renowned team of architects and planners.
Project Area
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Rehabilitation Projects Restoration of Monuments Restoration of Listed Buildings Public Intensive Uses Landscaping Survey and Documentation Partial Restoration/Facades * * * Walking Tour: Nicosia * * * Walking Tour: Medieval Nicosia * * * Walking Tour: Revitalization of Nicosia
Within the planning framework, particular importance is allocated to the Buffer Zone area as the “Glue” that would hold the city’s communities together, and as a major common cultural asset for all Nicosians, opening additional crossings (along Trikoupi street, for example) and intensifying the use of existing fringe areas, such as the zone near the Ledra Palace Hotel, currently used by UN Forces. It also considers the need for additional urban improvements in the areas adjoining and blighted by the Buffer Zone. Amongst these. special focus is placed on the The Ramparts and the Moat, which constitute part of the circular monument of the Venetian Walls of Nicosia, in conjunction with the Stasinou/Salaminos Avenue running along the outer circumference of the monument, the most spectacular feature of the urban environment and the most neglected as a united urban space. The creation of a “Crafts Quarter” in an area of the old city adjacent to the buffer zone is among the initiatives proposed by the scheme that will be the first to be put into effect. The detailed, Europa Nostra-award-winning, study recording the value and condition of architectural heritage in Buffer Zone and recently completed projects, such the outer refurbishment of the Kykkos and Olympus buildings at the Ledra – Lokmaci crossing by the Bi-Communal Nicosia Master spearhead efforts to reinvigorate collaboration between the communities. It is this momentum that Nicosia 2017 hopes to develop into a concerted programme of Buffer Zone events, new inter-communal initiatives and multi-cultural Centres. Larnaka: A new vision for sustainable tourism As laid out in detail in our first application, the Municipality of Larnaka is in the process of actively overhauling its own tourist and cultural infrastructure in a three-pronged strategy involving: The regeneration of existing assets, such as the expansion and upgrading of the Port and Marina, regeneration and repurposing of the old refineries into a new sea-front leisure complex and the restoration of the Ancient Port of Kition. The development of eco-friendly attractions through the Renovation of Piale Pahsa road, the creation of a 5.5km pedestrian walkway joining the tourist areas of Pyla and Oroklini and the construction of an Environmental Centre at the city’s iconic Salt Lake. The creation of new site-specific venues such as the open-air Oroklini Amphitheatre, and international-standard sports facilities, like the McKenzie Sports Complex, the Alethrico Tennis and Sports Centre and the Olympic Standard shooting range.
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V Get in the Zone
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V.1
Our Communication Strategy The Basics
Antonis Minas
Objectives To massively impact local culture in the lead up to 2017. To generate enthusiasm and elicit active participation from the general public. To begin the process of regaining our local pride of place and origin. To tackle indifference, and create a public movement for change. To deepen European identity at a grass roots level. To stimulate pride in our contribution to the European integration project through an image system based on Unity in Diversity. To find exciting, interactive and cost effective ways to attract visitors from all over Cyprus, Europe and beyond. Methodology Ground up, Viral and Pro-active: The everyday citizen will be the key, the message itself. Not the consumer of the message, in other words, but the means of creating, distributing and spreading it. All communication will be organically related to the values and goals of Nicosia 2017: created and developed by startups and young professionals and treated as an extension of our programme. Concept Taking the idea of The Zone and making it iconic. Rebranding Nicosia from a Buffer Zone of stasis and immobility to THE ZONE a place where anything is possible, the place you want to be, if you’re cool. Inspiring people with the idea that each of them can make a difference. THE ZONE is a blank slate, it’s an open Cultural space that people can transform into any zone they wish: The PLAYFUL ZONE, the - 114 -
CARING ZONE, the CREATIVE ZONE, the ECOLOGICAL ZONE, the REGENERATION ZONE, the FREE THOUGHT ZONE, the O-ZONE. All of which intersect with the CONVERGENCE ZONE at the heart of Nicosia 2017. Style Playful and urban, youth oriented, handmade feel, unpredictable and spontaneous. Cutting edge, embracing new media, exploring new avenues. But above all, centred on people. Messages: 1. Personification: It’s your city 2. Action: You can change it for the better 3. Inclusion: We’re all in this together
Proof Of Concept The Communication Strategy for Nicosia 2017 is already in effect. And it’s already working. Prior to launch, it had two aims: 1. Turn the negativity and disillusionment associated with living in a divided city into a drive for change, by rebranding Nicosia from the ultimate Buffer Zone to an exciting place where change is not only possible, but actively encouraged. 2. Make people believe in their own ability to contribute to that change, in vital ways. We began its implementation at the local level with our public relaunch at the end of April 2012 and despite the short timespan and extremely limited recourses (in part, a strategic decision), it succeeded in creating great awareness, enthusiasm and support from the general public, local businesses and the communities. What we spent: We treated our second-phase communication strategy as a pilot programme. Looking ahead to a 5-year communication campaign in a period of tight budgets and economic uncertainty, we opted to think rather than spend. As a result, the total amount used to cover all physical and on-line promotion, graphic design, content creation, events and ecosystem management was €40,000. What we did: Selected Get In The Zone as our call to action encouraging citizens, on one level, to enter a space of creative energy and share their creativity and ideas with us and inviting them, on another, to engage with Nicosia as a city to be proud of. A city with real potential. A city that can grow and change through the ideas and actions of its citizens. Relaunched our website as a fully interactive, exciting hub where anyone could get involved in, learn about or connect with Nicosia 2017. Released an on-line video challenging the visual language usually - 115 -
associated with promotional clips of the city, and included immigrants, anti-establishment graffiti and members of the Occupy Buffer Zone Movement. Followed that up with a series of videos featuring notable personalities from all aspects of Cypriot life, all of whom offered their services for free. These personalities were filmed in their own places of work (a lab, a theatre, a studio, a racetrack, etc) and were asked to use the materials of their work to come up with their own Zone: Their own vision, in other words, of the Nicosia of the future. Produced a series of t-shirts which people would actually want to wear, to create a sense of pride of place and identity. Distributed them at a series of fully interactive physical promotion and awareness events in or near the buffer zone and invited people to actually Do things while there, including custom t-shirt making, wall painting, treasure hunting down public paths for prizes and cycling en masse down usually traffic-filled avenues. Nearly all costs associated with these events were covered by private sector participants and sponsors. Used the resources of the municipality — bus stops, magazines, building facades and ancillary community outreach programmes — to further spread the word all over town, especially in marginalised neighbourhoods. Sent information squads armed with t-shirts and flyers to football stadiums and other ‘high concentration’ spaces, to contact groups that we wouldn’t otherwise reach.
Antonis Minas
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What we achieved: Densely attended events involving citizens from all communities, despite the very short amount of time between announcement and execution, very little information and in some cases, no specified location (again, all strategic decisions, emphasising the values of play and discovery). Very Positive local and national press. The on-line application process at our website www.Nicosia2017.eu received hundreds of serious project applications within weeks. Large volume of offers for volunteerism, despite making no official call. An extremely active Facebook page, with 300-400 ‘talking about this’, on average, on any given day and over 3000 individual user ‘Likes’ at time of writing. Great interest and participation from the business community. The unsolicited use of our custom font and style for events that had nothing to do with Nicosia 2017.
Building and Expanding We have big plans for the next five years. Working with a proper budget, but always in line with our ground-up, people-as-message methodology, we are hoping to develop our Communication Strategy into an integral part of the programme itself: a ground-up, youth-powered, idea driven campaign with local resonance and international appeal. 1. A Viral Strategy Television and traditional print have become so fragmented that all the money in the world can’t guarantee you access to your target demographics, especially young people and marginalised groups. On the other hand, a great idea for a viral video can spread like wildfire, even if that video was shot on a phone. Contemporary advertising campaigns are rife with examples of this phenomenon, including T-Mobile’s Dance in Liverpool Street Station (34 million views on youtube for the original post), and Tippex’s fully interactive A Hunter Shoots a Bear! (20 million views for the original post). These Viral success stories and countless others, have turned Communication on its head, transformed the public into the messenger rather the recipient of communication and have opened the door for new talent, by democratising the means of production: Anyone can post a video to YouTube and the software for creating smartphone apps is cheap and user friendly. The hard part is coming up with great, fresh ideas. Nicosia 2017 plans to go viral through: The encouragement, development and commissioning of ideas for viral videos from local talent regardless of previous experience. - 117 -
The creation of themed crowd-sourced competitions where anyone can create and vote for their own favourite videos and Zone-themed photo projects. Through partnerships with on-line content distributors like Google, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, we hope to make this a truly pan-European, youth-centred awareness initiative. The creation of on-line games, which promote the creative and ‘help reshape the city’ aspects of Nicosia 2017. The development of smartphone applications, whose use extends beyond the ECoC and its events, turning them into location aware, realtime informed, Swiss-Army-Knife City Survival Guides. The active and continuous development of our Social Networking ecosystem through active usage, engaging content and constant interactivity, with in-house, round the clock management and content creation.
Antonis Minas
The design and distribution of Zone t-shirts and fashion accessories that are of high quality and released sporadically, like a collection. A constant presence in society, through the smart placement of information stands, video walls and accessory stalls at large events like football derbies, the Cyprus International Expo and the organisation of original unpublicised happenings in the streets. The use of the ArtFleet as a neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood disseminator of information.
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2. A Culture-driven Communication Model As mentioned in our Programme, (see VI-VID, p.58), we intend to use our own development process as a communication tool. Not only will this help us develop new talent in the AudioVisual and other industries, but it will also create a constant stream of original material that can then be broadcast by new and traditional media outlets as documentary or reality programming rather than as advertising. Just as with our re-launch event, which was covered by all major TV channels and newspapers, we intend to use events and actions, throughout the years of preparation, to keep Nicosia 2017 in the public eye, especially events in the Buffer Zone that can attract national and international media attention. 3. A “Glocal” Approach Our goal in all our communication activities will be to create content that can be experienced universally, while highlighting the uniqueness of Nicosia 2017. We believe the call to Get In The Zone can be as effective internationally as it is locally. While retaining its resonance as an encouragement to ‘get creative’ it also helps raise awareness of Nicosia as a new experience, an adventure: a divided city, that is determined to re-imagine and revive itself in creative ways you’d want to experience first hand. Instead of blowing our budget on full page spreads in The Economist or a 30 second spot on Canal Plus, we plan to further raise international awareness and attract visitors to Nicosia 2017, without spending above our means through: A targeted presence at major international festivals, particularly music festivals, which attract young people who are willing to travel for culture.
Antonis Minas
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The creation, through VI-VID ZONE, of documentaries specifically targeted at foreign markets, which tell the story of the area in and around the Buffer Zone and Nicosia 2017’s attempts to revivify it. These documentaries will be distributed for free to major European outlets. The employment of an international press agent, to ensure that the story of the development of Nicosia 2017 and all the elements that make it an ECoC worth visiting are covered by international media, and that travel journalists are encouraged to write pieces on the region in the run-up to, and during the year itself. Food festivals, major traveling exhibitions and other events in partner cities, designed to raise awareness and interest in Nicosia 2017.
Antonis Minas
Direct marketing of specific events, like the Nicosia Marathon, Othello and BI.CY.CLE to specific groups through channels relating to their area of interest. Targeted ‘pay as you go’ banner ad placement on websites and phone applications related to specific demographics. A dynamic presence at major international tourism expos like London’s World Trade Market and Berlin’s ITB. Working together with Travel agencies and on-line booking agents to create a diverse bouquet of holiday packages for Nicosia 2017, as well as create synergies with other holiday packages, during the year of the event. - 120 -
4. A Team Effort During the final preselection phase, we conducted fruitful discussions with Publishing Groups, News Corporations, Media Companies, Television Stations, Travel Agencies and local Advertising Consultancies who are part of large International Networks. Their enthusiasm, generous advice and support has helped shaped this Communication Strategy and has assured us that when the time comes for Nicosia 2017 to choose its official media and communication partners, we will have no trouble putting together a team that shares our vision and has the know-how and the reach to help us achieve our goals.
V.2
The Visibility Of The European Union The European Union will be a constant feature of our communication campaign. As a city which has already been a direct beneficiary of the spirit of Melina Mercouri, we will curate a special exhibition on the ECoC, her contribution to its inception, and its development throughout the years, inside the Melina Mercouri Hall, one of the city’s most loved venues. All press and public information-packs regarding our programme and/ or concept will explain the origins, ideals and value of the ECoC as a European Union Institution. These will include quotes and comments from European personalities on the significance and vision invested in the ECoC institution. The creation of a series of Zone Videos, to complement the collection featuring notable Cypriot Personalities, in which leaders and figureheads of European Culture use the format to encourage European participation and highlight the importance and Europe-wide inclusiveness of the ECoC. Documentaries, promotional clips and printed materials, such as posters or flyers, relating to events and actions will contain the Logo of the European Union and, where applicable, references to the EU as a major contributor to its realisation. In the build up to 2017, information on EU values and ideals reflected in the ECoC Programme will be distributed in schools throughout the region. High profile guests from the European Union will be invited to attend opening and closing ceremonies and other marquee events.
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VI Staying on Course
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VI.1a
Evaluating the Impact of the Programme Are we contributing actively to the city’s culture-driven growth and urban regeneration? Are we encouraging real innovation and entrepreneurship among professionals? Are we reaching, developing and sustaining new audiences? Are we receiving and supporting ideas from everyone? Are we engaging the private sector as much as we can? Are we developing Nicosia’s image as regional cultural hub internationally? Are we drawing sustainable cultural tourism from Cyprus and abroad? Are we promoting meaningful intercultural collaboration? Are we creating benchmarks for openness and transparency? Are we in sync with our target social groups? These are the questions we will be asking ourselves over the next 7 years. We will try to find answers to these questions through: Number Crunching and Databasing A collaboration between our own internal data collection staff, external market research and statistical analysis partners will help provide tangible evaluations on our progress in fields like the growth of tourism, ticket sales (across the cultural sector, not just for Nicosia 2017 events), changes in cultural industry turnover, urban re-development and population movement and the involvement of minorities and marginalised communities in events and actions, or their participation in the calls for projects. Field Work and Community Research Our programme has several desired effects that are intangible and thus relatively hard to quantify, especially in the short term. To gauge our impact on the way people and groups engage and interact with one another, their sense of inclusion and their espousal of European Values, we will be devising systems of intangible research, in close collaboration with University Research departments. These research partners will augment the work of our own advisory committees and communication department, conducting specialised interviews, focus groups and surveys to help us get a picture of what people are really thinking. Talking and Listening If the preselection phase has taught us anything, it’s how seriously citizens take the European Capital of Culture, once they find out what it is. The expectations they develop are extremely high and we want to live up to those expectations. As an organisation promoting openness, honesty and best practices, Nicosia 2017 intends to engage the services of an independent Transparency Team, which constantly updates the public on the inner workings of the organisation via blogs and Twitter feeds. All legally-appropriate documents relating to the workings of the organisation, its contracts and its memos, its communication with third parties and its finances will be Databased and readily available. - 124 -
We also want to be an organisation that listens and responds directly to feedback. A trained web-forum and telephone-response team will be on hand to answer questions or deal with comments and concerns from the public, while Town Hall gatherings and regular informal brainstorming sessions with a wide range of groups will help us stay in touch with all demographics, hear their concerns and act on their insight and ideas. Timeframe Discussions are already underway with potential partners, especially Universities, so that we are ready to start upon nomination. Precise data on the present status quo will be collected and specific targets set for each area of desired impact. Assessments will be shared with the advisory committees and the board so that next steps and solutions and can be discussed collectively, as follows: Short-term: bi-monthly follow ups assessing the impact of single projects and actions, specific aspects of communication campaign, outreach events, etc. This will allow us to evaluate the everyday tactics and practices of the organisation, showing us which ideas worked and which didn’t, helping us to constantly refine our efforts. Medium-term: Bi-annual reports on the broader impact of the programme and communication strategy, with regards to awareness levels locally and internationally, private sector contributions, participation levels in calls for projects, etc. These reports will be crucial to our strategy and methodology and could be the basis for sharp shifts in focus or direction. Long-term: Comprhensive Biennial analyses, starting in 2015, till 2019, gauging the overall impact of the programme and communication strategy in all areas. These findings will be the basis for broad decisions regarding overall vision and conceptual approach. Where the findings reinforce our ideas, goals and actions, we will gain encouragement and keep on . Where the findings reveal the opposite to be true, we will not be afraid to rethink basic principles and take brave decisions.
VI.1b
Monitoring our Finances To fulfil our Statutory Commitments to the European Commission and the State we are committed to appointing an accredited External Auditor right from the start. This, together with the internal databasing and transparency processes mentioned above, will ensure that we are always able to provide detailed and precise information to the European Commission throughout the monitoring phase.
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VII In Parting
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VI I.1
Systems Check The journey of Nicosia 2017 will lead us far along the road less travelled. From the outset, we will be weighed down by Weaknesses: We have a lot to learn… Rebooting our efforts has been invigorating, exciting and utterly rewarding. We have produced an application we are proud of, in support of a vision and a programme we believe in. But that does not mean we have it all figured out. The team behind this application has learnt something new each day, since the process began. And we are still learning.
We are facing a period of great Economic Uncertainty… Reaching the end of this document, assessing our application and the parameters of our success just as the Republic of Cyprus prepares to enter the European Union’s Emergency Bailout Fund, we’re inevitably concerned about what the future holds for the City, the Region, the Nation and the Continent itself.
We have to manage a complex ecosystem of Stakeholders… From the 9 partner Municipalities to the Turkish Cypriot and other communities, from the Government to the private sector, from the United Nations and of course the E.U, the success of Nicosia 2017 depends on the co-operation and co-ordination of a whole lot of institutions, organised groups, informal networks and of course, people. If we fail to shift these individual, sometimes fractured, perspectives towards a shared vision of the future or to harness this plurality of voices into a strong, united call for change, the central theme of our application could fall on its face.
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But these will be no match for our Strengths: …but we know WHAT we want. We have a clear vision: to develop an inclusive, citizen-centred, youth-powered, idea-driven cultural model that pairs entrepreneurial ingenuity with social innovation, and to bolster it through culture-led urban regeneration for the benefit of all communities. We believe in this vision and we have the passion to see it through to the end. We have reached out for and secured the mentorship and collaboration of European cities far more experienced than ourselves. When we do make mistakes we are prepared to learn from them, make incisive changes and keep going, just as we have done throughout this final application. As we have stated several times throughout this document, for us, the Journey itself is the most important thing. And the hardest part of any journey is finding the courage to begin.
…but we know HOW to cope with it. We have devised a flexible, realistic programme that takes advantage of the City’s strengths as a hub of culture, research and education, is synergistic with the region’s long-term goals and in continuity with best practices of the past, especially the work of the Nicosia Master Plan. We have created an empowered and independent organisation to support and develop this programme; free of political interference and able to make adjustments and corrections in the manner and time required to avoid costly mistakes and maximise new opportunities, backed by the strong support of the Private Sector and buoyed by a cost-effective and proven communication strategy.
…but the WHY that unites us is greater than all of us. Convergence Zone, the concept of Nicosia 2017 is our greatest strength. By confronting the Buffer Zone that divides Nicosia and examining its deeply ingrained semiological and psychological impact at the cultural level, it addresses a fundamental problem at the heart of contemporary society and proposes a ground-up, collaborative framework of actions as the means of overcoming it. It creates the impetus for actual, hands-on engagement between the communities by promoting direct co-operation at the person-to-person level and encourages citizens, especially young people, to trust in their own ability to change their city, and in doing so to rediscover its potential as a place worth experiencing, worth improving, worth sharing.
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VI I.2
The Road of No Return Nicosia’s plans for the future are intimately connected to the values and goals presented throughout these pages and will proceed regardless of the outcome of this application. The City’s long-term strategy for Culture-led growth, sustainable mobility, social integration and urban regeneration, particularly of the walled city, as outlined in I.6 (see p.24) and IV.3 (see p.108) has been mapped, budgeted and will proceed at the briskest pace economic conditions will allow. What’s more, the momentum generated by the preparation of this application has led us down exciting new paths, planted the seeds for promising new partnerships, inspired fresh ideas and initiatives and pointed the way to unexplored avenues of inter-cultural collaboration. We will not allow these to go to waste. With or without the title, the journey towards Convergence has already begun. And there is no looking back.
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VI I.3
Pledged Support and Cooperation Nicosia 2017 has drawn the written support of the hardest hitters in Business… –– Aeolos Travel –– Bank Of Cyprus –– Cyprus Trading Corporation (CTC) –– George Charalambous Roasters & Distributors –– Delema Mccann Erickson –– Deloitte Cyprus –– Nicosia Chamber Of Commerce And Industry –– Larnaka Chamber Of Commerce And Industry –– Ernst & Young –– Eurofast –– Phileleftheros Publishing Group –– Hellenic Petroleum –– I&C Logistics –– J&P Construction –– KPMG –– Lois Builders –– Microsoft –– Nice Day Developers –– Tofarco Development –– Top Kinisis –– USB Bank –– VTTI –– Unicars –– American Heart Institute –– IBM –– Eminentia Limited –– Dracos Lighting All of the region’s Universities: –– European University –– Frederick University –– Open University Of Cyprus –– University Of Cyprus –– University Of Nicosia And pledges of cooperation from cities throughout Europe: –– Athens –– Azov –– Bratislava –– Derry-Londonderry — UK City Of Culture 2013 –– Donostia-San Sebastian European Capital Of Culture 2016 –– Dublin –– Liverpool –– Ljubljana — Unesco World Book Capital 2010 –– Luxemburg –– Ithaca –– Riga –– Shiraz — Arab Capital Of Culture 2008 –– Tallinn –– Vilnius –– Warsaw - 131 -
“We believe that cultural creativity of every individual and of every nation is the foundation of intercultural dialogue in its broadest sense; that the mutual respect of cultural heritage, creativity and wealth of multilingualism enables mutual understanding and acceptance of diversity. The concept for Nicosia 2017 is a vital step for both the cultural and social development of Nicosia and Cyprus as the last divided capital and country in Europe. With a successful bid, the immense European potential of the program as a beacon for bridging barriers both between Europe and its neighbours would be recognised.” City of Ljubljana
“Building bridges and removing barriers can unlock the potential for growth and development within and across communities, and provide the momentum for real ground-up progress and development. The City of Liverpool would therefore like to offer our strong support for your candidacy, and express our intention to collaborate on common projects in the lead up to 2017 and during the European Capital of Culture year itself.” City of Liverpool
“Vilnius, as the European Capital of Culture 2009, is convinced that the representatives of your City’s and the Greater Region’s cultural institutions will properly cope with the ambitious challenge of the European Capital of Culture 2017 by presenting both significant and memorable projects. Therefore we would like to offer our strong support for your candidacy and express our sincere intentions to cooperate with your city on joint projects in the lead up to 2017 as well as during that year itself ” City of Vilnius
“We are interested to work with Nicosia in finding possible ways to collaborate and exchange projects and actions during 2016 and 2017 irrespective of the committee’s decision in September of this year. In fact, we scanned your application and localised 2 projects that could represent an opportunity for cooperation. Especially of interest is activities in the Lighthouse of Peace, which contains activities focusing on culture and education as elements that help to unwind conflicts and as the best expression of civil rebellion against all acts of exclusion, barbarism and violence. Albeit having a radically different history, both Nicosia and San Sebastian share a comprehensive experience coping with violence in the past and, as a result, there overlap in a need to work in this field.” Donostia - San Sebastian 2016 - 132 -
The Board of the Derry City of Culture 2013 welcomes the opportunity to scope and work up a range of partnership activities that can assist with the development and celebration of the culture of our two cities. We endorse the inclusion of this partnership in your bid to be European City of Culture in 2017. We have had on-going connections between our two cities over the past few years, largely focusing on how Londonderry/Derry has worked to rebuild the city and a shared future for its community following years of conflict. We understand that Nicosia faces even bigger challenges than Derry, with the physical divide still cutting the city in half, but we also understand that some excellent work has been done by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots in developing the Nicosia Master Plan and securing new access through the heart of the city.� Derry - Londonderry Culture Company 2013 For the full list of supporters and partners, visit: http://www.nicosia2017.eu/en/info-zone/our-support
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Achilleas Kentonis
Fear/Hope Fear will not stop us. It will only strengthen our resolve. Old ways of thinking will not sway us. We think with our hearts, and our hearts are young. Realism is our friend, and Optimism our brother. Knowing is half the battle. And we know what we want, why we want it and how to get it. Zones of old will not stop us. New ones are ours to create. In the end, our true success will be measured not in targets and goals, but with hope: One ECoC will not change the world. But it can create real, tangible hope for change. In the end, it’s all about hope.
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Question Index I. Basic principles 1. Why does the city which you represent wish to take part in the competition for the title of European Capital of Culture? What, for it, would be the main challenge of this nomination? What are the city’s objectives for the year in question? 2. Explain the concept of the programme which would be launched if the city was nominated European Capital of Culture? 3. Could this programme be summed up by a slogan? 4. Which geographical area does the city intend to involve in the “European Capital of Culture” event? Explain this choice. 5. Please confirm that you have the support of the local and/or regional political authorities. 6. How does the event fit into the long-term cultural development of the city and, where appropriate, of the region? 7. To what extent do you plan to forge links with the other city to be nominated European Capital of Culture? 8. Explain how the event could fulfil the criteria listed below. Please substantiate your answer for each of the criteria: As regards “The European Dimension”, how does the city intend to contribute to the following objectives: - to strengthen cooperation between the cultural operators, artists and cities of your country and other Member States, in all cultural sectors; - to highlight the richness of cultural diversity in Europe; - to bring the common aspects of European cultures to the fore? Can you specify how this event could help to strengthen the city’s links with Europe? 9. Explain how the event could meet the criteria listed below. Please substantiate your answer for each of the criteria: As regards “City and Citizens”, how does the city intend to ensure that the programme for the event: - attracts the interest of the population at European level; - encourages the participation of artists, stakeholders in the sociocultural scene and the inhabitants of the city, its surroundings and the area involved in the programme, - is sustainable and an integral part of the long-term cultural and social development of the city? 10. How does the city plan to get involved in or create synergies with the cultural activities supported by the European Institutions?
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11. Are some parts of the programme designed for particular target groups (young people, minorities, etc.)? Specify the relevant parts of the programme planned for the event. 12. What contacts has the city or the body responsible for preparing the event established, or what contacts does it intend to establish, with: - cultural operators in the city? - cultural operators based outside the city? - cultural operators based outside the country? Name some operators with whom cooperation is envisaged and specify the type of exchanges in question. 13. In what way is the proposed project innovative? 14. If the city in question is awarded the title of European Capital of Culture, what would be the medium- and long-term effects of the event from a social, cultural and urban point of view? Do the municipal authorities intend to make a public declaration of intent concerning the period following the year of the event? 15. How was this application designed and prepared?
II. Structure of the programme for the event 1. What structure does the city intend to give to the year’s programme if it is designated “European Capital of Culture� (guidelines, general theme of the event)? How long does the programme last? 2. What main events will mark the year? For each one, please supply the following information: description of the event / date and place / project partners / financing. 3. How does the city plan to choose the projects/events which will constitute the programme for the year?
III. Organisation and financing of the event: 1. Organisational structure 1.1 What kind of structure2 is envisaged for the organisation responsible for implementing the project? What type of relationship will it have with the city authorities? 1.2 If an area around the city is involved in the event, how will the coordination between the authorities of the relevant local and regional authorities be organised? 1.3. According to which criteria and under which arrangements has or will the artistic director of the event been chosen? What is or will be his/ her profile? When will he/she take up the appointment? What will be his/ her field of action? 2. Financing of the event - 137 -
2.1: What has been the usual annual budget for culture in the city over the last 5 years (excluding expenditure for the present ECoC application)? 2.2: Please explain the overall budget for the European Capital of Culture project (i.e. funds that are specifically set aside for the project). 2.3.: Please explain the operating budget for the ECoC project. Please fill in the tables below. a) Overall operating expenditure b) Planned timetable for spending operating expenditure 2.4.: Overall capital expenditure 2.5 Have the public finance authorities (city, region, State) already voted on or made financial commitments? If not, when will they do so? 2.6 What is the plan for involving sponsors in the event? 2.7 According to what timetable should the income be received by the city and/or the body responsible for preparing and implementing the ECoC project if the city receives the title of European Capital of Culture? a) Income to be used to cover operating expenses b) Income to be used to cover capital expenditure 2.8. Which amount of the usual overall annual budget does the city intend to spend for culture after the ECoC year (in euros and in % of the overall annual budget)?
IV. City infrastructure 1. What are the city’s assets in terms of accessibility (regional, national and international transport)? 2. What is the city’s absorption capacity in terms of tourist accommodation? 3. What projects are to be carried out between now and the year for which the city is applying for the title of European Capital of Culture in terms of urban and tourism infrastructure, including renovation? What is the planned timetable for this work?
V. Communication strategy 1. What is the city’s intended communication strategy for the European Capital of Culture event? 2. How does the city plan to ensure the visibility of the European Union, which is awarding the title?
VI. Evaluation and monitoring of the event Does the city intend to set up a special monitoring and evaluation system: - for the impact of the programme and its knock-on effects? - for financial management? - 138 -
VII. Additional information 1. What, in your opinion, are the strong points of the city’s application and the parameters of its success as European Capital of Culture and what, on the other hand, are its weak points? 2. Does the city intend to develop particular cultural projects in the coming years, irrespective of the outcome of its application for the title of European Capital of Culture? Please comment. 3. Please add below any further comments which you deem necessary on the subject of this application.
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Project Management Team Stavros Pamballis (Project Manager) Katerina Andreou (Project Coordinator) Achilleas Kentonis (Project Curator) Research and Development (ARTos Team) Natalie Stylianou Maria Papacharalambous Cleo Andreou Marina Kountouridou Evi Tselika Project Advisory Committee Guy Dockendorf Maria Mavrou Loukia Loizou-Hadjigavriel Dr Yiannis Toumazis Marina Theodotou Financial Consulting (Deloitte Cyprus) Panicos Papamichael Daina Miskouri Editing (English) Patrick Myles Translation (English to Greek) Philip Philippou Design and layout Antonis Minas Event Management Margarita Papatheodoulou “Get In The Zone” Font Design Myria Konnari Administrative Support Xanthi Salata Photography credits Title page photographs Demetrios Demetriou, page 104 Antonis Minas, pages 8, 50, 88, 122 Varnavas Varnava, page 112, 127 Aigaia School of Art & Design, page 39 Michalis Georgiou, page 87 Achilleas Kentonis, page 134 Alexia Makridou, page 4 David Mellish, page 106 Antonis Minas, pages 10-11, 44, 47, 55, 56, 61, 114, 116, 118, 119, 120 Brian JC Osborne, page 43 Stavros Pamballis, page 12 Paschalis Panteli, page 30, 108 Irene Stylianou, page 103 Evi Tselika, page 25 Varnavas Varnava, pages 26, 35, 36, 58 ARTos Foundation Archive, page 48 Larnaca Municipality Archive, page 33 Nicosia Municipality Archive, pages 21, 40 A heartfelt thank you to all who have contributed their time, thoughts as well as concerns, their ideas and photographs for Nicosia’s final proposal as European Capital of Culture 2017