EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
#ecoc #Kernow2023 : BID FOR TRURO-CORNWALL
(just to be clear; this is not any sort of officially-sanctioned information — this is Will Coleman having a personal-point-of-view rant!)
1. Eh? Woss a ‘European Capital of Culture’? Woss #ecoc #Kernow2023?
Happens every year my lovelies; Council of Europe choose 2 European countries to share the Capital of Culture title — in 2023 those countries will be Hungary and the UK — that decision is already made. Both states will put forward a number of cities and in 2018, one entry from Hungary and one entry from the UK will be selected to win the title.
Here’s a short brochure about it: http://tinyurl.com/jf8cuhz
We at Golden Tree were lucky enough to be a small part of the Euro Capital of Culture 2016 in Donostia, Basque Country. It was brilliant! Don’t’ believe us? Have a geek at this 10 min film: https://vimeo.com/196403431
2. What would #ecoc #Kernow2023 look like?
Think Man Engine but even bigger, even better and even more in-yer-face — the Man Engine took just one year to cook-up (reached 112 Million people world wide and brought in more then 3 Million quid over 10 days), this time we’ve got six years to plan and deliver! In 2023 there will be a year-long programme of incredible events from the Tamar to Land’s End, showcasing our brilliant cultural heritage, to the World.
3. What’s the Point of #ecoc ???
Every single Euro Culture Cap city/region over the last 25 years have been delighted with the huge economic and social impacts. The rough outline suggests that Cornwall’s economy could be boosted by £100M and it could create 2000 jobs.
Oh, and then there’s the minor detail that Culture adds Quality to Life — think Man Engine again; think self-belief, think respect for our identity and culture, think Cornish Voices being heard on the World stage; when it’s done well Culture makes us feel glad to be US (and you can’t put a price on that).
4. What about BREXIT? Surely the EU aren’t going to play #ecoc ball if the UK leaves?
You don’t have to be in the EU to qualify: here are three non-EU past #ecoc for starters: Reykjavik, Iceland in 2000; Stavanger, Norway in 2008 and Istanbul, Turkey in 2010. Also, our own UK Government have just gone ahead and confirmed their role in the competition (when it could have chosen not to) and so central UK Government is committed to being a part of it. There will be a European Capital of Culture in the UK in 2023 — might as well be Kernow my lovelies.
5. So, how come the #ecoc bid is only about Trura?
It is not. The bid has always been about the whole of Cornwall. Years back, Cornwall campaigned long and hard for ‘regions’ to be allowed in the E-CultureCap competition. As a result the award can now be given to a city and to its wider region. Recent examples have been Marseille representing Provence, Essen representing the Ruhr and coming up in 2018 will be Leeuwarden representing the region of Friesland. #Kernow2023 — Tamar to Land’s End; One and All!
6. But Truro is a such a small city; how can it compete with much bigger cities for #ecoc?
Yes, Truro is small — just like the smallest city previously awarded the title had 25,000 residents, so we are not an exception. Our bid will include all of Cornwall so we can achieve a much larger scale (550,000 residents plus 6 million visitors). True, we ent no ordinary-shaped city and our bid will certainly look very different to those up-the-line urban bids. Our Difference has always been our strength! The groundwork and preparations for our bid have been going on for 10 years — loads of work has already been done; the UK No 1 Arts University, Tate St Ives, Kresen Kernow and the redevelopment of Hall for Cornwall are all projects we’ve completed or are underway.
7. Who are we up against for #ecoc 2023?
The 2023 award will go to a UK bid. Milton Keynes, Leeds and Dundee are the declared competition so far. C’mon my lovelies; each of those places may be bigger than us but better and braver? No way; do they have their own indigenous language, history and heritage? Do they have the Minack Theatre, Eden Project, Tate St Ives, Kneehigh Theatre, Charles Causley, Leach Pottery, Wild Works … Here in Kernow we have 100+ cracking community festivals and the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site in the UK. Cornwall’s international place slap bang at the centre of a myriad of global networks goes all the way back in our history: Celtic saints to Ireland and Brittany; Falmouth Packet Ships to India and Ecuador; Mining Diaspora to Mexico and Australia. It is time for Kernow to shine!
8. #ecoc #Kernow2023 — we got as much chance as ‘a three-legged donkey winning the Grand National’!
Yes, that’s one way of looking at it– but then, if you think that way, then I guess you weren’t at Twickenham in 1991? We were 16 points to 3 down with 20 mins to go — it takes unique, stubborn Cornish determination to create a glorious victory from such a hopeless dead-end! Yup; Cornwall has always been a bit of an unusual, three-legged donkey and we are proud of it!
What’s more , you don’t have to actually win the Grand National to get the prize; ask the folks in Brighton or Manchester who say that the increased attention, increased investment and long term benefits they got from the process of applying was worth every penny (even though they eventually lost out to Liverpool)!
Of all the improbable reasons not to bid, lack of belief in Cornish culture, Cornish ability and Cornish passion has to be the saddest of the lot.
9. Cornwall Council is spending our money on ‘vanity projects’ rather than toilets and social care!
I wonder which unpleasant, irresponsible broadcaster you’ve been listening to? Actually, Cornwall Council have explained that this money is coming from the Economic Development budget — it has to be spend on investment. Investing in our brilliant Cultural Industries is no different to investing in manufacturing, say, or fishing. If we said ‘Here’s £500k to invest in mining, which we reckon will make back £10M’ everyone would say ‘Right on; money well spent!’. Central Government has done a brilliant job of cutting more and more back whilst getting Local Government to pick up all the blame for reduced services. In the face of all that smoke and mirrors, the #ecoc bid is an example of our Local Government showing Vision and Bravery. This is investment in our future, and more importantly, our children’s future — Cornwall Council are to be resoundly applauded!
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10. But I heard that everyone in Cornwall is against #ecoc #Kernow2023!
On no they are not! Besides Cornwall Council there is massive and vocal support from the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, the Local Economic Partnership, Falmouth University and Exeter University, from Visit Cornwall, Kresen Kernow and the Hall for Cornwall, from Truro Cathedral, First Kernow and GWR, Cornwall Food and Drink, schools, colleges, businesses, restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels, theatre companies, museums — just about everybody with a drop of bravery and/or vision.
Instead of continuously putting Cornwall down, belittling Cornish efforts and deriding Cornish culture (like our 6 MPs and friends) how about we build Cornish self-belief, build Cornish confidence and build Cornish self reliance?
C’mon my bewdies; Dewgh War an Flour Onan hag Oll! One and All get on board the glorious 3-legged Cornish donkey! #ecoc #Kernow2023
