28/08/2026
Dr Beatriz Garcia, an international expert on the legacy of major cultural projects such as the ECoC and the Cultural Olympiad, believes the European dimension to be the weakest link in ECoC bids. Among the more than 70 cities that have held the ECoC title to date, she highlights Évora 2027, Liverpool 2008, and Nova Gorica and Gorizia 2025 as particularly good examples of delivering the European dimension.
Due to specific management and funding arrangements, European dimension can usually fade into the background under the weight of local interests during the programme’s implementation. Garcia, on the other hand, believes that the residents and leaders of an ECoC city should accept the fact that Europe lies within them.
She points out that Brussels, with its bureaucratic language, often fails to express the spirit of Europe adequately. On the contrary, it is best embodied by cities on Europe’s borders, which build it through their relationships with neighbouring communities.
Read the whole article here: beatrizgarcia.net
