The European Soul of Aveiro
by José Agostinho Ribau Esteves
Aveiro — City of Canals, Earth with Horizo — is first and foremost a unique territory. It was built in permanent dialogue with the natural elements, the Ria and the Sea, resulting in unique ways of being and experiences that together form the Aveirense soul.
Due to this condition, it was and continues to be an inclusive and open space to the world, a meeting point for cultures, exchange of knowledge and sharing of new ideas. These are evidenced by its participatory society, its scientific and academic community based at the University of Aveiro, the most innovative enterprises, its artistic and cultural sphere.
The candidacy of Aveiro to become the European Capital of Culture reflects, first, the desire to reinforce its commitment to the implementation of public policies that favor the qualification of cultural offer, the increase of cultural practices and consumptions, the anchoring of new artistic and creative agentes and players, therefore the reinforcement of Aveiro’s position in the national and European context.
At the same time, and because we believe that culture can be a factor of social transformation, we understand that this candidacy can also be an instrument for promoting active citizenship, social inclusion and intercultural dialogue, a driver for economic development, job creation and improving the quality of life of citizens
Being part of a project such as the European Capital of Culture makes it possible to consolidate these values which are at the origin of the European project by favoring the construction of a more sustainable territory, where the fight against social exclusion and discrimination, the promotion of scientific and technological progress, solidarity between countries and respect for Europe’s great cultural and linguistic diversity are fundamental principles.
Facing key societal challenges in Europe today, we believe that the cultural and creative sectors play a major role, for its growing contribution to job and wealth creation or for the wide range of positive externalities they produce.
The fact that Portugal welcomed the European Capital of Culture in 2027, makes it possible to materialize Aveiro’s ambition and to generate a collective dynamic of participation and empowerment of the cultural system that would otherwise be unviable or longer.
It also reinforces the sense of belonging to a historical and civilizational legacy that indelibly marks our most rooted traditions, beliefs and customs, based on intercultural dialogue and openness to the world, in a spirit of tolerance and respect that we want to continue building.
The application process for the European Capital of Culture involves extensive and in-depth research, reflection, planning, involvement and strategic and operational convergence between the municipality and other institutions, who take part in a cultural, artistic, educational and scientific system, businesses and the voluntary sector, a wide range of local, regional, national and international stakeholders. A process that began in 2017 and extends at least until 2030.
For this reason, it is our understanding that a project of this nature should result from an integrated vision that combines a consistent cultural strategy with policies of urban regeneration, environmental sustainability, social inclusion and a strong connection between Technology, Culture and Environment.
This vision of the territory is reflected in our Municipal Master Plan, a document that underwent a thorough review with the aim of bringing together and connecting a set of sectoral public policies, which are now developing in an articulated manner and in accordance with global planning. Under this action Plan, we highlight four projects essential to the structuring our application:
- The Strategic Development Plan of the City of Aveiro [PEDUCA] which establishes the strategy of intervention in the components of urban regeneration, sustainable urban mobility and intervention in disadvantaged communities;
- The Aveiro Municipality Educational Charter that establishes the municipal strategy for the area of education, defining the main strategic guidelines for the next ten years;
- Aveiro Tech City that uses technology as a means to improve the quality of life of all citizens, transforming the city into a living laboratory and contributing to the collection and sharing of information relevant to the governance of the territory, such as mobility, education, the culture and the environment,
- The Strategic Plan for Culture, which brings together a reflection on the local cultural system, identifying its challenges and opportunities, a vision for the future, a set of strategic objectives, lines of action and intervention programs, and the implementation model.
In this Strategic Plan for Culture, 12 + 1 programs were generated, to be implemented in the territory through a broad and detailed set of actions that range from increasing cultural participation, specifically to communities that do not have a regular relationship with artistic and cultural practices, the qualification of the agents that integrate the value chain of the cultural and creative sector, the development of a cultural and creative equipment plan integrated in the urban regeneration process.
This + 1 program that we add to the 12 programs already mentioned is our 2027 European Capital of Culture Candidacy.
The public announcement of the application took place on June 15th 2019, after its approval by the Territory Management Executive Body (City Hall) in the same month, at an event organized in the small and peripheral parish of Aveiro, São Jacinto. The chosen location — Infantry Regiment 10 — is a military base recognized for its role in defending European values in the world since World War I. In this place where military devices for the defense of Europe were once built, we saw the launch of our project and through it, our contribution to defending the idea and identity of Europe through the participation of a cultural project.
It is in this scenario of ambitious challenges, characteristic of the current social, economic and political context, at national and international level, that Aveiro intends to position itself as a relevant and purposeful actor, demonstrating to the world that Culture can today be the best weapon for european values.
José Agostinho Ribau Esteves, born in Luanda on the 21st October 1966, graduated in Zootechnical Engineering in the University of Trás-os-Montes-Alto-Douro/Vila Real, from 1985 to 1990, having served as Commercial Director of Purina Portugal between 1991 to 1997.
He was Councillor in the Municipality of Ílhavo from 1990 to 1993, having assumed the presidency of the municipality from 1998 to 2013, elected by the Social Democrat Party (where he was Secretary General from October 2007 to June 2008). He was also President of the Ocean XXI Association (managing entity of the Cluster of Knowledge and Economy of the Sea).
Presently presides the Municipality of Aveiro and the Intermunicipal Council of the Aveiro Region Community, he also has other executive roles, as Vice-President of the ANMP — National Association of Portuguese Municipalities, Governing Board and Member of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union.
