23. Essen, Germany
My original schedule did not include Essen, but having visited the other two cities that will be Cultural Capital in 2010, I wanted to complete the hat-trick. Thanks to Beatriz Garcia, Director of Impacts 08, I did. Beatriz was speaking at the ‘Change through the Cultural Economy Conference’ and arranged for me to be invited. It was a good opportunity to meet a broad range of people from the region. This didn’t prove to be too easy initially as the conference organisers had requested that no delegate list be circulated prior to or during the conference. This was frustrating as I only had a short time to ‘work the room’.
I learned that it is not just the city of Essen that will be Cultural Capital, but the whole Ruhr region comprising 52 cities. My immediate thought (and I’m ashamed to admit it) was a branding concern. Already, in other parts of Europe, it is Essen that is referred to as the Cultural Capital 2010. But here it is Ruhr 2010 that is referred to. I hope this potential brand problem does not misdirect too many Euros from the arts and culture...
I was impressed by the Ruhr’s strategy which seems to focus on building and strengthening the arts infrastructure, attracting artists to the city, putting culture high on the agenda, and planning for the long-term. They seem to have noted lessons from Berlin (“a big party”, resulting in no legacy) and Weimar (a reflective year; “the city became a museum”).
It appears that Ruhr 2010 is providing the impetus for the 52 cities to unite and to become a new and dynamic metropolis. The whole Cultural Capital programme will be linked to urban development.
The Ruhr 2010 team is regularly consulting with artists and arts organisations as to what they want and what their expectations are. A consultant for the team stated that they want to ensure that the projects that are developed have the backing of artists. There are up to 25,000 artists in the region (total population 1.2m), and that they have a dialogue with around 2,000 of them. The team is also staging ‘matchmaking’ events that introduce artists to individuals from other sectors - the world of business, banking etc. A good example of how sustainable relationships can be developed between sectors. It is also planning to invest in them by providing free internet services so that they can communicate more effectively and market themselves better.
Maintaining the enthusiasm of the artistic community will be a challenge. They are welcoming project ideas and so far they have received over 1,000. Clearly a lot of projects will not be realised and it will be difficult to maintain this enthusiasm amidst widespread disappointment.
An ambitious project to be realised will be a 6 part production of The Odyssey. Each of the 6 regional producing theatres will stage a section each. This was an initiative proposed by one of the theatres and is supported by Ruhr 2010. It is the first time that the theatres have ever collaborated. It would appear that the theatres have a confidence in the Ruhr team to produce this event and the Ruhr team is 100% behind it. It almost reflects the ethos of bringing the region closer together.
One concern that was voiced though, is that there may be negative fallout from 2010 and that some theatres may be forced to close through lack of investment and future subsidy. There are also questions as to whether there is a need for so many theatres of a similar size and function in the region. When I met with one of the theatres I told them of the work of LARC and suggested they look at is as a model.
I met with numerous arts managers, artists, independent theatre companies and producers working in the larger theatres in Essen. Those working in small scale touring theatre and smaller arts organisations voiced their support of the Ruhr 2010 team and a confidence in the strategy. They felt a high level of confidence that 2010 will make a positive difference to their creative development and to their future sustainability.
Across all sectors - small and large scale arts organisations - all emphasised the need for the year to be about developing models that will continue, strengthening the infrastructure, investing in what exists and growing it and investing in artists. on this last point, it was highlighted to me that investing in individual artists and smaller organisations is often not prioritised and that the majority of funding is directed to the larger, building based institutions. The balance, or rather imbalance, needs to be addressed.
There is an optimism about the future, not least that the political landscape won’t change. The Social Democratic Party has a strong hold in the region and it is unthinkable that the party will lose control (cf Porto, Thessaloniki). Thus it needs to ensure that it thinks about the future. If it is embedding culture into the very fabric of the city and valuing it in the lead up to and during 2010, it needs to continue to invest in culture and not reduce funding post-2010. I hear this echoed everywhere I go, but to date I have not heard of a local authority continuing to invest significantly in culture after its big party year. Please, can Liverpool be the first to do this....? It would would be quite revolutionary and demonstrate a city council’s commitment to culture beyond its special ‘party year’.
Essen had some of the common traits of a Cultural Capital (particularly the larger urban cities for example Liverpool, Glasgow, Rotterdam) - high levels of unemployment, a city that has had wealth followed by huge economic collapse, home to a World Heritage Site and pinning a lot of its future on what Capital of culture will bring to the city.
Earlier I pondered whether Sibiu was the world’s largest creation centre. I can now answer that it isn’t... I visited what MUST be the largest: Zeche Zollverein, a former coal mine, now a creation/cultural centre, declared a World Heritage Site. It is one of many factories and industrial spaces that were developed as culture centres with state subsidy at the end of the 1980s. The Zollverein houses the world’s largest contemporary art exhibition, a casino, restaurant, artists spaces, theatre, museum and more - as well as being a tribute to its original function and its former workers. Whilst it is hugely inspirational, I heard more than once how it has no connection with local people. In an area of high unemployment, and as such a central part of Essen’s cultural life, I’m curious as to why this can be and how Ruhr 2010 will (and it must) change this.
My final day in Essen was hosted by the Ruhr 2010 team. I’d particularly like to thank Susanne Skipiol, who had taken over the role of assistant to the international director, Professor Schmidt. This was her second day in the post and she looked after me including escorting me to the station platform to make sure I got on the right train.
I learned that it is not just the city of Essen that will be Cultural Capital, but the whole Ruhr region comprising 52 cities. My immediate thought (and I’m ashamed to admit it) was a branding concern. Already, in other parts of Europe, it is Essen that is referred to as the Cultural Capital 2010. But here it is Ruhr 2010 that is referred to. I hope this potential brand problem does not misdirect too many Euros from the arts and culture...
I was impressed by the Ruhr’s strategy which seems to focus on building and strengthening the arts infrastructure, attracting artists to the city, putting culture high on the agenda, and planning for the long-term. They seem to have noted lessons from Berlin (“a big party”, resulting in no legacy) and Weimar (a reflective year; “the city became a museum”).
It appears that Ruhr 2010 is providing the impetus for the 52 cities to unite and to become a new and dynamic metropolis. The whole Cultural Capital programme will be linked to urban development.
The Ruhr 2010 team is regularly consulting with artists and arts organisations as to what they want and what their expectations are. A consultant for the team stated that they want to ensure that the projects that are developed have the backing of artists. There are up to 25,000 artists in the region (total population 1.2m), and that they have a dialogue with around 2,000 of them. The team is also staging ‘matchmaking’ events that introduce artists to individuals from other sectors - the world of business, banking etc. A good example of how sustainable relationships can be developed between sectors. It is also planning to invest in them by providing free internet services so that they can communicate more effectively and market themselves better.
Maintaining the enthusiasm of the artistic community will be a challenge. They are welcoming project ideas and so far they have received over 1,000. Clearly a lot of projects will not be realised and it will be difficult to maintain this enthusiasm amidst widespread disappointment.
An ambitious project to be realised will be a 6 part production of The Odyssey. Each of the 6 regional producing theatres will stage a section each. This was an initiative proposed by one of the theatres and is supported by Ruhr 2010. It is the first time that the theatres have ever collaborated. It would appear that the theatres have a confidence in the Ruhr team to produce this event and the Ruhr team is 100% behind it. It almost reflects the ethos of bringing the region closer together.
One concern that was voiced though, is that there may be negative fallout from 2010 and that some theatres may be forced to close through lack of investment and future subsidy. There are also questions as to whether there is a need for so many theatres of a similar size and function in the region. When I met with one of the theatres I told them of the work of LARC and suggested they look at is as a model.
I met with numerous arts managers, artists, independent theatre companies and producers working in the larger theatres in Essen. Those working in small scale touring theatre and smaller arts organisations voiced their support of the Ruhr 2010 team and a confidence in the strategy. They felt a high level of confidence that 2010 will make a positive difference to their creative development and to their future sustainability.
Across all sectors - small and large scale arts organisations - all emphasised the need for the year to be about developing models that will continue, strengthening the infrastructure, investing in what exists and growing it and investing in artists. on this last point, it was highlighted to me that investing in individual artists and smaller organisations is often not prioritised and that the majority of funding is directed to the larger, building based institutions. The balance, or rather imbalance, needs to be addressed.
There is an optimism about the future, not least that the political landscape won’t change. The Social Democratic Party has a strong hold in the region and it is unthinkable that the party will lose control (cf Porto, Thessaloniki). Thus it needs to ensure that it thinks about the future. If it is embedding culture into the very fabric of the city and valuing it in the lead up to and during 2010, it needs to continue to invest in culture and not reduce funding post-2010. I hear this echoed everywhere I go, but to date I have not heard of a local authority continuing to invest significantly in culture after its big party year. Please, can Liverpool be the first to do this....? It would would be quite revolutionary and demonstrate a city council’s commitment to culture beyond its special ‘party year’.
Essen had some of the common traits of a Cultural Capital (particularly the larger urban cities for example Liverpool, Glasgow, Rotterdam) - high levels of unemployment, a city that has had wealth followed by huge economic collapse, home to a World Heritage Site and pinning a lot of its future on what Capital of culture will bring to the city.
Earlier I pondered whether Sibiu was the world’s largest creation centre. I can now answer that it isn’t... I visited what MUST be the largest: Zeche Zollverein, a former coal mine, now a creation/cultural centre, declared a World Heritage Site. It is one of many factories and industrial spaces that were developed as culture centres with state subsidy at the end of the 1980s. The Zollverein houses the world’s largest contemporary art exhibition, a casino, restaurant, artists spaces, theatre, museum and more - as well as being a tribute to its original function and its former workers. Whilst it is hugely inspirational, I heard more than once how it has no connection with local people. In an area of high unemployment, and as such a central part of Essen’s cultural life, I’m curious as to why this can be and how Ruhr 2010 will (and it must) change this.
My final day in Essen was hosted by the Ruhr 2010 team. I’d particularly like to thank Susanne Skipiol, who had taken over the role of assistant to the international director, Professor Schmidt. This was her second day in the post and she looked after me including escorting me to the station platform to make sure I got on the right train.
