That historic decision has arrived. Last Thursday, in Brussels, Novi Sad was declared the European Capital of Culture in 2021! Novi Sad was a candidate of a country that is not from the European Community, and the two capitals of culture in 2021 from the EU are Timisoara and a city from Greece that will be chosen in November.
The European Capital of Culture is the largest project of the European Union in that area. In 1985, with the resolution of the EU Ministers of Culture, and at the suggestion of Melina Mercouri, the then Greek Minister of Culture, and her colleague from France, Jacques Lang, a project was launched with the aim of connecting people in Europe and increasing awareness of common history and values. Each year, two cities from the EU and one from outside the EU take home the title, based on criteria of richness and diversity, promoting mutual understanding and integration. The candidates are decided by an independent expert team, mostly made up of representatives of cities that have already been EPK. So far, more than 40 European cities have taken that title.
Immediately after the announcement of the victory, Mayor Miloš Vucevic said that it was good news not only for Novi Sad but for the entire country of Serbia. In a celebratory mood, expressing his gratitude for the support first of all to Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and the Government of Serbia, and then to the team that deserved the victory, Vučević also congratulated his friends from Herceg Novi, who was the opponent of Novi Sad in this competition, and on that occasion he pointed out: It's a little strange to me that people from Serbia worked to promote a city from another country, against a city from their own country, but well, it shows that we are not all the same and that we do not all look at the country in the same way." Asked to elaborate. who he was referring to, Vučević directed journalists to the Herceg Novi internet presentation, and then crossed out the word "candidate" on the Novi Sad promotional billboard as a sign that that status had been overcome. Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić also mentioned that public figures from Serbia lobbied for the opposing team, congratulating Novi Sad on the victory.
WHAT BROUGHT THE TITLE: Program concept of the "For new bridges" project, which refers to the development of the city's cultural and creative potential, standards, methods, principles and values; strengthening the cultural vitality of the city, urban regeneration, improving the international reputation and tourist offer of the city already known for the EXIT festival. In the Culture Development Strategy, a document that was returned from Brussels last year for revision (and yet a new one was written), sustainable cultural development is based on the strengthening of cultural institutions, the restoration of cultural heritage, the strengthening of cultural participation, the development of creative industries, decentralization and intersectoral cooperation.
WHAT AWAITS THE WINNER: Of the infrastructure investments, the first on the list is the Ballet and Music School with a hall for concerts and performances, the construction of which has already caused problems for the residents there. Not only because of the future school, the landscaped green area was occupied, so the children were left without a place to play, but also because the "percussive" night work of construction machines disturbs the peaceful sleep of Liman residents and the city's decision on public order and peace.
In the part of the city known as Chinatown, there will be a creative space for young people, which is why the reconstruction and revitalization of the former "Petar Drapšin" factory are planned. Mini-urban spaces will be arranged in all parts of the city so that culture is accessible to all residents of Novi Sad.
Novi Sad planned a budget of 2021 million euros for the "European Capital of Culture 30" project. A little more than half, 16-17 million, is provided from the city budget, the rest from EU funds and the participation of private companies. Mayor Miloš Vučević says that great economic effects are expected, significant economic investments from abroad, a strong increase in tourism, which is also an opportunity for private initiatives. And yet, he said, "the biggest impression is the feeling of satisfaction of the citizens to live in the European capital of culture." And that is something that cannot be measured in the budget, in money, it is the feeling that you are proud of your city, the feeling that we want to call our neighbor in the morning, to give up the place to grandma and grandpa on the bus, it is a matter of decency to park the car on one place and not to occupy two, it is a way of life not to throw garbage outside the bins and containers and to protect our city. That feeling will pervade our work, not only in the next five years. We want to raise the ladder high, so that no one can lower it."
COMMENTS: The President of the Organizing Committee, Nemanja Milenković, says that getting the title is a fantastic success that was worked on by a team of people from two previous convocations - the one led by Andrej Bursać, the city's Minister of Culture during the time of the Democrats, and the one led by Andrej Fajgelj, the director of the City's Cultural Center (Third Serbia ) in the previous coalition city government, and part of EXIT's team.
Cultural theorist Goran Tomka says that like any good news, the title also means responsibility: "The responsibility itself is already good news." We can be proud and say that we have something special, specific and we work with great responsibility to justify that we are the European capital of culture." Commenting on the application, Tomka emphasizes that it shows orientation towards various new tendencies, towards new views, but also some old ones, that there is diversity. "That variety carries the danger of dispersion, that the matter will dissolve, that there will be a little bit of everything, and nothing on one side. But it also carries the danger of starting everything a little bit and not doing anything to the end. This is a great opportunity for the city to step out of the model that there is a team responsible for this work. They are responsible, but we are all responsible, all cultural workers, all public institutions, all free creators, the people of Novi Sad, we are all responsible to make this the best it can be made, not only for the title, but for us first of all."
Asked if this means that culture in Novi Sad could be an integrative factor, Tomka emphasizes that he would like it to be so, including that "we sit at the same table even though we disagree. And that creates new creative tensions. Now culture is on the stage, now the cultural workers are five minutes five years old, which is the danger that if we don't do this job properly, the question is when will the next time the citizens say we want to give you 10 million euros to play with. The biggest challenge of all capitals of culture is how to make that elite position of culture democratic, that is, how to make culture the everyday life of all citizens, regardless of their education, where they live, what kind of history they have. That everyone has the opportunity to engage in cultural creativity."
One of the most fundamental, value-sensitive issues that will be open in the coming period is the redefinition of the identity of Novi Sad. The city has experienced turbulent demographic and cultural changes since the Second World War. There is less and less talk about a multicultural, multilingual and multiconfessional environment (community?!). And while the government and parties ideologically close to it, in an effort to redefine the city's identity, are reaching for an emblematic paradigm that is more than a century old: Novi Sad is Serbian Athens, one of the city's most recognizable urban brands, artist Slobodan Tišma hopes that this is a chance for Novi Sad to return the authenticity by which he was recognizable in Europe. Artists and activists gathered in the independent sector are skeptical and distant from the prevailing celebratory-victory atmosphere. Zoran Pantelić from the association "kuda.org" says that they want to get involved in the project, because they also create part of the city's art scene, but that they have numerous doubts and questions related to its organization and implementation. Distrust in the value criteria was also expressed by the people of Novi Sad in numerous comments on social networks.
Regardless of the fact that Nemanja Milenković claims that Novi Sad will be the European capital of culture as much as the citizens want it, the essential atmosphere and dominant framework for program content, budgets and distribution of money is under the authority/responsibility of the authorities. Defeat? Promising? The first indications of the answer will be known already next year.
