Aarhus 2017 meeting with the EU Panel

Wednesday, November 19. a delegation from Aarhus 2017 travels for Brussels. There, they present the vision and status of the Capital of Culture in front of a panel of experts in the EU. The panel consists among other of a former member of the Management in the Capitals of Culture Linz (2009) and Marseille (2012).

An excited Aarhus 2017 delegation will present the status of the European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 to the Monitoring and Advisory Panel in Brussels Wednesday afternoon. The delegation consists of Managing Director Rebecca Matthews, interim Programme Directors Carsten Holst and Ole Wolf and Regional Manager Lene Øster.

The primary focus of the presentation will be on programme, but there will also be accounted for budget, the organization's development since last year's informal meeting and the communications strategy.

The meeting with the Monitoring and Advisory Panel is a welcome opportunity to have the preliminary work v and get fresh input to the project by external experts. Simultaneously, it is also an opportunity to draw on the knowledge and great experience, the panel has from previous Capitals of Culture.

In total, there has been set aside an hour for the presentation from Aarhus 2017, followed by 75 minutes of questions from the panel. Aarhus 2017s colleagues from Pafos 2017 in Cyprus present in the morning, while Aarhus 2017 has been awarded the afternoon slot.

Both Pafos 2017 and Aarhus 2017 must attend a final formal monitoring meeting in early 2016. After this meeting, the Monitoring and Advisory Panel decides whether to nominate the two Capitals of Culture for the Melina Mercouri prize of 1.5 million Euro each.

The award is named after the late Greek singer and actress Melina Mercouri. She was the first female Minister of Culture in her home country of Greece and, together with French Minister of Culture Jack Lang, she was the brains behind the introduction of the first European Capital of Culture in 1985 (Athens).

The Monitoring and Advisory Panel consists of:
• Mr. Steve Green (United Kingdom) - extensive experience of international cultural relations and the role of culture and languages in society with EUNIC (European Network of National Cultural Institutes) and the British   Council.
• Dr. Ulrich Fuchs (Germany) - part of Management at European Capital of Culture Linz 2009 and Marseille 2012
• Mr. Jordi Pardo (Spain) - responsible for cultural projects in the field of international culture
• Mr. Norbert Riedl (Austria) - Head of Department for bi-and-multilateral cultural affairs at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture
• Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Vitouch (Austria) - representing the Commission for Culture and Education of the Committee of the Regions and a member of the Vienna City government
• Dr. Suzana Žilič Fišer (Slovenia) – former Head of ECoC 2012 in Maribor
• Mrs. Anu Kivilo (Estonia) - Managing Director of the International Arvo Pärt Centre