Waiting for the train at Lime Street I finished my coffee and looked for a waste bin. I’d become used to places like Bucharest, Rotterdam and Istanbul where in the metros, tram terminals and train stations you can dispose of litter in bins. (In Berlin, they even had recycling bins on the station platforms). I’d also got used to airports in major cities where you can drive right up to the door of the terminal.

I guess these privileges are something you have to live without, when your country unjustifiably (and illegally) invades another and thus makes its own citizens vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

In my original plan, I’d scheduled “a week of reflection and evaluation - on a beach somewhere”…. That beach was located in the south of Turkey in the ancient city of Side (pronounced ‘see-deh’), home to the Temple of Apollo where Mark Antony proposed to Cleopatra. It’s a stunning part of the Mediterranean region. I came here some 15 years ago. Since then they appear to have widened the promontory to accommodate more clothes and jewellery shops, built a new harbour and erected more ruins.

They’ve also lost the knack of cooking Turkish food. Thanks to foreign tourists, the menus boast All Day English Breakfast, Schnitzel and Pizza. To my despair, I read the board outside one restaurant: Today’s Special - Liver, Bacon and Onions with Mashed Potato. Eavesdropping a conversation between two English couples I was amused to hear them rave about the quality of the Steak & Kidney Pies served at the Britannia and Red Lion restaurants.

I visited Asia Minor’s best preserved ancient theatre at Aspendos which is just awesome. I also visited the beautiful waterfalls at Kursunlu, (where they filmed the Timotei Shampoo advert) and the ancient city of Perge. It’s a remarkable site, even though only 30% of it has been excavated. My imagination re-created the hustle and bustle of the city 2000 years ago. But these images were shattered by the noise of planes taking off or landing every 10 minutes. And I wondered why they built the city so close to the airport…

This day of culture was sandwiched between days of evaluation and reflection - evaluating which shade of brown on the Dulux colour chart I’d achieved, and watching the reflection of the sun on the sea…

Unfortunately there was no beach where you can throw caution to the wind and your buns to the sun. The photo caption here has the same words as one I used earlier in the year. In Dubrovnik the caption was: “No tan lines”. In Side the caption is: “No! Tan lines!”

By the time I left Rotterdam, I was on my last legs… I was physically exhausted following my visit to 22 cities in 10 countries. I’d flown in 24 planes, travelled on 21 trains and been hither and thither on countless trams, metros and buses. I must’ve also walked around 100 kilometres since May… Am I complaining? What do you think? I’d do it all again tomorrow. And for those of you who know me well… no mention of taxis??? I’ve actually got quite good at the public transport thing… What’s more, I’ve enjoyed it. I can count the number of taxis I’ve taken on one hand!

Lille and Glasgow are always held as the pinnacle of success whenever Cultural Capitals are discussed. Their year of culture heralded the beginning of the cities’ reinvention and regeneration. So I looked forward to discovering what Lille’s secret of success is and moire importantly (to my area of research) how the small/medium arts sector was involved and how organisations have benefited since.

Perhaps Lille’s success is simply down to its commitment to involving local people at all levels. From the beginning of the year Lille was a Cultural Capital for the people. Unlike most (possibly every) other Cultural Capitals, where it is the ‘great and the good’, the ‘ViPs’ that attend the launch and the prestigious events, Lille invited its citizens to the launch event. 600,000 attended.

I met with a number of people who had been part of the 2004 team and they believed that another success factor was because Lille 4004 worked directly with artists and that there were two levels of operation: international events and local participation: the two complemented one another.

2004 continued to be a huge success for the city, turning its fortunes around. No longer was it considered as the Crewe of northern France, where “the only reason to stop in Lille was to catch a connecting train”. The only problem that Lille had it seems, was how to capitalise on the enormous success of the year. The answer is Lille 3000 (long term vision, indeed!). Lille 3000 is an ongoing programme of events and activities. There is no self imposed pressure to run a festival every year or every two years. In 2006 the theme for the city was India; the ‘Bombayers of Lille’ event attracted 1 million visits. The next 3000 year is 2009 which will celebrate Eastern Europe. The volunteer programme for 2004 was considered to be one of the successes of the year. The city now boasts double the number of volunteers and includes many of those from 2004.

A major programme of 2004, celebrated by the city council, the Lille 3000 team and the Cultural Capitals experts, was the establishing of the culture centres called Maison de Folie. Disused factories and similar buildings in and around Lille were renovated and founded by the city council. They programme exhibitions, dance, theatre and provide residencies for artists. The staff are employed by the council and 100% of the funding to run each of them is from the council. This was not intended but has become the reality. Since 2004 two have closed. I visited one and was impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of the director, and of the role that the Maison de Folie are intended to play.

Because of the impact of culture on the city, the council made a commitment to increase budgets for culture in 2005 by 10%.

Now to the small to medium sized arts community… Firstly, they have not received any of the 10% increase in funding; they believe the additional funding was directed to the Maison de Folie and to the larger institutions - Théâtre du Nord for example.

There are around 35 professional small scale theatre companies in Lille and the two neighbouring cities; a total of 100 in the entire region. The majority had no connection with 2004; there was little communication and a feeling that Lille 2004 tried to impose its ideas onto the companies. Some were angered by the whole event, saw it as an opportunity only for the larger organisations and were frustrated that so much work was imported.

There is belief that for the arts sector, 2004 was a missed opportunity. There was no investment in the infrastructure and it would seem that it had no positive impact on the small to medium arts sector - “it’s as if it never happened”. Some expressed disappointment that 2004 was for the tourists and for people outside the city, not for the people who lived in the city. This said, there was agreement that 2004 focused the spotlight on Lille; that Lille 3000 is a real and tangible legacy and that this bodes well for the future of the city, including the arts community.

There are also concerns from artists, arts organisations and theatre companies that the Maison de Folie, whilst a good idea for engaging with communities in  2004, are now “a waste of money, sucking in too much public funding”, and that they are “dangerous for the small scale theatre companies” as they don’t have the funding to pay professional fees for visiting companies. They were initiated as places where artists could meet, but it would appear they don’t fulfil this function.

Although they are pleased that disused buildings were renovated, one could ask whether this was at the expense of the established small and medium sized theatres and organisations in the region. I visited five such places: theatres, artists centres, a school for professional actors. None had received funding to develop their spaces. One was so in need of renovation that it cannot produce its own work in the theatre and instead can only tour. I asked the question repeatedly, and it was one that was voiced on numerous occasions: Why did Lille Ltd invest in new spaces rather than strengthen what already existed?

Of the organisations I visited, two made a real impact on me: La Malterie and Théâtre de Licorne. The former is a converted brewery and is in on the outskirts of the city. The organisation doesn’t have much connection with local community but is accepted as part of it. The organisation provides artists’ studios (there are 30); a rehearsal studio for artists to do research and development (with no pressure to produce; much like the Jude Kelly Metal project in London and Liverpool). It also provides a professional development service for artists, not unlike that at Hope Street. In all, there are 100-150 artists based at La Malterie at any one time.

Théâtre de Licorne is a stone’s throw from Maison de Folie in Wazemme. The space was steeped in history, its architect the same as the designer of the Eiffel Tower. The Artistic Director was an inspirational character, passionate about the theatre and the work produced by her company. She told me that since 2004 touring internationally has become less difficult as the company can carry the ‘Lille 2004’ brand, and she stressed that Cultural Capitals are not just about urban regeneration and changing the face of the city, they are about developing the artists and the artistic producers of the city. I agree 100%. For if we are not strengthened, who will facilitate the engagement of vulnerable people and excluded communities in arts and cultural activities? The politicians? The policy makers? The social services? I don’t think so.

Being escorted to the correct platform/tram stop by young women continued. A technical fault between Utrecht and Rotterdam meant that all trains were cancelled. Several people ensured I got to Rotterdam eventually (via Amsterdam), but it was dental nurse, Samantha who directed me to my hotel when we finally did arrive.

Rotterdam started to make sense of my European tour. The links and connections started to mesh… I met my host, Else Petersen (Dansateliers) at the Dans Festival in Sibiu. I also had lunch with Mete Erke a musician who I met at the former Porcelain Factory in Pécs. He introduced me to another artist who was able to tell me of the impact on individual artists. And I also visited an artist led foundation where Volksrekorders, who I’d met at the UrbanFestival in Zagreb, were based. See how it’s all coming together….?

Rotterdam shared the title of Cultural Capital with Porto in 2001. I was hoping that the stories I’d hear would be more encouraging and that the impact on the small and medium scale arts sector was more positive.

I’d met former Artistic Director, Bert van Meggelen in Essen. He gave me an overview of the year and how he perceived the impact on the small to medium sector. He claimed that the year raised the expectations of arts organisations and that artists were inspired by the international work presented in the city. He described the development of one of the disused piers as a film centre, and that whilst this was a very successful venture, it was inspired rather than being strategically planned.

He told me that the year was of benefit to visual artists and theatre makers and designers working in the small scale and that the year led to the successful development of the Rotterdam Festivals. He had approved the development of this series of festivals only if they guaranteed they’d continue for at least five years. In 2007 the festivals are thriving…

I met with many actors, film makers, producers, musicians, designers, choreographers and arts managers in the city. Scapino Dance Company was often mentioned as one of the small organisations  commissioned to develop a piece in 2001 and have since benefited.

But for the majority, it would appear that 2001 passed them by, with little or no impact. I was told repeatedly that the year had virtually no connection wit the majority of  small to medium sized organisations and that they continued to deliver their usual artistic programme, almost parallel to official programme. Many claim that they are neither better nor worse off as a result of 2001. In terms of funding, it would appear that investment in cutting edge work produced on the small scale is on the decrease.

There was a general impression that the call for projects required organisations to present something completely new - [how often in the England do we suffer from this attitude from funders?] - and that too much funding was directed to marketing (“all we see is banners everywhere”). Many working in the independent small/medium arts sectors believed that the majority of the 2001 programme was provided by the 2001 organising office, and that this is where most of the additional funding for the year went. It is also the view of many that the year was “more about popular culture”, “high arts”, and “what would attracts tourists to  the city”. There was a feeling also that local people suffered from an ‘overdose of culture’, that there was too much to see during the year.

The arts infrastructure appears to be strong in the city. Dance companies and agencies communicate effectively, as do theatre companies. There are also the fascinating artists’ foundations (Kumtk Complex, Kam Australis, Wilde Weten, Duende Stichting and B.a.D) who until 2001 didn’t communicate, but have since strengthened their links. There is a differing of opinion as to who initiated these closer links and effective communication. The arts sector claim it was they who initiated the networking. Others, once associated with the organising office claim the stronger links was a result of 2001. I don’t think it really matters. what’s important is that the organisations communicate and this strengthens them individually and as a sector.

Despite organisations in the main claiming that the year had made no impact, one artist who had lived and worked in the city all his life told me that 2001 established a respect for small scale organisations and developed their understanding that it is essential to invest in, and nourish the ‘roots’ of the arts, otherwise the work produced ‘at the top’ won’t grow. There was a recognition that much of the work produced by the large scale organisations is almost always influenced by the small scale cutting edge work.

The artists’ foundations are interesting. Most are now legal enterprises, but started off with squatting rights in a diverse range of buildings in the city. B.a.D based in the south of the city and home to a dozen or more artists and organisations (including Volksrekorders) have been squatting in the former domestic science block of a school since 1991. They are legal squatters and are have integrated well with the local community. B.a.D houses artists studios, making spaces, rehearsal rooms, living accommodation. The organisation hosts artists from all over the world  and work is produced in and outside of their own space. The day I visited was the monthly ‘maintenance day’ when all the users of the building give their time freely to do essential maintenance, cleaning and odd jobs. something I think will become a feature at Hope Street when next year. Roll your sleeves up, Momentum, Jessica Bockler, Tanushka Marah, Ullaloom, Fool’s Proof…. oh, the list is endless!

Perhaps one of the city’s most important legacies from the year is the work developed in 2001 by Caroline Dieleman, who was responsible for the community engagement programme. There was already a history of arts work in communities prior to 2001 but there has been an increase since. It is perhaps in part due to the work developed in 2001 and the ever changing multiculturalism of the city that has meant that social inclusion and community engagement within the arts has leapt up the city’s agenda. The newly elected city leader has stated that all organisations need to include an element of community engagement in their artistic programme, otherwise they will not receive city council funding. Good intentions, but what about the organisations that are excellent at making art - in whatever form - but may not be good at working with vulnerable individuals or excluded communities. They exist in Liverpool so I’m sure they exist in Rotterdam and other cities. Making all arts organisations work with communities is not always appropriate and can be dangerous.

I realised I must be getting close to the end of the sabbatical… There were reminders of Liverpool and Hope Street around the city, not least the exact same font that the hotel I stayed in used for its logo as the font that Hope Street uses. Uncanny. (I’ve also returned to writing detailed reports… Sorry Alan).

* I asked numerous people why the country is called the Netherlands and Holland. I was given satisfactory explanations, which I won’t go into - check it out for yourselves). But an unanswered question is: If the English speak English, the Germans speak German, the Italians speak Italian (and so on), how is it that people from Holland/Netherlands speak Dutch? No-one could answer this.

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.

As we made our descent at Tempelhof Airport, I was certain we were going to land in someone’s back garden. The airport seems to be right in the middle of the city. Close by were boating lakes, rivers and forests. I learned on a tour of the city that water sports are popular in Berlin and that pigs can be seen walking the streets. I looked forward to a weekend of surprises.

The tour of the city recounted Germany’s history form WW2 to present day. The account of the division of Berlin, with barbed wire overnight, in 1961 and the subsequent building of the Wall, caging the residents of East Berlin in for nearly 30 years sent chills down my spine. Many escaped. Many were shot dead. It’s the first time I’ve been to Germany. It was disturbing to see the destruction of the city, but encouraging to see how it has totally rebuilt itself not once, but twice in 60 years. There’s a bombed out church here, Liz the Lunch. Interesting project for USL in future years?

I was only in the city for two days but met with several people working in the creative sector. Few had memories of 1988 when West Berlin was European Capital of Culture. The only surviving memories were of a huge party and no investment in the future of the arts.

I wonder if Capital of Culture has a ‘shelf life’ of around 10 years - 4 before, the year itself and then the 5 years of recovery and rebuilding afterwards. Perhaps Guimaeres 2012 is on to something. Of course there are lasting legacies, development of skills; renovation of old, and construction of new buildings; opening of minds and eyes.

For Liverpool (2008) it is considered to be as the saviour of the city. Perhaps we are depending on it just a little too much. For Istanbul (2010) it is an opportunity to strengthen its position to become an EU member state and to engage local people in the arts. For Sibiu (2007), it is riding the crest of a wave. For Thessaloniki (1997) there was a legacy of 5 years. For Graz (2003) it was a year that they are only just recovering from now. And for Porto (2001), it is best forgotten.

I’m not a fan of musicals, but I thoroughly enjoyed Roman Polanski’s production of Tanz der Vampire, a brilliant musical with music by Jim Steinman (he what wrote Meat Loaf’s good songs). I also met up with an opera singer friend who I met in Croatia, who introduced me to some of the nightlife in Berlin. Quite a musical weekend. I was in Berlin on 16th September, the 30th anniversary of Marc Bolan’s death. As I walked the streets, I saw a poster for Suzi Quatro and the Sweet in concert. I wonder if T.Rex would still be dragging themselves around the 70s nostalgia tour circuit? I wasn’t quite sure who the Sweet would be. Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker (singer and drummer respectively) died some years ago, and Steve Priest lives in America and doesn’t do the nostalgia thing.

I connected with Berlin. I’m not sure whether is was the stunning modern architecture; its history and recovery, or that Germany produces the best EuroDisco music! Maybe it was the free and easy attitude, the openness. Maybe the friendliness of the people.

Maybe I was connecting with some of my heritage. For years my family thought that my maternal great great great grandparents, Esberge originated from Scandinavia. They didn’t. They were from Berlin. And after visiting here I was chuffed that they were.

Ich bin ein Berliner. Well, I’m not but I did eat one.

I took the train to Graz. Beautiful scenery - wooden houses, snow capped mountains, lowly goat herds, men drinking beer… Having banished Ultravox from my internal iPod, I now had Julie Andrews on a continuous loop.

I saw the huge station clock. I’d left Vienna at 2pm; the journey to Graz was three hours, yet the clock said 7pm. I then noticed that the clock was transparent and mounted on clear glass. It was 5pm. I walked through a door, above which was the sign ‘Tourist Information’. I queued, walked to the desk, asked the kindly gentleman for a street map. He told me they don’t have maps. I asked if this was Tourist Information. “No”, he replied, “Tourist Information is the phone over there in the corner”. He then gave me a street map. A very disorientating welcome to the city.

Things got better. Graz (population around 220,000) was Capital of Culture 2003. It’s a beautiful city and boasts four contemporary structures including the Cafe in the River, and the Künsthaus - both funded by the Cultural Capital of Europe programme, managed by Graz 2003 Ltd. Both buildings opened in 2003. More later.

It has a thriving small/medium arts sector and I visited as many organisations as I could. I’d set up three meetings prior to my arrival and inevitably each meeting led to a further three. I’ve found that this is the best way to establish a varied and focussed programme. Too many pre-organised meetings through internet/e-mail limits the possibilities. My two key organisations in Graz were Theatre im Bahnhof (TiM) and IG Kultur who are at the centre of the small/medium arts sector. TiM was also a co-founder of a networking organisation Das Andere Theater, set up in 1998 and the closest I’ve found to SMAC (Liverpool’s collective of small/medium arts organisations led by Hope Street Ltd).

There are around 80 (mostly unfunded theatre companies). I attended the Best Off Styria Festival (Styria being the surrounding region) and saw one or two productions each day (www.theaterland.at). I also met with the directors of a number of festivals and organisations including Tanz & Theater Zentrum, Steierischer Herbst’s International Theatre Festival, Forum Stadtberg and Theatre am Ortweinplatz. Individuals who informed my research were Eberhard Schrempf (Graz 2003 Ltd, Producing Director), Hansjürgen Schmolzer (Graz 2003 Ltd, Marketing Director) and Thomas Wokinger (member of the programming team for youth and young people and culture journalist).

Of course there a differing opinions of the impact 2003 had on the arts infrastructure. One thing was agreed by all: no thought went into what happened to the arts and cultural life of the city after 2003. Everyone’s efforts were focussed on the year itself. No cultural strategy was written, no-one from the local council took responsibility for art and culture and no money was invested in sustaining the small to medium arts sector.

The ‘party’ in 2003, according to the majority was fantastic; all local arts organisations and artists were involved (though some not in the way they thought they would be); there was a sense of real celebration of arts and culture.

The ‘hangover’ kicked in towards the end of 2003 and it lasted for two and a half years. Artists and arts organisations were left exhausted and burnt out. Many of those employed by Graz 2003 Ltd. moved on to other jobs and all but the large institutions (the venues and government cultural institutions) received cuts of around 5% from the local council each year. The larger institutions continue to receive increases of around 1% each year.

Like Porto, the political party changed from left to right after 2003 and so the debt and problems that arose during 2003 were blamed on culture, leading to a disinvestment in culture by the newly elected local government. An auction of props and scenery at the end of 2003 was meant to benefit emerging artists. Instead, the 100,000 Euros raised went to the council to help pay off the debt.

One person I spoke to regrets that the council and politicians were not more courageous. They took the easy option of investing money in large scale ‘impressive’ buildings and photogenic large events (cf. Thessaloniki). Instead they should have invested in the small and medium arts organisations and theatre companies and into developing and strengthening the arts infrastructure.

During 2004 and 2005, when the ageing artists (thirty to forty-somethings) had exhausted themselves, there was an uprising of young artists, a subculture (that had had no connection with 2003) who began to make new and exciting work. This was not planned for but it breathed new life into the arts and is something that I felt excited about, that we can actually prepare for this in Liverpool - after all, it’s one of the things we do best. We just need to make sure there is investment and there is a commitment from funding partners and politicians.

It is agreed by all, that the professionalism of all the small to medium organisations was aided by 2003, but not necessarily artistically. Few felt that the quality of production had improved, and this is regrettable as this was a golden opportunity for arts organisations to increase their levels of artistic quality. But all felt that improvements had been made in evaluating projects, financial accounting, managing larger projects, marketing and liaising with the press. All important of course…

Just wait until they discover risk assessments…

As I step up onto my Health & Safety soap box, I recall the evening at Theater am Ortweinplatz’s production of “Kabale und Liebe”. The theatre was full. Once all the seats were filled, the front of house staff brought out extra chairs and put them in the aisles. Once all the spare chairs had run out, people sat on the steps of the seating block. Everyone got in, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the play and no-one died. This time…

After the ‘hangover’ things have finally begun to improve. I was encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm of all the arts organisations and artists, who understood that after 2003, things were going to take a dip. It would seem things are back to what they were around 2001/2002.

Graz helped me focus on what Liverpool’s future strategy should be. We need to give the ‘legacy’ some substance and we can do this through the collective work of LARC (Liverpool’s Big 8 cultural organisations - the building based ones)and SMAC. We have a direct route into the Cultural Strategy. We have a voice. No doubt we will be heard, but it’’s more important that we’re listened to.

The advice given from the artistic community here was that Liverpool should invest in its future generation of theatre makers and artists, it should focus on 2009 and beyond and concentrate its effort on developing a cultural strategy that invests in the future of creativity in the city, and that there should be investment in the small and medium sized sector on an equal level to the larger organisations. I’m looking forward to feeding this information into the strategy. But I can wait. The journey’s not over yet…

On my last day in Graz, I heard the news of another shake up at Liverpool Culture Company that Phil Redmond has become Artistic Adviser to the 2008 programme and that the leader of the council, Warren Bradley has been appointed Vice Chair of a greatly reduced board of directors. I hope things settle quickly and everyone gets on with the important business.

As I sent my thank you e-mails I recalled the two part question posed by Victoria Kaup-Hasler, Director of the International Theatre Festival here in Graz:

Culturally, where will Liverpool be in 2015? What will be its future archive?

The answer should not be, “only time will tell”. The answer(s) should be embedded in the cultural strategy. Let’s learn from others’ successes - and not make the same mistakes. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not rocket science.

After the 35 degrees heat of Thessaloniki, I arrived in Vienna at four in the morning and was welcomed by a torrential downpour. As we alighted the plane, we walked in the cold air, collected our suitcases and made our way out of the airport. I stayed in the newest hotel in Vienna. The shower was a design feature in the middle of the room. Dead posh!  

I arrived the same day as the Pope. He too stayed for three days. The service was screened live, as the rain poured down. Crowds assembled in Stephanplatz and watched on three or four big screens. Each time I visited the square over the next three days they were repeating it over and over. Clearly it was meaningful to those watching, and I respect this. But as a devout atheist, it means nothing to me.

I later learned that he was condemning abortion and encouraging people in Europe to have more babies. He should check out the statistics of teenage pregnancy, the number of abandoned babies and talk to some single mums and dads. No doubt the Vatican will continue to encourage unprotected sex and thereby contribute further to the increase in number of new cases of chlamydia, HIV and syphilis…

To lighter matters… With the exception of one day, the rain poured down and I walked the streets under a cold grey sky absorbing Vienna’s breathtaking architecture - the Opera House, Parliament, the theatres and museums. The mystic and soulful Cathedral, the centre point of the city, looms high above the ground, and its spire (clad in scaffolding at the moment) fades to the distance.

I took advantage of visiting Vienna en route to Graz. It is becoming an interesting (though) not essential feature of the research to visit the capital city in addition to the cultural capital.

Here I met with Andres Beck, Artistic Director of the Schauspielhaus, Vienna’s equivalent to the Royal Court, London. We met earlier in the year and he has assisted with some of my meetings in Graz. He helped contextualise Austria’s theatre structure. The Schauspielhaus is currently being renovated. The rain had caused problems with the electricity, so I only saw the auditorium vaguely from the balcony. Below was a cool empty silence, a darkened space stripped of its seats. I hope to return to Vienna to see the theatre with lights and to see some of the work of Austria’s emerging writers.

Oh, Vienna…

Greece’s second city was the 1997 Cultural Capital of Europe. I’d heard that the year was remembered for U2, the renovation of large buildings and some questions over where the money went. Some described Thessaloniki 2007 and the years that followed as a “sad story”.

Whilst mistakes were made and opportunities were missed, the year had a positive energy and left a legacy for the city that is still evident today. The legacy was not planned. There was no thought given to what would follow 1997. Local politicians, artists, arts organisations and the government thought only of 1997. A cultural strategy was not even considered and there was no development of the artistic infrastructure.

I was met with enthusiasm from local artists, arts managers and producers about the research I am doing, and how it will inform Liverpool’s future. On describing Liverpool’s arts infrastructure, its programme in the lead up to, and during 2008, its current investment in local emerging artists, I was told that this is now, only something that the artistic community of Thessaloniki can dream of.

There was also no creative or strategic plan in Thessaloniki to renovate the buildings that were chosen, which is why the city ended up with three National Theatre proscenium arch stages (capacity of 700). The need for a state of the art, small to medium scale (150/ 250 seat venue) was overlooked. Having three theatres to fill provides the National Theatre with programming problems and having no adaptable smaller space limits the production of innovative and cutting edge work.

The Organisation of the Cultural Capital of Thessaloniki 1997 (the equivalent to the Liverpool Culture Company) had problems in retaining an artistic director. There were four appointed one after the other. It would seem that the first three left because the artistic programme was ‘never good enough’ and/or the pressure became too much.

There was infighting between the political parties over the finances and this often got in the way of this one-off opportunity that the city had. This was, after all the first time that culture had been invested in in the city. one of the failings of the programme, which I was told repeatedly, was that there was no education programme, no workshops led by visiting artists.

Everyone I spoke to was enthusiastic about the year. They saw it as a golden opportunity to raise the profile of the city and to enter the international arena. It was also an opportunity to introduce new and exciting artistic experiences for local artists, organisations and the public. It also introduced new concepts and ideas. It opened people’s eyes to what could be and encouraged artistic excellence locally.

Ten years on, there has been significant progress in the cultural infrastructure. New organisations emerged and have a healthy existence today (the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Photographic Museum). But there was not enough investment in individual artists or the small to medium sector or in developing an infrastructure that would continue the enthusiasm generated by 1997.

An independent journalist and the PR Director for the Thessaloniki Biennale, Yorta Sotiropoulou told me that contemporary art was never seen before in Thessaloniki; that without 1997, the Bienalle would never have existed (www.thessalonikibiennale.gr). Some of the international theatre companies that visited also provided an artistic inspiration for local artists and their work continued to be influenced by what they’d seen for around five years or so.

I was also told that the city had never experienced a concert on the scale of U2, and that when the band came to town, there was an excitement that the whole city shared. It was a momentous occasion - “a miracle for us”. It’s something that we take too much for granted in other parts of Europe. We should have more respect and appreciation for art and culture of all types, and not dismiss it because of personal taste. Certainly it should be of high quality, but it is a concern when personal taste affects programming, or even worse, funding.

I had great pleasure in meeting people who’d been in the city prior to, during and after 1997. Some believe that the work produced locally has recently become mediocre and audiences are accepting of this, but the same people and others are optimistic about the city’s future, artistically, and are hoping that there is something around the corner that will reinvigorate the arts….

Perhaps it is the Biennale which is a world class festival and is focussing the spotlight back on Thessaloniki. Perhaps it is the continued efforts of Nikiforos Papandreou, the director of the Piramatiki Skini Texnis (Experimental Art Scene), who continues to produce and promote experimental work. Perhaps it is the passion exuded by Eleni Papazoglou, a professor at the university, who has her finger on the pulse of what is happening with the emerging artists in the city and has aspirations for strengthening links internationally. Or maybe it is the international collaborations led by Iphigenia Taxopolov at the National Theatre that project the city into the international theatre arena (www.ntng.gr).

I was enthused by positivity and feel think that I’ll return professionally to Thessaloniki. There is something about the city and its artistic energy that fits with Hope Street’s international artistic work. The starting point for this might be a collaboration with an actor and director working both at the National Theatre and on the independent scene, Yannis Paraskevopoulos, who is keen to work on future projects with us. Perhaps Hope Street can be part of the city’s reinvigoration.

There may be sad elements in Thessaloniki’s story since 1997, but this is is an amazing country, a world leader when it comes to culture. Greece gave us the Olympics, Sophocles, Aristophanes and the spectacular amphitheatres. It’s also the originator and birthplace of European Capital of Culture, Athens being the first in 1985. It also provided us with the unforgettable 2006 Eurovision Song Contest winner.

Other cultural highlights….? Well, the food… I had the most fantastic grilled octopus ever. not the scrawny tentacles that you get on Skiathos, Lesbos or Zakynthos, but thick and chunky whoppers, and so tender. Calamari baked in the oven and Aubergine Salad went down an absolute treat with the Ouzo.

The weather….? On the days it was sunny, I was inside. And on the day I had off, it rained! I did manage to grab three hours of sun one afternoon. My hotel had no balcony, but if I placed myself strategically on the floor, just inside the full length windows, I could sunbathe inside the room, with the sun streaming in. Who cared what the neighbours opposite thought…? It was only later I realised it was the police headquarters.

And did the teacher I met earlier in the year provide an accurate description of what to expect when I visited? Certainly I experienced the impact he promised, and the energy definitely exceeded my expectation.

I arrived with my three co-passengers and three flight crew in the Capital of Culture 2007, (sharing the title with Luxembourg). My vanity got the better of me. I was terrified that I’d die in this tiny plane. I thought how awful it would be to crash, with only two other passengers and three crew. Would it be reported on the news? Would anybody notice the disappearance of a piddly little plane like this?

A city in the centre of Romania with a population of 155,000, Sibiu’s story of economic growth in the last five years is astonishing. Five new hotels are being built, the streets have been transformed, the tourists visiting the city this year have almost trebled in number and there are new international businesses moving in almost weekly. Many claim this is wholly down to the city’s status as Capital of Culture. There are few concerns that the growth will cease after 2007. It would appear that this city will be Romania’s foremost tourist destination in the future.

I don’t have the key to the secret of Sibiu’s success, but during my six-day stay I met many of the organisations working in the creative industries. I was hosted by the small but superb team in the Coordinating Office for Sibiu 2007 (www.sibiu2007.ro), equivalent to Liverpool Culture Company, in terms of their role. I initially contacted the office via Cosmin Manulescu, Director of DCM Dance and director of the Sibiu Dans Festival. I was a delegate of the festival and as such saw all the performances during my stay by choreographers and companies from France, Spain, Belgium, Estonia, England, Holland, Romania and Italy.

When I contacted the Office’s Project Director, Stella Matioc in December last year, she offered help in setting up meetings with local organisations and offered a volunteer to assist me. She lived up to this promise and thanks to the Volunteers Coordinator, Lavinia Alexe my access to the arts and cultural producers in the city was easy.

All organisations are playing a role in the year, have received additional funding to deliver extra programmes or festivals. I met with Ioan Bojin, the Director of Thalia Hall, the Philharmonic Hall which is programming twice the number of concerts this year than usual and is welcoming twice the number of audiences. Whilst their funding was increased significantly, it was not doubled and the organisation is running the programme with the same number of staff. Mr Bojin states that they see this year as a fantastic opportunity and are happy to work at an increased rate to deliver the world class programme. Walking around the Hall (newly refurbished due to Capital of Culture), during the Stuttgart Orchestra’s rehearsal was a bonus. Mr Bojin is confident that Thalia Hall will continue to attract international and national audiences in the future and claims to have no concerns about the prosperity of the hall in the forthcoming years.

Smaller organisations also received additional funding but do have some concerns about the future. I met with several: briefly with Liliana Salchnu, director of the Gong Theatre (receiving venue for a varied programme of touring show and producer of children’s and puppet theatre). The theatre was also renovated thanks to Capital of Culture; Dumitru Budrala and Csilla Kató of Astra Film Studio which is screening a different documentary film on each day of the year; and Professor Corneliu Bucur, director of the Astra Open Air Museum which specialises in the anthropological history of the region and as such is important for local people.

My visit of arts organisations concluded with a meeting with the Artistic Director of the National Theatre - Radu Stanca, Mr Constantin Chiriac, a truly inspirational figure who made my jaw drop with his achievements, and those of the city. He is the Vice President of Sibiu 2007 and it was he who drove forward the idea and bid for Sibiu to be Capital of Culture. The International Theatre Festival is the third largest in the world. Initiated by Mr Chiriac in 1993, it presented 8 shows and hosted 3 international countries. More recently it has presented 328 shows in 42 locations by 72 countries over 11 days involving 1,000 employees and 400 volunteers. I can’t conceive of this happening in the UK. Edinburgh is much bigger of course, but does it boast the quality of this festival? If you have money, you can play Edinburgh. It is a commercial festival. That doesn’t always equate to quality.

I was chaperoned by Stefania, a young woman of 17 years, highly intelligent and astute. She attended all of my meetings and made considered observations about each of them. I introduced her to the European Youth Parliament. I think she’ll make a perfect candidate and, in the not so distant future will do things in Romania that will contribute to its increasingly swift development. If there are others like Stefania, Romania will have a prosperous future.

The Organising Office of Sibiu 2007 employs around 15 people. I met with several members of the team: Rares Craiut, one of the programming team and Silviu Scrob, the Technical Director, responsible for all technical aspect of the year, including the International Theatre Festival. He is self taught - there is no technical training in Romania. He was preparing for one of the year’s highlights: Jethro Tull. The other musical highlights of the year have been Chris Norman of 70s band Smokie and Julio Iglesias.

Speaking of music… (Glenn Noble, skip this section!) Because Romania had no access to the ever changing face of music until the early 90s, it is less discerning of what’s “in” and “out”. They missed the glam of the 70s and camp of the 80s (not a bad thing, some of you say). Here, there is now EuroDisco from those halcyon days played everywhere. My ears thought they’d gone to bpm heaven as they absorbed fabulous music from Modern Talking, Baccara, Sandra, Bad Boys Blue and Fancy…. And speaking of which….

Thanks to a cancelled meeting, I came face to face with a face that I recognised from the dozens of CD booklets, 12” singles covers, LP sleeves I have… It was my musical hero, the King of EuroDisco, Fancy!!! He was so charming, so polite, told me his reason for visiting Sibiu and that he’d like to come to Liverpool when it’s Capital of Culture. There’ll be some wondering who Fancy is… He never broke into the mainstream in the UK, but was played in the clubs. Whilst you listened to Kylie & Jason, Simply Red and The Smiths in the 80s and the Spice Girls, REM and BritPop in the 90s, the rest of Europe (and me) were listening to brilliant songs from across the continent.

Fancy is greatest of them all. One of his songs was Number 1 in Spain for 6 months. As a taster, visit the website for some audio clips. (www.fancy-online.net/flash/). Patrick Dineen, you’ll love him!

I thought of Sibiu as probably the largest split-site ‘creation centre’ in the world. It has firmly embedded culture into the fabric of the city. Being Capital of Culture is huge for the city. It has opened minds and eyes and has moved the city on significantly. It has a strong and committed number of arts managers who are ensuring the work they produce continues. It also has a city council, mayor and government committed to ensuring that culture is a driver in the city’s economic growth. I wish the city every success and recommend it as a place to visit.

I had to go to Bucharest to get a connecting flight to Sibiu. I could’ve done the journey in a day, but I was intrigued to see the capital, so I spent four days there.

I’d imagined it to be similar to Prague and Budapest: an architecturally beautiful city that had, following the changes between 1989 and 1991, developed as a tourist centre. It has the architectural beauty but it is not a city that attracts many tourists. I imagine that if low cost airlines continue to move in, it soon will. Though it has buildings and places of beauty (Parliament Palace, Piata Victoriei, Lipscan, Herástrau Park) and fascinating museums (Satulul Museum, the Museum of Romania), it doesn’t appear to have a cafe culture or bar culture that will be one of the keys to its tourism success.

What do I know?

I was encouraged to see Sibiu promoted here in the form of posters advertising events, festival and performances. There are also banners with the Sibiu 2007 logo, and in the book stores there are numerous books about the city. A visit to the Ministry of Culture confirmed the country’s pride in Sibiu as Capital of Culture.

I hope that London will raise Liverpool’s profile next year in similar ways, but I felt a tinge of doubt. I figure it will be so absorbed in 2012 that Liverpool 2008 will not be well promoted. I hope I’m wrong. And actually, I do have confidence that the Culture Company will make every effort to ensure our profile is raised outside of the city.

It’s outside the city that the banners, posters and 08 logos need to be, not in Liverpool. We who live and work there, know that it is Capital of Culture next year…

My time in Bucharest was a useful precursor to my visit to Sibiu. I talked with numerous people about the city; what their awareness was, their views about its status as Capital of Culture. Responses varied from lack of awareness of what was happening during the year, to intense enthusiasm; that it is positive for the city and for Romania. One person I met, an international transaction manager for a tyre company, a native of Sibiu, told me that Capital of Culture is “like a gift from heaven”, that for the first five years after the changes in 1989, nothing changed in Sibiu, but now it has been transformed because of 2007. He felt some anxiety about the future and stressed that it is essential that Sibiu’s development does not cease.

I spent two full days absorbing the history, vibrancy of the city and sights whilst walking around in temperatures of 35-40 degrees. Getting around on foot and by metro is easy. Taxis are cheap - around 25p per kilometre. But if you visit, watch out for Auto Taxis who charge around £2 per kilometre. On arriving in the city I unknowingly got one of these, went on a tour of the city en route to my hotel (not requested) and was charged £14 for a fare that cost me £1 the following day when I used a reputable company. Humph…

I’d recommend Bucharest for a short break. The cuisine is fantastic, the Bilberry Brandy, delicious, the climate is perfect (if you like it hot) and the architecture is stunning and its history important. Don’t come for a pair of Levi’s or Lee Cooper’s, though. In the sale they were around £45, reduced from £90…