Rouen at the 10th Culture Next network’s gathering

For the 10th Culture Next network’s gathering, Rouen Seine Normande 2028 travelled to Belfast on the 14th and 15th of September. On the agenda: two days of conferences in order to refine our bid to the title of European Capital of Culture 2028.

Created in 2017; Culture Next network aims to help candidate cities to the European Capital of Culture’s title, whether they are selected, or not. Thanks to experience exchanges and methodology, the network aims to develop sustainably the heritage of candidate cities.

Several conferences animated by past members of the European Capital of Culture’s jury aim at creating a memo for the after 2027. The stated goal is to re-examine the selection’s criteria in order to put on the agenda contemporary preoccupations from our territories.

The association Rouen Seine Normande 2028 joined 31 cities from 19 European countries back in 2019. With a real reading of the candidacies’ dynamics, Rouen 2028 put on the agenda reflexions regarding the evaluation and the consolidation of our ‘Youth participation now’ network. How do these cities integrate the citizens, which place do they grant the youth and the public prevented in the conception of cultural and artistic projects?

These meetings are also the opportunity to create strong links with European actors and reaffirm our stake on the “Living”: how do we reconcile humans with their territories? How can we build bridges together in order to make Europe a reality, a common good we have to take care of? Which European cultural projects shall we build together, with 2028 as a horizon?

This is the stake of our candidacy as European Capital of Culture: develop concrete collaborations on contemporary stakes and create involvement on the long-run.