Creative cities become global cities

Programme Director Juliana Engberg is looking forward to presenting Aarhus 2017 to the world.

What can everyone look forward to from Aarhus 2017? What will the programme consist of? And how do you plan a year as a European Capital of Culture? In the following you can read Juliana Engberg’s answers to these questions.

“Our year of culture is an opportunity to show the world what we can imagine, create and generate, and to forge legacies that will move our culture forward,” she says.

What will Aarhus 2017 offer?
Aarhus 2017 aims to do several things: tell stories about Denmark’s history and beliefs; showcase Jutland’s diverse natural and cultural offering; and create iconic new performances and works of art. The programme will give residents and visitors the chance to celebrate and contemplate, and to challenge themselves through culture.

During the course of the year, we’ll provide a platform to examine what makes us quintessentially Danish. And we’ll ask whether these things – our customs, habits and approach to life – create a roadmap for our future as part of the European Community.

The programme has been developed following the input of 10,000 Aarhus citizens and organisations. It offers many of our cultural organisations a chance to rethink their limits, and their impressive work will be integrated into the programme.

How will the programme be structured?
Our year of culture will combine fun with a philosophical dimension, and will be filled with collective efforts – all at a very high artistic level.

Each month will feature a unique ‘celebration’, with flagship events, performances and/or exhibitions. It will also include dozens of smaller events and community projects, all with a grassroots cultural ethos. These smaller projects will be made by and for their communities, which means everyone has a stake in creating their own legacy.

We will also develop a series of major public forums – debates, discussions, lectures and conversations – to really get to the heart of what makes us Danish, and explore how we can rethink our future within the European Community.

What’s the most important aspect of being European Capital of Culture?
It’s often said that being a European Capital of Culture helps to stimulate business and tourism and build a prosperous future. That’s true, of course, and we can already see these effects in Aarhus: increased tourism, businesses moving to the region and an economic boost.

But in my view, the most important benefit is that being Capital of Culture raises the ambitions of a city – and its region. It encourages us to stand up and be noticed, and to become a creative city.

Creative cities value art, artists, and the energies that come with new arrivals. They encourage risk-taking and reward boldness. They celebrate diversity, prosper through creativity and build vibrant, creative communities.

Creative cities have strong identities. They’re surprising and energised places, where everyone can experience the joy of creativity, and the sense of wonder that imagination can inspire. Creative cities see new ideas, art-forms and media platforms constantly emerging. They forge strong links between the creative and commercial worlds, which foster innovation and boost economic growth. That’s how creative cities become global cities.

What about the international dimension? We’re opening our doors to the world. The programme includes many international artists and works, and we’ve encouraged Danish organisations to develop cultural networks and collaborations that build bridges between Denmark and the world. A great example of this is our fantastic theatrical event, Tree of Codes, which was co-commissioned with The Manchester International Festival and other international partners.

We’re also working closely with Pafos in Cyprus, our co-Capital of Culture for 2017, as well as the 2016 European Capitals of Culture (San Sebastian and Wroclaw), Leeuwarden 2018, and the UK’s City of Culture 2017, Hull.

Together, we’re bringing some of the world’s best artists to work in Denmark during 2017, and creating art which we hope will travel to other Capitals of Culture and beyond.

What’s the greatest challenge about being European Capital of Culture?
Possibly our biggest challenge is to help people understand that being European Capital of Culture is not just a festival. It’s more complex than that: deeper, broader and multifaceted in its structure, content and delivery.

And it has many different stakeholders, at local, national and international levels. People naturally think of cultural events as festivals, but this is something more spectacular, and at the same time more nuanced. It’s a unique happening.  

See overview of programme highlights