Ostrava 2015

The motto for the Ostrava 2015 project is A place for a happy life. That means a place we’d gladly stay, or to which we’d happily return, a place we’re loyal to – even in times of crisis.

Hrádeček, August 2009

Ostrava, always too far away from the capital, became an original genius loci whose need to rely mainly upon itself served as its foundation. It remains a synonym for heavy industry and coal, not as a centre of culture and education. But one-time disadvantages bring new hope for the revitalization of places that until now have resisted social engineering, collectivization, and the pressures of globalization. For these reasons, I welcome and support Ostrava’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2015 as an effort to recognize, appreciate, and develop even the less conspicuous beauty of our country and our cities.

Václav Havel for the candidacy of Ostrava

From the principles of the Ostrava 2015 projecT

Realistic idealism // Staking out idealistic goals and at the same time a pragmatic path to reaching them. All activities of the Ostrava 2015 project are aimed at long-term development of the cultural life of the city. The candidacy project has become the common interest of all relevant forces in the city and the entire region. Its inception is the result of the collaborative efforts of the city of Ostrava, the Moravia-Silesia Region and private parties — especially the company Vítkovice a.s.

European dimension // All activities and events in the Ostrava 2015 project have a European dimension. In terms of content, they directly relate to themes that are relevant in Europe today; they focus on essential questions confronting Europe now and in the near future.

Large and small truths // In addition to exceptional and grand cultural projects, we are emphasizing the culture of daily life. In programming terms, “big” projects will always stand side by side with “small” projects.

Moderation // The principle of moderation applies not only to all buildings but also to all cultural events. An emphasis is placed on the attainability of goals, which can be readjusted for a minimal (in the case of a deepening economic crisis) as well as a more expansive version.

Not only for Ostrava // Ostrava serves as the centre of a wider region that includes part of Poland and Slovakia. Therefore, all aspects of the Ostrava 2015 project take into account this wider dimension. The entire project is intended for a large number of people. The majority of events will promote cultural tourism not only from the region but also from other European countries.

Four key components of the Ostrava 2015 project

I. Buildings

The main investment activity of the Ostrava 2015 project is the development of the Black Meadow Cluster: (Klastr Černá Louka): a cultural district with well-balanced social, sociological and ecological dimensions. So-called cultural clusters have become a dynamic concept in the development of urban cultural environments in Europe today. Within the context of the cluster, Ostrava not only will build lacking cultural infrastructure (a concert hall, a Kunsthalle or municipal gallery, a music pavilion) but it will also offer Europe a “model” city district that will include schools (from preschool to university level), housing and green space. The synergistic expansion of the city centre is conceived as a place for daily life in 21st-century Ostrava, but also as an attractive new symbol of the city that will become a strong revitalizing element for the tourism industry. Among other construction projects are a project for the accessibility and new use of the national cultural monument of the Hlubina Mine, blast furnaces and coking plant of the Vítkovice Ironworks (the so-called Lower Area of Vítkovice). Planned structures also include a new building for a regional gallery in Ostrava and THE FACTORY (TOVÁRNA) – a cultural centre for the young generation.

II. Cultural programme

PERPETUUM MOBILE
A network of events called Perpetuum Mobile is an instrument for juxtaposing and linking the activities of cultural institutions in Ostrava with Europe. The Perpetuum Mobile appeal was taken up by seventy cultural bodies in Ostrava (government-funded organizations, public-service media, daily newspapers, private television stations, cultural centres, festival and event organizers, artists …). All of them will create an extraordinary production for the Ostrava 2015 project that will have a European dimension and which will enable the institutions and creative personalities to representationally present themselves to the public. Further, they will invite European institutions of a similar character – their European “friends”, “fellow-travellers”, “models”. They will present them in Ostrava and organize a joint project with this European institution. The selected institutions will in turn present their project elsewhere in Europe. Perpetuum Mobile, in effect since the preparatory phase of the Ostrava 2015 project, is helping cultural bodies to cross over to a contemporary European context. This instrument is also helping to initiate a useful and stratified self-reflection among cultural institutions in Ostrava within a pan-European context.

OFFICIAL 2015 PROGRAMMES
For the purpose of planning the cultural programme, a dramaturgy centre will be established with ten curators – renowned personalities from the Czech Republic and abroad. The curators will create their own special programmes in accordance with the principles and the overall conception of the Ostrava 2015 project. They will also cooperate with local institutions as part of the “Perpetuum Mobile” project.

Programming sections
Art in public space Children’s and family programmes
Music
Fine art
Theatre and dance
Audiovisual
Literature
Architecture and design
Museums and cultural heritage
Religion and faith

III. Education: Arts management

in order to support and foster higher professionalism in the cultural and creative industries, Ostrava 2015 is initiating a wide-ranging educational programme in the area of arts management. In the first phase (2010–2015), a series of seminars and training sessions will take place in organizations and schools aimed at conceptualizing and realizing mostly international cultural projects fulfilling criteria of European Union programs.
The city of Ostrava is supporting the establishment of a department of arts management at one of Ostrava’s universities until the year 2015. Graduates of this program will be able to apply their skills as gallery personnel, museum directors, curators, agents and other professionals in the area of arts marketing. The goal of this program is to strengthen the managerial capabilities of culture professionals and to thereby raise the quality of cultural projects in the future.

IV. Quality of life

The fourth key component of the Ostrava 2015 project is a programme to improve the quality of life in the city. In the past twenty years the situation in Ostrava has improved markedly, however it still is not satisfactory. The biggest problem is presented by the air quality.
The city therefore has undertaken a range of measures: Several can be put into action immediately, while others will require a long-term process.

• The city of Ostrava will apply continual pressure on legislative measures.
• It is commissioning a study of solutions to similar situations in industrial cities in Europe.
• Through the support of industrial zones, regeneration of old industrial complexes and new technology, the city will speed up its transition from old industry to manufacturing, which is in accordance with regulations for the protection of the environment.
• The city will put continual pressure leading towards responsible behaviour on the part of the biggest polluters.
• As part of the planned changes to the zoning plan, there will be new, more functional understanding of the zoning system for ecological stability.

Ostrava advanced to the second selection round along with Pilsen. The definitive decision about which city earns the title of European Capital of Culture will be known 8 September 2010.

You can become more familiar with the details of the Ostrava 2015 project in the application, which can be found here.

The make-up of the preparatory team for the Ostrava 2015 project can be viewed here.