Toruń’s application by Toruń 2016

The Big Bang â&#x20AC;&#x201C; basic principles and key ideas

U ni ve rs e o f Culture

The Big Bang â&#x20AC;&#x201C; basic principles and key ideas

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

W Universe of Culture The Application of the City of Toruń for the European Capital of Culture 2016

Introduction

Our vision oruń is a captivating place which cannot be easily forgotten. Its heart is the well-preserved medieval Old Town, which in 1997 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is no one who could not succumb to the charm of our city, delight in its medieval Gothic architecture, or would not try its famous gingerbread. Therefore, it would seem that we constitute a complete, prepared whole, that we already have so much that we need nothing more. Nothing could be further from the truth – our city wants to become a European Capital of Culture in order to undergo a metamorphosis, to exploit the potential pulsating under its skin. The project being implemented has as its objective Toruń becoming a European Capital of Culture, uniting artistic and academic circles in the city and region. The very rivalry in this prestigious competition has become an important and creative event in the history of the city, setting our local, regional and national culture face to face with the rest of Europe. Focused on the idea of being a ECoC, we believe we can build a new regional identity from the melting pot of ethnic communities living here, which so far has had little chance of coming into existence. We want to see Toruń – once the home of the prominent humanist and astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus – as a European Union city again, astonishing Europe in its presentation of the richness of European culture. This application is a result of the work of many who have shared their knowledge and experience with us and who, from the beginning, have deeply believed that Toruń stands a great chance of becoming a European Capital of Culture. We are fully aware that 2016 is just a stop on our journey, an opportunity which cannot be missed. Seeing the great stir sparked by our entry in the competition, we have very strong grounds for believing that we will fully benefit from being a ECoC. We believe that great things can happen in Toruń.

Toruń is to become a Universe of Culture – an open space for all forms of art and all artists, even those whose art is not in the contemporary popular mainstream. In our Universe there is room for multiple interpretations of the term 'culture', a term which we do not wish to confine to art. We would like art, science and social movements to join in a ‘crucible of creativity’ and set new horizons for intellectual, moral and social change, thus altering the city, region and society. It will give us an overall view of culture and humanity in all aspects and this process has already begun in our endeavour to become a European Capital of Culture. In 2016 we would like to invite everybody – the inhabitants of our city and region, all Poles and Europeans – to join us in the spiritual, cosmic journey and discover with us the Universe of Culture.

Our mission Our mission exists at four levels of involvement: • local, • regional, • national , • European. We would like to permanently transform our city and in doing this involve all its inhabitants. We want the idea of being a ECoC to become a stimulus for the birth of our regional identity and to strengthen our ties with other towns in the region. We have the ambition to speak in the debate on the future direction of Polish culture and its development after the turbulent times of political transition. Finally, in Toruń, a university city, we want a debate to take place on European identity and the role culture plays in building it. Our mission is a great challenge but, through the European Capitals of Culture initiative, we mean to aim high.

Ciasna Street. International Light Festival Skyway 2009 PHOTO. Daniel Pach

Introduction

ToruĹ&#x201E; is to become the Universe of Culture, an open space for all forms of art and all artists. Our Universe is defined by five components: space, time, matter, energy and interaction

1. The Big Bang

basic principles and key ideas

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

he Big Bang gave rise to the universe which we are a part of. For us, the year 2006 was such a beginning, a symbolic Big Bang. It was then that Toruń officially declared its wish to be a candidate for a European Capital of Culture, as the first city in Poland. It was a crucial date for us, initiating great changes and great excitement. We were all aware that we had just opened a new chapter in the city's history. While preparing this application we defined the principles we intend to adhere to. We chose three which for us constitute the essence of Europeanness: • Innovation – opening up to new trends in culture and stimulating creativity • Diversity – the most important feature of European culture which we want to share with all Europeans through our projects • Partnership – a route to mutual understanding through culture

Toruń is to be seen in European consciousness as a place where tradition meets modernity, where creative spaces for inspiring artistic activity are being developed. The city is to become an attractive place for innovative artists, thinkers, researchers and students while gaining the title of European Capital of Culture will prove an opportunity to express creativity within a historic urban space Next we set out our specific aims at local, regional, national and European levels, guided by the needs of the city, its region and Poland as a whole. Toruń through its mission has a chance to represent European culture.

We also asked ourselves questions about our city, about those areas that need improvement: • it is perceived only through the prism of its historical heritage • cultural events are concentrated in the Old Town area, missing the potential of other districts • superficial tourism – many stay for just a few hours, visiting only the most important monuments and not getting to know Toruń’s cultural offer • there are social groups in the city who are not an audience for culture, with meagre interest in the cultural offer • the narrow interpretation of the term ‘culture’, which in the minds of many is synonymous with artistic events planned for a restricted audience. Based on these, we have defined the main aim of our candidature.

An Exhibition Bydgoskie is… PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Our objectives in a local dimension

• Reinvigorating neglected districts of Toruń outside the

Our objectives in a regional dimension

• Building a new regional identity and ideas of citizenship cen-

• Toruń wants to represent Polish culture in Europe. Being

historic centre in terms of infrastructure and culture. By en-

tred around the idea of promoting European culture. Based

couraging activity in the community, and involving citizens in planning and implementing the events of 2016, we want to change permanently the landscape of neglected areas and stimulate local creativity. • Developing a cultural offer to encourage and strengthen cultural tourism. We want to create an improved tourist offer, focused on deep and active participation in the cultural life of the city and the region. We want tourists to have good reasons to stay in Toruń for more than just a few hours and to have an incentive to visit other places in the region, as well. • Expanding the idea of ‘culture’ in public consciousness as a

on the cultural heritage and the contemporary potential of Kuyavia and Pomerania, we would like to build a new regional identity and encourage the values of citizenship among the inhabitants.

the Polish European Capital of Culture, we are aware that not only do we represent Toruń and its region, but the whole richness of Polish culture as well. To achieve this, we intend to organize a festival of other Polish candidates, as each has its own unique cultural heritage to offer.

• Strengthening ties with the largest city of the Kuyavian-

• Toruń intends to be a stage for a nationwide discussion

Pomeranian region – Bydgoszcz. In becoming a European

on Polish culture while enriching it with its contribution.

Capital of Culture we see a real chance to open a new chapter in relations between Bydgoszcz and Toruń and of creative collaboration in the field of culture.

The issue of culture cannot be marginalized and must be strongly present in political consciousness.

motor for sustainable change through both tangible investment and changes in ways of thinking. Culture is not an elusive relic enclosed in concert halls and exhibition spaces, and must be understood as a living system stimulating all areas of the community through cultural projects. • Educating society and those who administer it, culturally. We want to build cultural awareness from scratch, starting with children, to develop their sensitivity and openness to the arts. We also want to encourage the inhabitants of the city and region to participate actively in cultural life. • Optimising the use of the cultural infrastructure that already exists. We have an ambition to prepare a rich cultural offer for 2016 through the full utilization of the existing cultural infrastructure.

Our objectives in a national dimension

Our objectives in a European dimension

• Toruń wants to strengthen the existing historical and contemporary cultural ties with Europe. Toruń wants to take advantage of the potential inherent in once having belonged to the Hanseatic League, historically predestining it to be a European centre. It also wants to strengthen links with its twin cities and with the partner regions of the Province. • T oruń wants to become a place which European culture will come to. The events of 2016 will stress richness and diversity of the European culture as well as emphasize what is held in common. • T oruń would like to invite reflection on European identity and the role that culture plays in building it. We want to become an important platform for discussion on the nature of European culture and identity.

Nicolaus Copernicus monument in the Old Town of Toruń PHOTO. Marek Czarnecki

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The key ideas The main slogan of 2016 is ‘Toruń – the Universe of Culture’. In planning the events we are aiming high and looking boldly to the sky; the universe as infinite space is our inspiration. Not wanting to focus on the universe scientifically, we intend to displace the idea and show it in another dimension. As a candidate to be a European Capital of Culture, we strive for a Universe of Culture – a space where there is room for every kind of creativity, all forms of art, as well as all interpretations of the term ’culture’. We want to create a complete cultural offer in Toruń. This goal can be achieved only by opening ourselves to all the creative activities that stimulate thought and imagination.

The idea behind our application is heavily immersed in cosmic imagery and based on the five Pillars on which the identity of Toruń is built. This will serve as our inspiration for the projects that will comprise our programme in 2016.

Copernicus – the distinguished as- Gothic – the dominating architec-

Hansa – the original Hanseatic League Vistula – Poland's biggest river flows Pulsar – a kind of a neutron star

tronomer and brilliant innovator who negated existing paradigms and developed a theory that changed the course of our thinking about the Universe and our own place in it. Copernicus, a true Renaissance man, entered the pantheon of such great European artists and thinkers as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus of Rotterdam. The great astronomer’s relations with our city are not limited to his birth because, with its unique character, Toruń definitively shaped him. The projects inspired by this Pillar will be derived from both science and Copernican humanism.

was an alliance of trading cities that established and maintained a monopoly of trade along the coast of Northern Europe from the Baltic to the North Sea, and also inland. Toruń was a member of the League from the 13th century and this opened it to the wider world and international links. Today we wish to renew our Hanseatic tradition and become a Polish window on Europe; our focus only has changed with culture replacing trade.

tural style of Toruń's Old Town, a remarkable part of its everyday life which has a profound effect on the atmosphere and perception of the city. As one of the most important architectural styles, the Gothic enforces a certain kind of thinking – its vertical and soaring nature directs our gaze upwards and turns us towards the sky. Toruń’s medieval brick Gothic symbolizes stability, tradition and heritage, while simultaneously being a challenge. Questions have been raised how to adapt it to modern urban culture, how to combine tradition with the contemporary features of our city. Gothic is an inspiration for projects which are based on tradition and cultural heritage.

through the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region from end to end, passing the major urban centres of the region: Włocławek, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Chełmno and Grudziądz. In the Middle Ages, the Vistula was the raison d’être for a number of settlements, while for Toruń it also had an infrastructural role. The Vistula is for us a link connecting the settlements of the KuyavianPomeranian region, a symbol of the regional dimension of our project.

which, at regular intervals, sends out impulses of electromagnetic radiation. A pulsar’s magnetic field strongly influences surrounding matter. This is what makes modern Toruń come alive: activity that shows itself in all home-grown initiatives and new trends in art, including alternative art which goes beyond any definition. This is the essence of our pulsar which is strongly affecting the fabric of our city today. Projects derived from this Pillar will change the perception of Toruń.

Metaphorically, these five Pillars take the form of Launch pads; thus, the projects deriving from them become Spacecraft with culture in its all manifestations as their fuel. It is culture that enables us to exceed our physical limitations, to break away from the Earth and set off on a spiritual and intellectual voyage into space

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

According to our key principles, our Spacecraft will follow three Trajectories:

• Innovation, • Diversity, • Partnership. These Trajectories represent the European part of the project, the value added giving another dimension to the cultural projects founded on the Pillars of Toruń’s identity. The final Destination in our Space Expedition is the Universe of Culture, in which we have defined ten Galaxies: Galaxy of Sounds

Galaxy of Interpenetration

Galaxy of Words

Galaxy of Sensation

Galaxy of Thoughts

Ecogalaxy

Galaxy of Vision

La Galaxia Española

E-Galaxy

Undiscovered Galaxy

Innovation in our project Innovation symbolizes the search for new ways of expression, new ideas, and a readiness to follow the spirit of the time. That is why we have decided that Innovation, together with Partnership and Diversity, will constitute the core values of projects based on the Pillars of Toruń’s identity. Thus, we are opening up the way for artists and putting no barriers on their creativity. The originality of our project consists in an innovative approach to cultural development in Toruń and its region, by preserving its historic features while identifying directions for regeneration through culture. We want to build on tradition and also offer those involved in art – local, national and international – space for contemporary activity in a historic dimension. We want Toruń to become a platform for interdisciplinary activities linking science and art, and our goal is to give the notion of culture an entirely new dimension. We believe that it should be a motor for change that will make Toruń and its region perceived as a vibrant, creative and inspiring place, an authentic cultural centre of Europe. The idea of a Creative Meteor Shower is yet another innovative element in our project: we want to leave a piece of Toruń (and what constitutes its uniqueness) in each of the European countries. In 2016, we want to organize symbolic events, one in each of these countries, to promote our local culture through concerts, exhibitions, literary meetings and academic lectures. Thus, in 2016 not only will Europe ‘call on’ Toruń, but Toruń will ‘call on’ Europe.

We would also like others from Europe to actively engage in the process of developing the programme. In each quarter of 2016, we want to offer Internet users periods of Gravitational Anomalies – certain weeks in which it is they who will select elements of the programme. Our European Capital of Culture will be an interactive capital. We want to invite others from Europe to create works of art in virtual space. Along with the Centre for Contemporary Art we are planning to put up an LED screen, an interactive board connected to the Internet where artists will be able to release their creativity. In this way, we want artists from all over Europe to have an opportunity to actively and jointly create our Capital of Culture.

Joanna Sakowicz during a rehearsal in the ‘House of Muses’ PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The geographical scope of the project The European Capital of Culture is an initiative where not only the cities awarded this title, but also entire regions are reborn. Therefore, our ambition is to include the whole of the KuyavianPomeranian region in the 2016 celebrations. This is supported by the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the region – the legacy of the diverse ethnic communities and nation state structures functioning here in the past. In addition to the Polish population, among whom the ethnically distinct groups of Kashubians and Kuyavians still remain, numerous communities of Germans, Dutch, Scots and Jews lived here for centuries running their businesses and following their cultures.

At the same time, its frontier character has had a tremendous impact on the cultural diversity of the region. In the Middle Ages the area of today’s Kuyavia-Pomerania was divided by borders between the Polish Kingdom, smaller Polish principalities, and the Germanic state of the Teutonic Order in Prussia. During the partition period, i.e. in the years 1772–1918, the region was divided between the Russian Empire and Prussia, which further reinforced the earlier ethnic and social differences between its north-western and south-eastern parts. Evidence of the presence of diverse cultures in the region is preserved to this day both materially as well as in spirit, and as such constitutes an essential element of European cultural heritage.

Song and Dance Ensemble ‘Pomerania’ from Chełmno | PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

Against the background of distinctive cultural and administrative division only the economic cohesion of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region is emphasized. Owing to the communication role of the Vistula and its tributaries, as the more-than-just-local impact of the major economic centres (including Bydgoszcz, Toruń, Włocławek and Grudziądz), for hundreds of years it has been an area integrated in economic terms. Unfortunately, this integration has not been enough to develop a uniform regional identity. Post-war migration, and the fact that it did not become a regional administrative unit until the end of the twentieth century, only contributed to this. Currently, the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region is an area inhabited overwhelmingly by people of Polish nationality, a large part of whom stem from other regions, detached from their local traditions and not related to the heritage of either Kuyavia or Pomerania. Hence, one of the reasons for the choice of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region as part of a European Capital of Culture is the desire to build a new regional identity around the common idea of promoting European culture. Within the regional dimension of our project there is a special place for Bydgoszcz – the largest city in the region. Our motivation to cooperate with Bydgoszcz has deep roots in historical as well as recent rivalry between the two most important cities in the region. We want culture to become an effective tool to overcome this. In 2007, Mayor of Bydgoszcz, together with three other mayors from the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region signed a declaration of support for the efforts of Toruń to become a European Capital of Culture. Eventually, Bydgoszcz decided to file a separate application but in a letter dated May 25, 2010, Mayor of Bydgoszcz declared his support to Toruń if our city would get the chance to continue the fight for the title of European Capital of Culture. This gives us a strong reason to believe that cooperation between Toruń and Bydgoszcz is possible. Finally, the last reason why we want to include such a large area in the programme is our awareness that only by cooperation with the region can an appropriate scale and scope for such an important project be achieved.

Tuchola

Świecie Grudziądz

Bydgoszcz

Brodnica Wąbrzeźno Chełmno Górzno Golub-Dobrzyń

Aleksandrów Kujawski Inowrocław

Toruń

Ciechocinek Włocławek

• 2 068 083 inhabitants of the Kujavian-Pomeranian region, • 1 7 970 km2 the area of our region, which we would like to include in the programme for 2016, • 205 718 inhabitants of Toruń, • 5 6 573 students in the region, 30 822 of whom study in Toruń

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Our route to a the European Capital of Culture application The history of our progress in the competition to be a European Capital of Culture started in 2006 when we were the first city in Poland to declare our willingness to stand. It was then that a series of binding decisions and declarations began, the basis for further activities and the preparation of the application. • January 2006 – the decision by Mayor of Toruń (no. 62/ I/06) to start preparations for Toruń to become a European Capital of Culture 2016. • July 2006 – city council resolution (no. 1049) of 13 July 2006 on the application to be a European Capital of Culture in 2016 by the Municipality of the City of Toruń. • March 2007 – a letter of intent between the Marshal of the of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region and the Mayor of the City of Toruń. • March 2007 – a declaration from the mayors from the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region on Toruń’s candidature to become a European Capital of Culture 2016. • June 2010 – an agreement between the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region and Mayor of Toruń on financing the organization and promotion of the celebration in 2016. • June 2010 – the renewal of the declaration of support from the towns of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region for Toruń’s candidature to be a European Capital of Culture 2016. The pledges made have brought about concrete action.

According to its resolution, each year Toruń City Council allocates a pot of money from the city’s budget earmarked for activities related to the preparation of the candidature. Artists connected with the towns that signed a declaration of support for Toruń, have submitted project proposals for the application. The underlying ideas for Toruń’s candidature are the result of over four years’ development work by representatives of the City of Toruń, Toruń 2016 and the advisory bodies appointed by it. The work on the application can be broadly divided into two stages: • Jan 2006 – Nov 2009 – preparatory activities. • Nov 2009 – Aug 2010 – application development. The diagram presents a detailed schedule of the activities undertaken.

The Course of Work on the Application

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Panorama of Toruń – one of the seven wonders of Poland PHOTO. Marek Czarnecki

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Preparations for the ‘cosmic flight’

Information campaign

Local institutions’ declaration

The media were instantly informed about the beginning of the city’s endeavour to become a European Capital of Culture in 2016. The press published a series of articles to inform citizens of the idea and to give them an incentive to actively join in the effort.

A tangible expression of the community’s support for the idea of Toruń’s application to be a European Capital of Culture 2016 was a solemn declaration by representatives of various local institutions signed on 26 October 2006 in the Old Town Hall, Burghers’ Hall. The signatories included the rectors of universities, representatives of cultural institutions and local government, priests of the Lutheran and Orthodox Churches, the Bishop of Toruń and representatives of the city authorities.

Is Toruń to be European Capital of Culture throughout 2016? Instead of wondering if it is actually possible, let us do everything to make it a reality. The decision of the Toruń city authorities to apply opens a fascinating stage of our history and as a result we have new opportunities to grow. And, dear Torunians, we do not have to worry about whether it is right, whether we can, whether it is worth it or whether we can afford it. Why? Because we have solid and valuable grounds for thinking that our community should not only dream about such a goal, but also achieve it.*

Cosmopolis Fountain

Toruń’s preparations to be a European Capital of Culture began in January 2006 with the City Council’s Department of Development and European Projects put in charge of coordinating the work

PHOTO. Marek Chełminiak

The idea of applying to be a European Capital of Culture was enthusiastically received by those involved in art and culture. As noted by Lucjan Broniewicz, director of the Dziewulski Planetarium in Toruń: "In the life of every city, dreams about its future development are important. They lend wings and convince us that the inhabitants can rise above mediocrity and that mediocrity is doomed to fail.” Other representatives of the cultural world, including Jadwiga Oleradzka (director of the Wilam Horzyca Theatre), Zbigniew Lisowski (director of the Baj Pomorski Theatre), or Henryk Giza (director of the PROBALTICA festival), also stressed the value of the European Capital of Culture initiative in their statements.

Mayor of Toruń’s special representative in charge of the city’s application In the face of a multitude of initiatives, on 28 March 2007 it was decided to appoint a special representative of Mayor of Toruń who would be responsible for all related work and to be in charge of the city’s application to be a European Capital of Culture in 2016, in particular for: • initiating and strengthening cooperation with all cultural organisations • coordinating activities aimed at sharing ’best practices’ with the former, present and future Capitals of Culture • preparing activities to promote the European Capital of Culture idea among citizens

* S. Łopatyński, Let there be a Capital of Europe here, ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’, 19 January 2006.

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Public Consultations

The diversity of the groups invited to the dialogue helped to create the initial principles for the programme for 2016, and outline an action plan to develop the underlying ideas of the city's candidature. A summary of the proposals approved is presented in the diagram below.

The first extensive action coordinated by the special representative was the organization of consultations with representatives of those social groups and professions interested in the development of the strategy for Toruń’s candidature. The meetings took the form of fourteen thematic conferences with the participation of the following: • representatives of city and local government cultural institutions, • representatives of organisations working in the field of culture, • representatives of non-governmental organizations working in areas other than culture, • the administrative and teaching staff of Toruń’s universities, • entrepreneurs from the Business Center Club, • representatives of companies belonging to the Chamber of Commerce, • members of Rotary Club Toruń, • representatives of sports clubs and other organizations, • teachers interested in the subject of the European Capital of Culture 2016, • restorers of historic monuments and Polish Tourist Association guides, as well as the owners of Toruń’s clubs, restaurants and cafes, • promoters of sports activity in the city, • representatives of the hotel industry, • representatives of youth hostels and pensions, • journalists from the local media. The consultations were attended by several hundred people and hundreds of proposals were submitted concerning our candidature.

Young artists from the eNeRDe club PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

In addition to valuable programme proposals, consultation participants also put forward their suggestions relating to the promotion, information and the financing of the celebrations in 2016. The need to establish a foundation which would deal with raising funds for events implemented by non-governmental organizations was mentioned.

Participants at all meetings were unanimous that Toruń’s running for the title of European Capital of Culture was a correct decision and that this alone will benefit the city and give it exposure to the wider world 31

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Cooperation with Spain Another initiative taken by the mayor’s special representative was to start cooperating with the city of Pamplona in Spain, a Spanish candidate to be a European Capital of Culture. Pamplona and Toruń have much in common: they are university Workshops for children. San Fermin 2010 | PHOTO. Przemysław Draheim

towns with a similar population, and both are on the Camino de Santiago. The Polish Honorary Consul in Navarre, the Basque Country and La Rioja, Angel Tellechea Goyena, has been a great friend of Toruń for many years and has played an important role in strengthening ties between the cities.

Toruń 2016 in action The growing number of initiatives taken has produced a need for formal organizational structures and the division of responsibilities. Thus, in May 2008, as a consequence of a city council resolution (no. 304/08), Toruń 2016 was set up as an organisation whose responsibility was to coordinate and monitor work in this field. Within the organization, there is a unit responsible for conducting the campaign and for internet communication, a department for establishing contact with foreign countries, and another in charge of the organization and administration of campaigns designed to culturally activate the city’s inhabitants. Ever since its inception, Toruń 2016 has been running various forms of dialogue with the city’s inhabitants, cultural institutions and business circles. It has organized numerous exhibitions, events and press conferences to promote the idea of a European Capital of Culture among its citizens, including a Liverpool ’08 exhibition, a Kraków 2000 exhibition of posters, ‘Gapiszon and the mystery gingerbread’ – an event for children, Toruń 2016 and the ‘Orange Alternative’ (Pomarańczowa Alternatywa), a European Day of Languages, a ‘First Day of Spring’ event, and Skyway – an International Festival of Light held for the first time in 2009. Representatives of Toruń 2016 have actively participated in many local, regional and national conferences during which they presented the most successful projects of former, present and future European Capitals of Culture. In November 2009, the section responsible for Internet communication prepared the launch of a new website, www. torun2016.eu which has become an interactive communication platform created by its users. Toruń 2016 has also cooperated with non-governmental organizations whose aim is to

support and promote cultural activities, such as the charitable foundation the ‘Great Christmas Charity Orchestra’ (Fundacja Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy), the Culture Foundation Office, the Plato Foundation, the Motyka ‘Impossible Initiatives Association’, and the Rusz Gallery Foundation. In our contacts with citizens we have used modern communication channels such as an interactive website, YouTube and Facebook and electronic mail. Toruń 2016 has also created a permanent network of volunteers working on the organisation of projects promoting the idea of Toruń as a European Capital of Culture.

The dialogue with citizens has brought the results we hoped for. A survey conducted by the Department of Cultural Research of the Institute of Sociology at Nicolaus Copernicus University (July 2008 – July 2009) showed that 83 per cent of the city’s inhabitants knew that Toruń is seeking to become a European Capital of Culture in 2016 On the initiative of Toruń 2016, a series of meetings with national experts as well as representatives of former and current Capitals of Culture have been organized.

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The Toruń 2016 Programme Council Meetings with national and foreign experts – representatives of different fields of science and art – as well as public consultations resulted in the formulation of the thematic Pillars, the foundations of Toruń’s programme for 2016: Copernicus, Gothic, Hansa and Vistula. We felt that the ideas formulated in this way should be reviewed by representatives of all the major areas of cultural and economic life in the city and region, and that they should have an opportunity to voice their opinion. In order to do so, Mayor of Toruń, in January 2010 in cooperation with the Marshal of

the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region, appointed the Toruń 2016 Programme Council. It consists of four representatives from the world of science, three from the arts, six organisers and facilitators of culture and two business representatives from the city and region – from all of these, three represented Bydgoszcz. The main purpose of the Council was to develop and review the programme of activities needed to become a European Capital of Culture in 2016. Members of the Programme Council have decided that the four Pillars should be supplemented by a fifth, which symbolizes the contemporary character of the city: Pulsar.

The Youth Forum

The first stopover

Young people will be the main audience and, more importantly, the creators of the events in 2016, and are therefore the future of the European Capital of Culture project. In order to get to know the views of this group and their suggestions for the programme, Toruń 2016 established a Youth Forum in April 2010 to which young people aged from 15 to 24 from colleges, universities and non-governmental organizations were invited.

With the appointment of the Toruń 2016 Programme Council, work on the application has been accelerated, experts in various fields have been invited to enrich the application with their knowledge and experience. August 2010 the time of submitting our application, will mark yet another important milestone on our timeline.

Parade with Gapiszon – famous Polish comic figure. Children’s Day 2009 PHOTO. Łukasz Kołtacki

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

International Light Festival Skyway 2009 PHOTO. Marek Czarnecki

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The European and social dimensions of the programme

The European dimension: Toruń – a focus for Europe

While working on the idea of the application and the structure of the programme, we had to ask ourselves some key questions: what is European identity, is there a simple definition of European culture and what is its role in building our identity? Reflecting on the European dimension of 2016, we singled out the three principles mentioned already in this application which constitute for us the essence of Europeanness:

• Innovation, • Diversity, • Partnership. These three principles have been our criteria for the selection of the projects which have become the basis for the construction of the programme. As a result it meets the objectives we have determined for the European dimension.

Concert within the International Film Festival Tofifest 2010 PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

We believe that Toruń has what is needed to focus differing currents in European culture. Owing to its extremely rich history, our city has been thoroughly European for centuries and its cultural heritage, preserved to this day, has been influenced by the same factors which for centuries formed most of the cities and regions of Europe. In the Middle Ages, the right to self-government and the preservation of local distinctiveness within a broader community, so characteristic of both ancient and modern European culture, were fought over here. Confrontations of opposing European currents – particularism vs unification, local government vs centralism, the pursuit of peace vs war, innovation vs traditionalism – have developed Toruń’s special atmosphere, both unique and universal. A culture created by different nationalities not only competing, but also working with each other and living in the same area: a culture of both Toruń and the whole of modern Europe. Strengthening cultural links in Europe The celebrations of 2016 will allow the powerful historical potential of Toruń to be exploited, and allow the region to strengthen and develop its links with Europe. The first step in this direction is to invigorate contacts with partner cities. Toruń has signed cooperation agreements with nine twin towns and cities, eight from European countries (Germany, Holland, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, England, Slovenia and Ukraine) and one from the United States. Our attempt to be a European Capital of Culture is a unique opportunity to strengthen ties with partner cities and enliven cultural exchange. All the twin towns and cities have supported Toruń’s application and all are prepared to cooperate. One consequence will be the Metro Art Part Festival during which each of the partner cities will present its ‘cultural card’. The range of events during this Festival will be broad – from a choir concert, through an exhibition of paintings, to experimental art forms.

Invigorating contacts with partner cities

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Joint activities of those involved in local and regional arts with those from elsewhere in Europe

Toruń intends to open itself to even more dynamic exchange

Another way of strengthening cultural collaboration with Europe is through joint activities of those involved in local and regional arts with those from elsewhere in Europe, developing on both personal and institutional levels. The fruit of such collaborative activity is already visible in the numerous and very successful international festivals held in our city: the Kontakt theatre festival, the Tofifest film festival, the PROBALTICA festival of music, and Skyway – the International Light Festival. They are each based on lively cultural exchange. The title of European Capital of Culture will open opportunities to build new relations and new areas of collaboration. Events, until now of a local dimension, will expand their formula and invite the active participation of European partners. We would also like to strengthen our position in such networks as the theatrical UNIMA (Union Internationale de Marionnette), the cinematic UNIC (Union Internationale des Cinemas) and in dance with the IDO (International Dance Organisation). Mobility is a characteristic feature of contemporary Europe, not only of people, but also of works of art and Toruń intends to open itself to even more dynamic exchange of works of art. We have unique exhibition spaces – modern (Centre for Contemporary Art, Wozownia) as well as traditional (the District Museum, Artus Court, the Ethnographic Museum) which are ready to increasingly welcome the works of European artists, both with a narrower appeal as well as familiar and recognizable ones.

The exchange of ideas and experience is a way to strengthen the ties with Europe. The Youth Forum we have established is just a beginning for further action among young people. We intend to create in Toruń an International Youth Forum and to begin we will be inviting young Spaniards to actively participate. The city is creating an International Youth Meeting Centre to make sure there is a place for open discussion. One aspect of revitalizing the Bydgoskie Przedmieście district is the adaptation of historic tenement houses which would be then transferred to those working in the arts (including from elsewhere in Europe) and is related to a project for longer residential stays. According to the project’s objectives, they would not only work in Toruń but also share their experience in those fields of art which are still poorly represented here.

Exchange of ideas and experience

We are also considering a search for analogies of structures and patterns from the past in contemporary reality, alongside cooperation with European agencies and organizations. In this context, and because of the cosmic setting and content of our projects, the European Space Agency (with whom we plan to cooperate) can be seen as analogous to the Hanseatic League – the historic alliance of trading cities to which Toruń belonged. The Agency bases its work on the achievements of leading technological companies, government agencies and research centres from across Europe. It coordinates their work into scientific research programs in space exploration, the nature of planet Earth and, to improve our daily lives, orbiting satellite infrastructure, as well as developing technologies to transport goods through space. These are the modern sailorexplorers and merchants – a new cosmic Hansa. It represents the true technological vanguard and, in terms of civilization, plays the Copernican part discovering hitherto unknown places, shifting the frontiers of culture and creating space to be filled with new content. This is inspiring not only in a purely scientific way but also in an artistic sense. It responds to the eternal human yearning for the unknown, the same yearning that directed the work of our brilliant astronomer.

Search for analogies of structures and patterns from the past in contemporary reality, alongside cooperation with European agencies and organizations

Marek Rubnikowicz, the director of the District Museum of Toruń PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Emphasizing the richness of cultural diversity in Europe We wish to emphasize the cultural diversity of Europe by showing the richness of its regions

We want to show the impact of particular European countries and regions on the work of great artists

Asking for the secret of the strength of European culture, we usually hear the answer that ‘it lies in its diversity’. All of us not only as Europeans, but also as Poles, Slovaks, French, Germans and Greeks, add to it but at the same time we are aware that cultural diversity is not synonymous with national boundaries. The cultural diversity of our continent emerges not so much in states but rather in regions, each of which has its own unique features and cherishes its traditions, cultural heritage and history. We wish to emphasize the cultural diversity of Europe by showing the richness of its regions. We intend to strengthen cultural exchanges between the partner regions of the Kuyavia-Pomerania. Mobility, as mentioned, being a characteristic feature of Europeans is especially interesting among eminent artists. Their cosmopolitanism, and frequent travel across the continent, leave an important mark on their work. We want to show the impact of particular European countries and regions on the work of great artists. We want to explore the ‘echoes’ of those places where the brilliant Polish composer, Frederic Chopin, composed his music. The Chopin Centre in Szafarnia, just 50 kilometers from Toruń, makes him especially dear to us. It was here that he spent his holidays and recovered his strength. The folklore of Chełmno and Dobrzyń districts was reflected in his music and it was under this influence that the teenage virtuoso composed his famous mazurkas. Chopin's music is a reflection of the sounds, colours, and flavours of the places where it was composed. We cannot forget the ‘great’ migrants who have had an impact on the culture and science of the countries which for a time became their ‘second home’ by choice. Sometimes a shorter stay by outstanding people in a given place has even significantly influenced the development of culture and science in states, which for a while became their second home.

Everyday life also leads to European diversity – our languages and cultures intermingle but still retain their individuality, the character of each nation, and its customs and traditions. Travelling across Europe, we often experience similar gestures or words meaning something quite different. With all the projects involving Europeans, we wish to show everyday variety; the identification of differences is intended to lead to a better understanding of one another.

Highlighting common aspects of European culture We, as Europeans, give priority to our national identity over the European one. It is easier for us to notice what sets us apart rather than what unites us. For people outside our continent, however, we constitute an integral whole – it is easier for them to discern common aspects to European culture because they tend to perceive Europe as a whole. While working on the application, we tried to rise above our national identity and reflect on what unites us as Europeans. In our opinion, the binding factor is our common history as told from different national perspectives, as well as common styles in art and architecture, and outstanding artists and scholars. Throughout our region, we have beautiful examples of historic buildings on Gothic and Romanesque architectural trails which also present across almost the whole of Europe. Thus, in coming to Toruń, or staying longer in the region, everyone would have an opportunity to take part in a living lesson in the history of European art. Reaching deeper into history, we can discover common roots in the cultures of the Celts and Vikings.

With all the projects involving Europeans, we wish to show everyday variety The binding factor is our common history as told from different national perspectives

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

We can offer Europe a universal value – Copernican humanism

Europeans should be brought together by universal values. As a city which holds the spiritual and scientific heritage of Copernicus, we can offer Europe a universal value – Copernican humanism. We understand this as a moral stance which recognizes man as having the highest value of all, full of humility before the power and immensity of the universe, while being conscious that he is an integral part of it. Copernican humanism also puts forward the idea of the unity of the world, as well as the need to develop and educate each person as an individual, and advocates the development of society.

New ideas to stimulate the intellectual development

Copernicus was a man with great curiosity about the world. During his studies and work in many cities of Europe, he absorbed other cultures and ideas on one hand, presenting his own original thoughts on the other. That combination – of curiosity, openness, a tradition of exploration (developed in childhood in a Toruń merchant's house) and trends of thought new to young Copernicus – led to an intellectual revolution. This would not have been possible in the mind of even the best-educated man had he remained isolated from new ideas to stimulate the intellect.

Breakthroughs arise from the combination of differing views

Today the world has shrunk, the flow of ideas is so large and fast that no individual can grasp them, yet the principle remains the same: breakthroughs are usually likely to arise from the combination of differing views which suddenly seem to correspond as elements of some single new truth. And as Copernicus before, the whole city, and those who jointly produce its culture, wish to express their curiosity and creativity. On one hand, we intend to set off for the rest of Europe by means of modern media and means of transport, while on the other, to invite new ideas into our city through the same means. All of this will be done with the aim of achieving a new common cultural breakthrough.

The implementation of such an ambitious task is possible only through dialogue. By 2016 we plan to have organized a series of annual ‘Copernican’ discussions devoted to the definition of culture in the modern world with their main focus on humanism, new ideas and cultural unity in diversity. Since Europe is integrating, and the reality around us is undergoing accelerating change, we need to keep pace with ways of perceiving, defining and understanding. These conferences will be a great place for dialogue for an integrated Europe, they will not only create an opportunity to present differences but enhance the positive elements of common identity. We are going to invite not only scholars and researchers in culture to participate in these meetings, but also users of culture, audiences, and those working in the arts. The conferences will be interdisciplinary in nature (after all, Copernicus was both a priest and a physician as well as an astronomer!). We do not want them to be closed within the four walls of conference rooms, but we wish to go out with our dialogue onto the streets of the city. Therefore, we plan to organize some of the discussions and lectures in outdoor urban locations and unusual places such as the Old Town market, the Teutonic Knights’ Castle or Barbarka (located in a forest within the administrative boundaries of Toruń, where in 2008 the interiors of its buildings were created to harmonise with surrounding nature, ideal for meetings and conferences). We hope that as a result of these meetings, in addition to the achievements recorded and their accompanying events and works of art, we will find common answers to our questions about the European values that bind us together. The scale of these meetings and their impact will grow as we approach 2016, and the conference held in that year should be the culmination of several years of work, ending in the publication of a joint declaration of a new definition of culture. Reflecting on common aspects of European culture and artistic creation, we have discovered a simple truth, that disparate artists are inspired by the same phenomena, events, emotions and feelings. It is remarkable that the key to understanding art is often in its common inspiration.

We want to direct our thoughts and actions towards the right destinations. Therefore, by 2016 we plan to have organized a series of annual ‘Copernican’ discussions devoted to the definition of culture in the modern world with their main focus on humanism, new ideas and cultural unity in diversity

We want to show through these projects not only the final creative results, but also focus on the roots and the processes that have led to their creation. We believe that we will find many common European inspirations 45

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The social dimension of the celebrations: Toruń – a place where the people are the heroes The European Capital of Culture project cannot be achieved without the active involvement of Toruń’s citizens in its preparations. This idea has guided us from the beginning of our work to become a European Capital of Culture. Consultations with various social groups opened the process of our preparations: in 2007, using the Internet, the inhabitants of Toruń chose the logo for our candidature. One of the most recent was an image campaign conducted under the slogan ‘I'm… – I support Toruń’, launched on February 1, 2010 by Toruń 2016. Torunians whose faces were used, both known and unknown, share a commitment to our city and a belief in our success. All of them agreed to lend their images free of charge, led by a simple desire to support the city in which they live, work and create. In the pictures, they introduce themselves only by their first names and speak of their profession or passion. The idea of the ‘I'm... – I support Toruń’ campaign

was embedded in our conviction that the voice of each of us – whether a well-known bluesman or a carpenter from Toruń's Old Town – is equally important to the success of the city in our attempt to become a European Capital of Culture. The first step of this campaign had taken place however on the Internet. A series of 20 photographs were taken by a 22-year-old student from Toruń, Patryk Lewandowski; Internet users could then send in more pictures using a special module. The campaign reached thousands of people and its effects can be seen at www.popieram. torun2016.eu. The next step was to move the campaign into public space and some of the pictures appeared on large-scale screens, billboards and posters. Parallel to the collection of photos, advertising spots with the heroes of the campaign were shot in a contemporary style. Toruń is a place where the heroes are ordinary people – it is they, who create the magic of this place and they who will be the audience of the events of 2016.

Photos sent by the inhabitants of Toruń and region within ‘I'm… – I support Toruń’ campaign

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Stimulating interest in the 2016 celebrations across Europe

How we will engage the world of culture and the citizens of both city and region in the celebrations

Our ambitious plans include inviting famous and outstanding artists

Based on the three universal principles of Innovation, Diversity and Partnership, the cultural projects making up the programme will make it possible to experience in the city the strength of European culture. Our ambitious plans include inviting famous and

Involvement of cultural circles as well as that of the city’s inhabitants has taken place already in the development of the application and the programme for the celebrations in 2016 – and it still continues. The idea has been discussed with the city's cultural insti-

outstanding artists whose names would be like a magnet to attract the attention of the European community. However, we want not only to take this simplest way; Toruń is

tutions and independent artists and in opening our Universe of Culture, we have invited artists and institutions to submit outlines for their projects. These have become an integral part of the application.

to become a Universe of Culture – an open space for all forms of art and artists, including those whose work is only for niche audiences.

We want to invite the citizens of Europe to draw up the programme of our celebrations

We want to invite the citizens of Europe to draw up the programme of our celebrations. In our Universe of Culture there will be a place for periods of Gravitational Anomalies. We will then invite Europeans to choose the most interesting events from the several proposed and so the audience will also have a part in creating the final shape of the works presented. In one of our projects, for example, viewers will decide which of the texts prepared by playwrights will be presented in a full performance.

Art in virtual space

Everyone in Europe will be able to join in the creation of art in virtual space. On an LED screen placed in the city centre, any artist, even from the most remote corner of our continent, will be able to create online his or her own piece of art which will take its final form somehow before our very eyes.

We intend to arrange the programme in such a way that Europeans will be motivated to visit our city and region

Three-day cultural packages, which symbolize the effect of a Globular Star Cluster, will be another way to draw the Europeans’ attention to Toruń in 2016. We intend to arrange the programme of our celebrations in such a way that Europeans will be motivated to visit our city and region – and stay longer. The packages will be thematic and arranged so that one big event will be accompanied by a number of smaller ones.

While preparing this application, we have made an analysis of the potential of different districts in Toruń which, because of their location outside the Old Town, do not teem with cultural life to the same extent. The analysis shows that districts such as Bydgoskie Przedmieście in particular, Toruń’s enclave of ideas of citizenship, but also JakubskieMokre, Podgórz and Rubinkowo, are parts of Toruń where some of the citizens are active and ready to socially and culturally revive the areas where they live. This analysis is the basis for further action. We want to support emerging civil initiatives and stimulate the formation of new ones. In order to do so, we are going to engage representatives of non-governmental and voluntary organizations. One of the tasks we have set ourselves as a candidate city is the revitalization of these other districts of Toruń – our ambition is to

We have invited artists and institutions to submit outlines for their projects

We want to support emerging civil initiatives and stimulate the formation of new ones

focus not only on the cultural events held in the Old Town, but encompass the whole of our 200,000 population. Already while developing this application, we are implementing the regional aspect of our project by opening our Universe of Culture for artists from the region. In the first quarter of 2010, we visited towns and cities including Bydgoszcz, Włocławek, Grudziądz, Inowrocław, Świecie, Chełmno and Brodnica, presenting the regional dimension and areas of possible cooperation. The fruit of these meetings is found in the willingness of municipal cultural institutions and independent artists to engage in developing the programme for the celebrations in 2016. The origins of the project ideas submitted from the region are shown in the diagram. We also want regional cultural institutions with similar interests to work together, as in focusing on this idea we have a chance to integrate the region.

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

All the goals we have set will be still of importance when the last event of 2016 comes to an end

The lasting effects of the celebrations in 2016 and their importance for the cultural and social development of the city Toruń’s attempts to become a European Capital of Culture has launched a process which nothing can stop. The perception of the city is not only to be through the prism of its historic heritage, but also through its openness to all forms of art and all forms of creativity. The revitalization of the Bydgoskie Przedmieście district while also activating other areas of the city, building regional identity, creating and strengthening links with European artists – all these goals will outlast the final events of 2016. The celebrations will show that culture should have a higher position politically, that it is worth investment, that it changes mentalities and ways of thinking, and finally that culture is of great importance socio-economically. All these changes will determine the further development of our city and region. Toruń’s participation in the contest to become a European Capital of Culture has also influenced investment plans in our city. The adaptation of historic buildings such as Baszta Gołębnik (Dovecote Tower) or Brama Klasztorna (Monastery Gate) for cultural purposes, for instance as art studios, shows the preparation of the infrastructure necessary for the development of the creative potential in our city. This investment has a strong civic dimension and is one of many planned for the cultural infrastructure. Another lasting effect will be urban design; the inhabitants of different districts in Toruń will have an impact on the selection of small-scale architecture, thus beginning to co-create their surrounding townscape. 'Incubators’ of culture will also be developed – we will help the young involved in the arts in taking their first steps to build their careers. Young musicians will be provided with places to rehearse and assisted in the release of their first recordings. We will also extend the already existing scholarship scheme to help the young involved in the arts to operate in today's world.

This application gives new direction to the cultural development of our city and region

Contacts we intend to make with people and organizations working in the field of culture within the city and outside, and from abroad People and organizations in the field of culture within the city The 18th c. German philosopher and writer, Johann Herder, said that nothing was more indefinite than the term ‘culture’. We believe that this term cannot be confined solely to art, since it covers many areas of life including all aspects of knowledge and spirituality. On October 26, 2006, the declaration of Toruń’s candidature to be a European Capital of Culture was signed. Its signatories were representatives of the academic world, culture and the church and they have pledged to take action in support of the application. We are aware that a crucial role in activating society will be played by non-governmental and voluntary organizations that can creatively guide local cultural activity by being focused on our idea. Contacts that we have already established with people and organizations in the cultural field are of a diverse nature: • consultative – discussions with representatives of cultural institutions, • creative – representatives of the world of culture have prepared outlines for projects included in this application, • promotional – ambassadors for our endeavour to become a European Capital of Culture promote our candidature during their artistic activities. Rafał Blechacz, the winner of the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition, supports our work and played his only concert in 2010 in our region during the Festival of Science and Arts in Toruń.

People and organizations in the field of culture outside the city The European Capital of Culture competition is not only a title to be won but we see in it a great opportunity to raise awareness in the rest of Europe of Poland and Polish culture. Thus, we would like to cooperate with the other candidate cities and invite them to enrich the celebrations in 2016 through their own contributions. In 2006 Mayor of Kraków, Jacek Majchrowski, made an official statement of support for Toruń’s candidature to become a European Capital of Culture. In a letter of intent in 2010 he restated this support and said, among other things, that ‘Kraków supports Toruń – the Kraków of the North’. We want to establish permanent relations with artistic circles and cultural institutions there, and thus build a bridge between a former and possibly a future European Capital of Culture. Already, we are implementing joint activities to promote both cities. In March 2007, the mayors of four major towns in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region signed a declaration concerning Toruń’s candidature. This declaration was renewed by the mayors of Włocławek, Grudziądz and Inowrocław in June 2010 when the mayors of Brodnica, Świecie, Chełmno, Solec Kujawski, Wąbrzeźno, Aleksandrów Kujawski and Ciechocinek also expressed their support. In order to emphasize how substantial this dimension of cooperation is, in the first quarter of 2010 we visited the signatories to the declaration and local representatives of cultural institutions and met independent artists. We want to highlight all the creative initiatives that are taking place in our region.

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

People and organizations in the field of culture from abroad In its candidacy for European Capital of Culture, Toruń sees a great opportunity to boost cultural links with its partner cities. All nine of the twin towns and cities have declared their support for our endeavours and expressed their willingness to contribute to the programme. In this way, we have created a network of support and since then have been strengthening our cultural exchange with other European cities. In building a programme for 2016, we have also turned to the partner universities of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in order to create a platform for the exchange of academic ideas. The ‘Association of Candidate Cities to the European Capital of Culture network’, of which Toruń became a member in January 2009, is another platform for cooperation and the strengthening of ties with European countries. The city-members of the association are focused on the idea of showing the Celebrating the Spanish Epiphany in Toruń 2009 PHOTO. Jacek Smarz

diversity of European culture and emphasising its common aspects. This has great potential and we want to make use of it and, as already mentioned, we intend to act within major European networks such as UNIMA, UNIC, and IDO. Coordinators and artistic directors of various events for 2016 will collaborate with particular artists in the fields of music, theatre and visual arts as well as managers of culture, based on the enormous potential of already existing areas of cooperation and established partnerships. In 2016, special attention will be drawn towards those working in the arts in Spain because our goal is to build a bridge between the two potential European Capitals of Culture in 2016. In June 2008, at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels, official agreements between Pamplona and Toruń, and between the Kuyavia-Pomerania and Navarre regions, were signed. This clearly shows that we are able to cooperate with foreign partners at local and regional levels.

Cooperation with the other capital of culture This collaboration with a Spanish city is conceived as a cultural bridge between two countries perceived elsewhere on the continent as the ‘bumpers of Europe’: the Spaniards in the south and the Poles in the east form the ‘front lines’ of European culture. Poland and Spain are the opposite ends of the bridge on which the exchange of ideas with other cultures is built and different ways of life are brought alongside one another. These privileged locations point to the exceptional nature of a programme which the two capitals could jointly present to the European Union. This idea is based on the concept of a coming together – two countries, two cultures – whose encounter is not superficial but based on a genuine will to cooperate. In declaring its wish to run for the title of European Capital of Culture, Toruń in 2006 established relations with Pamplona, a Spanish candidate for the title. This commonality of purpose gives rise to a realistic course of action between the two cities. Since then, over a period of four years, Pamplona and Toruń have found common ground for cultural and academic exchange under the slogan ‘New Generations for Culture’: a platform for the exchange, cooperation and promotion of young artists. Plans include a number of cultural presentations of Spanish regions and cities: The celebration of Epiphany, one of the most important holidays in Spain, has been held in Toruń twice and we have also celebrated San Fermin, the annual and most important event in Pamplona, an ideal opportunity to show the tradition of that city to our inhabitants. An inspiring area of cooperation is the phenomenon of Spanish Camino de Santiago, the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. A branch of the Camino also passes through Poland, so we appear on the ‘calle mayor de Europa’ – a cultural ‘highway of Europe’ on which those with different religions and outlooks on life are found peacefully side by side, developing their identities and allowing mutual understanding among European citizens. Toruń is an ideal place to establish a cultural and religious dialogue as a city that holds the tradition of Colloquium Charitativum. Fiesta at the Leaning Tower. San Fermin 2010 PHOTO. Przemysław Draheim

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

We hope that the city which together with us would bear the title of a European Capital of Culture will find space for Toruń in its programme of festivals, concerts and exhibitions. Parallel to this, Toruń will include the Spanish city in its celebrations, creating a ‘culture for two voices’. Once we know which Spanish city has been chosen to be the Cultural Capital, we will organize a ‘Toruń month’ and a ‘Toruń Cultural Days and Nights’ there. In this way, we will give a clear signal that the idea of two capitals, of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Europe, is a means for countries to become closer, that there can be a creative combination and integration of celebrations, and that it is better to celebrate together than apart. When planning cooperation with the Spanish Capital of Culture, with above mentioned cooperation we are thinking in two dimensions – local and national – bearing in mind that as a European Capital of Culture we will be representing not only Toruń, but also Poland. Likewise, the other Capital will be representing the whole of Spain. We wish to present the distinctive achievements of the city and also the richness of Spanish culture with which each Spaniard can identify whether they come from Cataluña, Galicia or the Basque Country. Just as Andrzej Wajda's art is a film showcase of Polish culture, Pedro Almodovar's achievements are the quintessence of Spanish cinema. Thus, we are not going to shy away from projects demonstrating the genius of great Spaniards, regardless of what city they come from. Taking part in the competition to become a European Capital of Culture, we also want to open young Torunians to the language and culture of Spain. In 2015–2016, we would like to offer secondary school students a course of Spanish, additional to the timetable and free. We believe that through education and sensitizing young minds to another culture, we have a chance to shap e a generation of open-minded, broadminded and sensitive audiences for the arts.

Children’s bull run. San Fermin 2009 PHOTO. Jacek Smarz

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Podmurna Street PHOTO. Marek Czarnecki

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The place of the celebrations in long-term plans for the cultural development of Toruń and its region, as well as their medium – and long-term effects from community, culture and city perspectives Announcing the desire to take part in the competition for the title of a European Capital of Culture, we were aware that this is an extraordinary opportunity for the cultural and tourist development of the city and region. Toruń's endeavours to be awarded this prestigious title have been reflected in key strategic documents: • ‘City of Toruń Development Strategy’ for the period 2008– –20 (Strategia Rozwoju Miasta Torunia na lata 2008–2020) • ‘Tourism Development Strategy for Toruń’ (Strategia Rozwoju Turystyki dla Torunia) • The ‘City Promotion Strategy’ (Strategia Promocji Miasta) whose strategic goal is to be awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2016. In all these studies, the direction for the city to develop through culture is underlined. One of the documents which was a basis for developing the strategy, was a sociological study entitled ‘Cultural awareness and activity among the inhabitants of Toruń’, carried out by the Department of Cultural Research of the Institute of Sociology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. Toruń – a European Capital of Culture is one of the three basic aims of the ‘City of Toruń Development Strategy’ for the period 2008–20. In line with the objectives of this study, investments in infrastructure and the recapitalization of artistic events currently taking place have a strategic function in terms of the goal of becoming a ECoC.

The vision of Toruń as a European Capital of Culture was also included in the ‘Tourism Development Strategy for Toruń’. Preparation of the city to act as a European Capital of Culture in 2016 was considered the overriding goal of all the activities under the priorities of the strategy. With a view to becoming a European Capital of Culture, a promotional strategy using culture was commissioned which would create the image of the city. This document was developed in 2007 by a territorial marketing agency Grupa Eskadra sp. z o.o. and winning the title is a strategic objective of this study. The organization of the celebrations is a part of long-term development plans for the whole province, as defined in the ‘Strategy for the Development of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship’ (Strategia Rozwoju Województwa Kujawsko-Pomorskiego do roku 2020) lasting until 2020. The most important element of the strategy is that tourism and culture are considered leading catalysts for the development of the province as a whole. The ‘Kuyavian-Pomeranian Regional Operational Program’ for 2007–13, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the EU's cohesion policy, is another important document that defines the strategy of the province. From the perspective of organizing the celebrations in 2016, an important strategic goal of the programme is to improve the quality and availability of social services in Toruń and the region through investment in infrastructure and the preservation of the cultural heritage. Achieving medium and long-term effects of celebrations in 2016 will be possible through the declarations made by the city authorities.

Including the organization of events in 2016 in the strategic documents of the city and the region, as well as a consistent policy of implementing the objectives recorded in them, will enable the achievement of long-term effects Being awarded the title of European Capital of Culture and the 2016 celebrations will impact significantly on the development of the city and its perception in Poland and Europe. In 1997, when the medieval urban complex of Toruń became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city received a lot of publicity. Nearly 20 years after, as a European Capital of Culture, Toruń will once again be on the lips of millions of Europeans. This time, in addition to its history, Toruń will be promoting a range of well-prepared and beautifully presented cultural events whose message will have an outstanding universal and European character. 2016 will mark the beginning of cultural initiatives that will stimulate the pride and identity of the citizens of Toruń. The city will gain a new image as a creative cultural centre with a particular emphasis on young Europeans. The organization of events outside the historic city centre, and the inclusion of inhabitants from disadvantaged districts in the planning and implementation, will contribute to the revitalization of these areas and stimulate local creativity. Owing to the infrastructure being established, events initiated in 2016 will be able to enter the permanent calendar of cultural events, thus contributing to a strengthening of cultural tourism. Spectacular events will help to strengthen the belief that culture can be a driving force for lasting change that will result in the development of the city and region.

The construction of unusual buildings combining science and art, for instance the Modernity Centre (Centrum Nowoczesności), which will become important tourist and cultural attractions in their own right will contribute to greater participation by the citizens in the cultural life of the city. Including projects which assume the cooperation of institutions from the entire region in the programme, as well as creating the so-called ‘cultural packages’ combining thematically similar events taking place in different towns, will become an important element in the process of building a new regional community which until now has had no chance to develop. The declaration of cooperation on the part of Bydgoszcz allows us to say that should Toruń be awarded the title, cultural events associated with the celebrations in 2016 will also be held there. The organization of the event will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening bonds between the cities, and accelerating the establishment of the Bydgoszcz-Toruń joint metropolitan area. The universal nature of the ideas underlying Toruń’s candidature will make our city an important centre for European cultural exchange, and the active involvement of our academic community, and those European universities cooperating with it, will contribute to creating the image of a city which promotes a lively discussion of European culture and identity.

According to the objectives of the ‘City of Toruń Development Strategy’ for 2008–20, after 2016 Toruń will become a modern cultural centre taking full advantage of its potential in developing cultural tourism 59

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

How does the city intend to achieve the effect of synergy and become involved in cultural activity assisted by European institutions? Know how – know why! In organizing the celebrations, the city intends to use various opportunities offered by European institutions to fund cultural activities. This approach will enable the achievement of synergy and contribute to producing longer-lasting results. Already, many cultural events and investments in cultural infrastructure are financed from EU sources, the Visegrad Fund and the EEA Financial Mechanism. We know how to do it and we know that it is worth doing!

The Visegrad Fund Poland, together with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, is a member of the Visegrad Group. Established by the governments of these countries in 2000, the Fund supports projects involving cultural collaboration, academic and youth exchanges, education and cross-border cooperation. Example of good practice: Two projects funded from this source have been implemented recently. One was the most recent ‘Altergravitation’ International Conjuring Festival organized by the ‘House of the Muses’ (Dom Muz), attracting individuals and conjuring groups from different parts of Europe. Demonstrations of live fire or magic street circus found a perfect setting within the Gothic architecture of our city.

Culture Programme 2007–13 The Culture Programme 2007–13 is the most important source of funding for cultural projects with a European dimension. Certainly, many people and cultural organisations from our city will be applying for funds from this very source, for collaborative projects (biennial, permanent, and with third countries), literary translation projects, or to support those in the arts who are active at a European level. Example of good practice: There is an ongoing two-year project funded by the Culture Programme 2007–13 led by the Baj Pomorski Theatre. In 2009, this institution under the leadership of Director Zbigniew Lisowski obtained around 200,000 euros for an international theatre project known as the ‘Children and Family in Contemporary Europe – Flying Festival’. The next step will be to apply for funding in 2013 to implement a five-year project with ten partners from across Europe, one result of which will be an international premiere in 2016.

Performance Gulliver’sTravels by the Baj Pomorski Theatre. International Puppet Theatre Festival ‘MEETINGS’ 2009

Youth in Action Investing in the future is one of the fundamental mottos of our city. It is, therefore, very important for us to promote the development of young people, inspire them, point out opportunities for development, and encourage them to take an active part in cultural and social life. Their satisfaction with current programs, youth exchanges, and educational and cultural projects, will bring dividends to the city in the years to come when as adults they will be making the decisions determining its identity. Examples of good practice: Supporting the international mobility of young people is a very important element of current cultural policy. Toruń 2016 as a partner of the non-governmental organization ‘Motyka Association of Youth Initiatives’ is implementing a project under Action 2 of the European Voluntary Service Programme. In 2010, volunteers from different European countries (including Spain, Greece, France and Georgia) are working in city cultural institutions. In 2010, the ‘Heart and Mind’ (Serce i umysł) Association from Toruń will be implementing an international project known as ‘Culturalion’, under Action 1.1. The project will bring together 30 young people from Lithuania, Latvia, Spain, Italy and Poland, who over seven days will take part in three workshops: an art workshop, during which they will create posters; a music workshop, on the technique of playing African drums; and a dance and theatre workshop, introducing them to the world of movement. The culmination of all these activities will be a happening, a form of ‘opening’ art for those who, because of poverty, cannot experience it every day.

PHOTO. Paweł Brakoniecki

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Investment in cultural infrastructure

‘Lifelong learning’

Expenditure on investment represents about 40 per cent of the total city budget in 2010 and constitutes its largest part. In the ‘Report on the State of Culture’, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Toruń and Bydgoszcz are second in Poland (after Warsaw) in terms of investment expenditure on culture. Toruń can boast extensive investments such as the modern multi-functional culture-and-congress hall in Jordanki worth about 35 million euros, right in the city centre with a capacity to sit 1,350 people in the audience, as well as smaller ones such as the modernization of the School of Music building including the construction of a concert hall. We are convinced that only a thoughtful and comprehensive investment in culture will bring the expected benefits for the city.

Erasmus, Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig – all four sectors of the ‘Lifelong learning’ programme will be sources of funding for 2016 in the field of education and vocational development. It is worth noting that Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, currently implementing the Erasmus programme, is already working with nearly 250 partner universities and in 2010 with approximately 500 program participants.

Examples of good practice: Great art... Innovation, modernism, modernity, design, collection, video art, conference, art-base, and education – these are keywords describing the first Centre for Contemporary Art designed and built from scratch in Polish post-war history. The value of the total investment was nearly 50 million Polish zloty (PLN), of which 66.41 per cent (about 30 million PLN) was obtained from the Integrated Operational Regional Development Program, while nearly 5 million PLN came from the state budget. The Centre was opened on 14 June 2008 becoming from then on one of the key features of the modern city.

...and everyday creativity A studio, atelier, workshop, office ... the list of the needs of those enabling and producing culture is very long. The city is trying to introduce many improvements that will make creative work and the organization of cultural events possible. In 2010, two revitalized buildings – the historic Baszta Gołębnik (Dovecote Tower) and the Brama Klasztorna (Monastery Gate) – which are part of the defensive walls surrounding the Old Town – will be made available to non-governmental organizations operating in the field of culture as well as to artists. These exceptional historic sites will house artists’ studios and the offices of such organizations. Both investments will be funded under Activity 7.1 of the Regional Operational Program of Kuyavia-Pomeranian region. The cost of the investment amounts 87,000 euros.

Example of good practice: The ‘Nicolaus Copernicus University Erasmus Convention’ is one of the major projects launched recently under the ‘Lifelong learning’ Programme. In connection with this initiative, 170 Erasmus students from Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Lithuania and other European countries came to Toruń. During the events scheduled for them, they were able not only to get to know each other, take part in lectures, but also visit our city and immerse themselves in its culture. ‘Folk’ was the leading theme of the project.

The Financial Mechanisms of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway The conservation of European cultural heritage, academic research and the promotion of sustainable development are just some of the priorities of this programme. The EEA Financial Mechanism also develops human resources thus strengthening the human potential in cultural institutions. Example of good practice: A Competent Official – A Friendly Office’ is a two-year project implemented by the city of Toruń in 2008–10, with a total co-financing of 256,317 euros. Language, postgraduate and specialist courses are just some of the key activities in the project. Thanks to its implementation, those working in administration, including cultural institutions in the city, can raise their qualifications, which is extremely important, especially in the context of cultural events of an international character organized in the city.

Instalation of Studio+Kitchen in the Centre of Contemporary Art PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Regional Operational Programs

EU framework programmes

The Regional Operational Program of Kuyavian-Pomeranian region follows the National Development Strategy for 2007–15. Its main aim is to create conditions for improving the competitiveness of the province as well as its socio-economic and spatial cohesion. The city of Toruń has been using the programme very actively to invest in the cultural and educational infrastructure, trying to make best use of the money from the European Regional Development Fund.

Framework Programmes 6 and 7 are the main financial tools through which the European Union supports research and development activities. Some of the activities supported by the programmes may also address culture and the arts in a broader sense.

Examples of good practice: Regional Operational Program of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Priority 7 Active and experiential acquisition of knowledge will be facilitated by the Modernity Centre (Centrum Nowoczesności) which follows the pattern of European scientific centres. The investment, planned for 2009–2012, will be funded (partially) by the European Regional Development Fund to the tune of 5 million euros. The facility, which encourages learning through play, will revitalise the industrial buildings of the Toruń Mills (Młyny Toruńskie) complex. It will be a unique region-wide tourist attraction featuring interactive education.

Regional Operational Program of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Priority 6 The primary mission of the International Centre for Youth Meetings (co-financed and exceeding three million euros) will be to pursue the active exchange of children, school pupils and students worldwide. They will promote the European integration process, develop and promote active forms of recreation and tourism among young people, and promote the region as a meeting place of different cultures and interests. The project is expected to include accommodation and catering facilities, and the development of sports and recreation areas. The first stage of implementation is planned for the period of 2010–12.

Example of good practice: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń participates in the CHARISMA (Cultural Heritage Advanced Research Infrastructures) project implemented under Framework Programme no. 7. The project involves 21 leading institutions from different countries of the European Union engaged in research into the properties of materials used in monuments. The aim of the participants is to improve existing research infrastructure by agreeing the methodology and principles of good practice in the field of conservation and restoration of works of art, and to achieve synergy based on the exchange of knowledge and resources. Nicolaus Copernicus University received funding of 244,000 euros for the development of an OCT tomograph adapted to examining historic buildings.

Other Programmes There are many more potential sources of funding than those presented above. When planning the financing of this year's film festival, the organizers of Tofifest used the Media 2007–13 Programme. We are planning to co-finance activities that support active citizenship and an understanding of cultural diversity from the Europe for Citizens Programme. The Human Capital Operational Programme is also worth mentioning; under it, we are going to apply for funds for the training of those involved in the celebrations of 2016 – language training for those serving tourists, specialist training for electricians, sound engineers and others involved in the technical support of artistic events, and finally the training of police officers and others, raising their ability to ensure safety during mass events.

The First Day of Spring 2009 PHOTO. Karolina Wiśniewska

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Light and dark sides of the moon – the strengths and weaknesses of our candidature Light sides Our candidature has very strong foundations that give us hope of winning the title of European Capital of Culture. These are primarily:

Summing up the long-lasting process of Toruń’s preparations to become a European Capital of Culture, we are fully aware of both our strengths and the problem areas that need attention.

The underlying idea

Copernicus as an inspiration

Our underlying idea is firmly rooted in the strong distinguishing features of our city. Its foundation is built on the five Pillars already mentioned: Copernicus, Gothic, Hansa, Vistula and Pulsar. Such an approach highlights the unique nature of our city. The starting point for developing the underlying idea was astronomy and Toruń is a major Polish astronomical centre. We have a dynamic research centre – the Astronomical Observatory in Piwnice boasts the largest radio telescope in central Europe – as well as an excellent working Planetarium which popularises astronomy. Astronomy is the leitmotif of our application and thus gives it its consistent and comprehensive character. The projects based on the Pillars of Toruń’s identity stand a chance of entering the cultural landscape of the city on a permanent basis.

Born and raised in Toruń, Copernicus is a recognizable symbol of our city; a humanist and a European; a universal character who changed the way the world is perceived. The versatility and universality of Copernican theory makes it possible for him to successfully serve as an inspiration not only for us, but also for the whole of Europe.

Gothic – a lasting legacy The Gothic is another recognizable symbol of the city. Our medieval complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and we have numerous well-preserved monuments located in the Old Town area within walking distance of each other, a phenomenon unique in Northern Europe. As one of our Pillars, Gothic is both an inspiration and setting for creative artistic activities.

Social involvement in the application process

The involvement of the academic community in the application process

While preparing to submit our application, we consulted various social groups as regards their expectations of a European Capital of Culture. We involved the community in decision-making processes – it was the citizens of Toruń who chose the logo of our candidature from carefully selected proposals. It was also the citizens who became the faces of the ‘I'm… – I support Toruń’ image campaign. Finally, there were the local and regional artists who submitted projects which became an important part of this application. These are just a few examples of public involvement in the European Capital of Culture project and this strong social dimension is a strength of our application.

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń is a renowned institution of higher education (fifth in the ranking of Polish universities) and provides research facilities important for certain aspects of our application. Representatives of the university are members of our Programme Council and their extensive knowledge was used to support the application’s conceptual work. Toruń is a university city where students constitute an important cultural audience, and therefore they will be co-creators of Toruń’s cultural landscape.

The involvement of the city’s inhabitants in social activities The citizens of Toruń willingly engage in original social activities. A collection of old keys which will be melted down into a model of Toruń's Old Town meant for the blind, was definitely a success. Such actions clearly show that Torunians are open and ready to jointly create the landscape of their city

Building on relationships with partners Together with the decision to be a candidate for a European Capital of Culture, Toruń has partnered Pamplona – a Spanish candidate for the title. It has also signed partnership agreements with nine towns and cities in Europe and elsewhere. We are capable of building lasting partnerships which we intend to strengthen by planning the celebrations for 2016.

The effective use of EU funds According to a Rzeczpospolita ranking (08.03.2010), Toruń is one of the leaders in the use of EU funds. We know how to obtain such funds for both ‘hard’ investments in the cultural infrastructure as well as for ‘soft’ cultural projects. Given our experience, we have planned that as many as 5 million euros of the total budget will come from EU funds.

The high standard and potential of cultural events currently organized Already, Toruń boasts a wide range of wellthought-out and well-organized cultural events. The Toruń Festival of Science and Arts, ‘Meetings’ (Spotkania) – the International Festival of Puppet Theatre at the Baj Pomorski, the ‘Blues Meeting’ held in Toruń’s famous club ‘Od Nowa’, are worth mentioning here. The high level of existing events is a guarantee of professional preparation of the events for 2016.

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

The large size of the urban space to be used for cultural purposes

Investments preceding the organisation of the celebrations

Toruń is a city with a large area of urban space which can be used for cultural purposes. The forts making up the 19th c. ‘Fortress of Toruń’, Philadelphia Boulevard (Bulwar Filadelfijski), and the areas of the Old and New Towns, are just a few examples ideally suited to outdoor events. A great advantage of Toruń is its size, ideal for any event, even one that is not held in the city centre, as it is impossible for it to go unnoticed. Reaching any district of Toruń is so convenient that it is no barrier to audiences of cultural events. Toruń is small enough to make it impossible to get lost and big enough never to get bored.

Among the investments scheduled for 2010–14, a number of projects in the field of cultural infrastructure can be singled out. The construction of a concert hall in Jordanki is especially important to our efforts to win the title of European Capital of Culture. Additionally, the Modernity Centre (Centrum Nowoczesności) and an International Youth Meeting Centre will be established in Toruń. Projects that increase the accessibility of the region, namely the construction of a second road bridge in Toruń, and a BIT-CITY Rapid Rail in the Bydgoszcz–Toruń joint metropolitan area should also be pointed out. The effects of these investments will become an important infrastructural element by the time of Toruń 2016.

Sports facilities to be used for cultural purposes Both the city and the region as a whole have a range of sports facilities which can be used for the organization of artistic events. These include venues such as Motoarena (a speedway stadium) in Toruń or Włocławek’s ‘Champions’ Hall’; in the coming years they will be joined by a venue for both sports and cultural events in Toruń scheduled to open in early 2013.

Motoarena PHOTO. Marek Chełminiak

The potential of business circles in Toruń and the region Business is dynamic in Toruń, represented by companies well-known on world markets which can make a significant contribution to the celebrations with appropriate promotional activities.

The Big Bang – basic principles and key ideas

Dark sides

The poor connection of the main railway station with the city centre The main railway station in Toruń is on the other side of the Vistula opposite the city centre. It is connected by a bridge which could be a communication hindrance for guests arriving at Toruń in 2016.

The lack of development on the left bank of the Vistula The viewpoint located at Kępa Bazarowa on the left bank of the Vistula facing the beautiful panorama of Toruń is underdeveloped. This viewpoint is directly connected however to the main railway station and thus should make a natural communication route, a kind of gateway to the city. There are many projects for developing Kępa Bazarowa, which could become one of the main tourist attractions for guests coming to events in Toruń. We hope that by 2016 the planned ‘Green Bridge’ project for developing the area will be carried out to highlight one of the most beautiful places in Toruń.

The lack of a deep understanding of the term cultural industry Cultural industry is a term that was first used in 1944 by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. Adorno and Horkheimer came to the conclusion that cultural goods are produced in the same way as consumer goods. In the modern world, culture is not only intended for elites and what is more, it is an economic engine and a catalyst for change. The term cultural industry should not be feared – mass and elite arts can interpenetrate, mutually enriching each other. Cosmopolis Fountain | PHOTO. Daniel A. Pach 70

2. A Space Journey

structure of the programme for 2016

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

vents in the programme: its assumptions, threads and script

Cosmic show in the Władysław Dziewulski Planetarium PHOTO. Marek Czarnecki

The key to the structure of our schedule is JOURNEY. We want to invite both the city’s inhabitants and visitors to a Space Expedition across a Universe of Culture. It will take place between the ten closely-linked Galaxies which carry the main threads of our programme:

Galaxy of Sounds

Galaxy of Words

A space filled with music. In the Galaxy of Sounds, through a variety of events, all kinds of music from classical through jazz, blues, and reggae to progressive rock will blend.

An open space for literary works: poetry, prose, and drama. 2016 will stimulate the talent of writers who using the magic of words will create works less ephemeral than one-off artistic events.

A space for exchanging ideas, both in humanistic disciplines such as philosophy, Galaxy of Thoughts sociology, history, cultural studies, ethnology and theology, and in sciences – in astronomy, physics and mathematics.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Galaxy of Vision

E-Galaxy

A very spacious Galaxy with such forms as painting, sculpture, graphic art, photography, illustration, installation, functional art, theatre, film, dance, opera, performance, happenings, cabaret, circus, outdoor events and video productions. Images to excite the viewer's imagination will be its strength.

Created for interactive activities taking place in virtual space using the most modern technologies such as multimedia installations, video art and animation. In the E-Galaxy we will try to combine traditional art with interactive forms.

Galaxy of Sensation

Galaxy of Interpenetration

Eco-Galaxy

This Galaxy will affect all the human senses. It will be a space ment especially for culinary and sporting events which will bring different generations and social groups closer together.

A plane of dialogue and encounter between different kinds of art. It is a space for interdisciplinary activities, especially for those merging science and art.

Created for events in which art and ecology border. Projects that will draw European attention to the increasingly urgent problems of the modern world in environmental protection, requiring our full awareness, will be found here.

A space filled with Polish-Spanish projLa Galaxia ects in various arts as 2016 will be a time Española for building bridges between Poland and Spain. In establishing partnerships with artists elsewhere in Europe, we will specifically include our Spanish partners and support areas of collaboration already functioning.

The last Galaxy of our Universe of Culture Undiscove- is the most mysterious one. When planred Galaxy ning the events for 2016, we are unable to predict all types of academic and artistic activity. The Undiscovered Galaxy gives us space for what now appears unrealistic but may become a reality in 2016.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

The script of the celebrations – a Cultural Solar Calendar Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Pope Gregory XIII, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, the Aztecs and the Mayans – they all introduced solar calendars, though not all of them were aware what they arose from. Thanks to Copernicus, Toruń’s outstanding

The Solstices

astronomer, we know that the Earth orbits the Sun in 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes and 9.54 seconds. Toruń 2016 will be a fascinating 366-day celestial journey, calculated according to our unique Cultural Solar Calendar.

21 March spring equinox

22 December winter solistice

22 June summer solistice

The summer solstice falls on June 22nd, the longest day of the year. It is in June that we are planning the largest number of events, justified by the history of our city because on June 24th Toruń’s patron saint, John the Baptist, is celebrated here. During June, a number of unique artistic, cultural and sporting events celebrating this holiday have been held for many years.

um m

We have adjusted the rhythm of the event to the revolution of the Earth. The dates defining the specific positions of the Earth in relation to the Sun perfectly synchronize with the script of the events of 2016. 21st March and 23rd September are the days of the spring and autumnal equinoxes, and therefore the time when the sun's rays fall vertically on the equator and day and night across the globe are of an equal length of 12 hours. For us, the time between these dates marks a unique half of the year, the period of increased tourism when the programme will be even more intense. It is worth noting that in the second half of March in 1965, Alexei Leonov was the first man to step out into open space. The beginning of spring will allow also us to leave theatre, concert, lecture and exhibition halls and initiate more frequent outdoor activities.

In many cultures, the winter solstice was regarded as the ‘rebirth of the Sun’. Saturnalia celebrated in ancient Rome, the Germanic Yule or the Slavic Nuptial Feast were all related in different ways to this. The end of December will be a symbolic time of rebirth for us, too. This is the time of reflection on the whole year, the closing ceremony and the beginning of our road to further transformations in Toruń.

23 September autumnal equinox

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

We would like to add that when planning, we very much wanted the participants of individual events to define the itineraries of their journeys, and the time of their completion, on their own. To this end, we want to create two unique tools that we believe will help audiences to access the events that interest them:

Globular Star Cluster effect A Globular Star Cluster is a grouping of gravitationally related stars with a clear concentration in the centre. In putting together our programme we want to achieve a similar effect. Apart from one big artistic event, which will be situated roughly in the centre, a cluster of smaller events of a similar nature will surround it, so that visitors to Toruń will be able to stay for a whole weekend and find more of what interests them.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Gravitational Anomalies Gravity cannot in any way be avoided. It is there and… that is it. In developing the programme, we want to approach it in an innovative way. Therefore, we will hand four individual weeks over to those from elsewhere in Europe and they will decide what is to happen and when. Well in advance, we will put a questionnaire on the website where anyone interested will be able to choose what concert they want to hear, for example in the first week of July. By these means, every European will get a chance to shape the programme for 2016. As coordinators we will provide a wide choice of proposals, but it will be Internet users who will ultimately choose upon the events of a given week. The entire procedure will take place early enough not to affect the overall organization in any way. International Light Festival Skyway 2009 | PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

Brussels, we are ‘Go’ for launch! The years 2012–15 will be a time of hard work. All the complex systems in our Spacecraft have to operate faultlessly: artists

promotion funds

personnel v infrastructure

All this in order to be able to say proudly on 1st January 2016:

‘All systems go, Brussels, we are ready for lift-off!’ On January 2nd, the Earth is always closest to the Sun, i.e. about 147 million kilometres away. Certainly this is the best time to be-

gin the countdown to lift-off with the presentation of our ten Galaxies. Each will have a dedicated day which will bring inhabitants and visitors closer to what they will be able to experience throughout the coming year. Ten days after the countdown we lift off! On January 12th we are planning to organize the official opening of Toruń as a European Capital of Culture. This event will be of a unique character. We would like the opening address ‘We proclaim the celebrations open’ to be said from … outer space. To this end, we intend to involve the International Space Station and the astronauts there who through a direct transmission will give the signal to start our cultural journey. Projects from the Galaxy of Sounds will correspond to the roar of engines and the sounds accompanying the launching procedure, since this Galaxy will dominate the first period of Toruń 2016.

6 hours, 9 minutes, 9.54 seconds We are lucky. As the Earth needs a few hours more than 365 days each year to circle the Sun, 2016 will be a leap year. This means we can be a capital for one extra day! February will be the time of reflection on the events that have taken place over the four years prior to 2016. This is a good time for academic conferences and an exchange of ideas which means events from the Galaxy of Thoughts.

1 hour 48 minutes of sensations April will be dedicated to the Galaxy of Sensation. During this time we want to draw attention to events not directly related to artistic, literary or academic activities, yet still belonging to the cultural world. The time given in the heading does not mean the length of

a football match between theatre groups (including the three minutes of additional time added by the referee) or the time taken to bake Toruń’s gingerbread. It is the number of minutes spent by the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, on April 12th, 1961. However different, all these experiences come into the Galaxy of Sensation.

Telstar E-Galaxy means modern communications in culture and art. In June 2016, it will have been 54 years since the American Telstar broadcast the first television pictures using a communications satellite placed in orbit. Since then, our world has remarkably changed and new technologies have been increasingly filling our daily life. In June, we want to focus on the role of technological development and its wider impact on culture.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

The Aphelion

Stretching Time

In July, we would like to highlight specifically the Polish-Spanish collaboration. On 5th July, the Earth is 152 million kilometres from the Sun, the maximum distance i.e. the orbit’s Aphelion. The same is true of our two countries which lie at the opposite ends of Europe. It is worth noting that July is statistically the warmest Polish month which means the atmosphere for collaboration will be perfect for both parties. Although common projects will appear in our La Galaxia Española throughout the year, it is in July that we are planning to cry a particularly loud ‘Ole!’

It is time to prepare for landing. December is when Toruń 2016 will end. The final element and accent of the programme will be the sorrowful closing ceremony which will simultaneously, however, be a joyful moment of opening new chapters of cultural development in our city. We will translate the words of Faust, ‘Beautiful moment, do not pass away!’ into the language of astronomy and culture and prove that time is not necessarily always the same. Indeed, hardly anyone knows that there is the so-called ‘leap second’, caused by the Earth’s retarding rotation. In order to synchronize the day, usually in December, an extra second is added to global coordinated time once every few years.

The Perseids The Perseids are regular meteor showers, the maximum intensity of which falls in mid-August. Watching the falling meteors would be a great preview of the Galaxy of Vision to which this month will be dedicated, as in August we want to invite audiences to give more attention to what is visual. The biggest event will be the unique setting of the Skyway Festival which, using the latest technological ideas, will show inhabitants and visitors the beauty of our city.

October 24th – a day off Pain, love, sadness, joy, suffering, and curiosity. Can all of them be described in words? Not always. Sometimes one has to remain silent. On October 24th, there will be no cultural events. In this way we intend to celebrate the deaths of all those who have taken part in the process of space exploration. According to prevailing superstition, no manned missions take off on 24th October as a result of the tragedies of 1960 and 1963 which occurred on that very day when in explosions on launch pads a total of 99 people were killed. The rest of this month will be devoted to the Galaxy of Words.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

This additional, 61st second at the last minute in December will be our added value, the symbol that our flight may be continued regardless of the finishing of 2016. Although we are trying to emphasize certain activities on the programme and systematize their chronology, we wish to stress that all Galaxies will be active throughout the year and our division only serves to pay particular attention to some creative, educational or artistic activities in each month. The journey through our Universe of Culture will be an exciting adventure. Here are a few examples of the events that will fill each of our Galaxies.

The view on the Old Town of Toruń from the Town Hall Tower | PHOTO. Adam Zakrzewski

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: Probaltica Mission launch pad: Gothic Trajectory: Partnership Destination: Galaxy of Sounds

Spacecraft name: ‘Mixtape’ Hip-Hop Festival Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Partnership, Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Sounds

The ‘PROBALTICA’ Music and Art Festival has been held in Toruń since 1994. Its idea was conceived even earlier – in the early 1990s – on the wave of the rebirth of the Baltic nations. The aim of the festival is to popularize the cultures of the countries located by the Baltic Sea, and a lively cultural exchange is its main foundation. Music and visual art are the main artistic activities within the festival .‘Probaltica’ has gained the approval of the European Commission as a fine example of an initiative integrating Europe.

The ‘Mixtape’ Hip-Hop Festival is an international festival of hiphop music held in the Rubinkowo district that contains the concrete blocks of flats of Toruń’s largest housing estates. For the three days of the festival, multimedia technology changes this residential area into an avant-garde stage of the independent hip-hop world. Hip-hop can be created at home which makes it possible for this genre to grow anywhere and at all times, but the results need a space where they could be presented. Toruń’s hip-hop scene is very diverse and has a reputation of being a strong Polish centre. Many great DJs and artists such as Małpa (The Monkey), Proximite, Czteras (4), PTP, Robert-D, GAF Med. Docent, Fox, MonoPoka, DJ Ike, Dj Who?List, DJPac1 and DJ Finger all come from Toruń. The scenery of these large concrete housing estates is a perfect background for this kind of music which is deeply rooted in such residential areas. Such an event will clearly enliven this district of Toruń which is already turning towards hip-hop culture – Rubinkowo has the first professional skate park in the city, very popular among young people.

Spacecraft name: Sound of a Vacuum Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Innovation, Partnership Destination: Galaxy of Sounds

Outer space is not a friendly environment for music. Sound cannot spread in a vacuum because particles that could transmit the vibrations produced are missing. Silence prevails. Is there any other way then to receive music? Yes, there is and it is on our planet. During 2016 we are planning to organize a series of concerts and dance events known as the ‘Sound of a Vacuum’ addressed to the deaf and hearing impaired. Dancing clubs will be equipped with transmitters strengthening vibrations as well as systems of visual or even scent prompts. Groups of dancers will be using sign language to allow the specific audience to interpret the emotions flowing from a given song.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Music and Art Festival of the Baltic Countries Probaltica 2010 PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: Literature Connects Mission launch pad: Gothic Trajectory: Partnership Destination: Galaxy of Words

Spacecraft name: Poetrimeter Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Words

In 1996, the twin cities of Toruń and Göttingen established a common Samuel Bogumił Linde Literary Prize, the only PolishGerman award given to authors who are building a dialogue between our two nations in a very a special way. The award winners so far have been outstanding Polish and German writers such as Sławomir Mrożek, Wisława Szymborska, Günter Grass, Olga Tokarczuk, Herta Müller, Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Karl Dedecius and many others. In 2016, it will have been 20 years since the establishment of an award which has found a permanent place in the cultural landscape of Toruń and Göttingen, and has gained a considerable reputation both in Poland and Germany. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, we are planning to prepare an international symposium, open to the public in the form of meetings of Samuel Bogumił Linde Prize winners on Polish-German relations in literature.

Poems affect human emotions in a special way. Poetry is not the most popular literary genre and few find a key to its lyrical puzzles and riddles. We want to change this and at several specific sites in the city, on its benches, we want to organize poetry evenings where famous Polish actors will recite poems of outstanding Polish poets. On such a bench, next to the actor reciting a poem, a multimedia image of the poet, as a materialized form of his or her spiritual presence, will actually ‘sit in’ on such unique evenings.

Aleksandra Ciżnicka, director of the Wiktor Kulerski City Library in Grudziądz PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

Spacecraft name: Say ‘Hello’ to an Alien Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Diversity Destination: Galaxy of Words

In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, the first humans on the moon, left on its surface a message recorded in dozens of languages. Similarly, NASA's Voyager probes have on board gold-plated discs containing a collection of images and sounds as a message to alien civilizations. What were the beginnings of interpersonal communication, and what might its future be? Why does nodding your head mean one thing in Bulgaria, and another in Poland? We want to find answers to these and many other questions by organizing a series of conferences on verbal and nonverbal communication dealing, among other things, with the history of the written word in Europe and the linguistic diversity of its contemporary inhabitants.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: Copernican Debates Mission launch pad: Copernicus Trajectory: Partnership, Diversity Destination: Galaxy of Thoughts

Spacecraft name: Space 2016 AD Mission launch pad: Copernicus Trajectory: Partnership, Diversity Destination: Galaxy of Thoughts

The project involves a series of annual Copernican conferences devoted to the definition of culture in the modern world with a strong emphasis on humanism and European cultural unity in diversity. The conferences will be of a multidisciplinary nature. We want to create a space to exchange ideas and allow academic disciplines to interpenetrate each other in order to answer key questions for Europeans: what is European identity and what role does culture play in building it? The implementation will be based on existing partnerships between Nicolaus Copernicus and other European universities. One of the discussion panels will be devoted to regional identity in our province.

Astronomy is a field of science which is developing dynamically. At the same time, the enormity of space means each successive discovery raises new questions and opens new areas of potential research. Are we getting any closer to uncovering the mystery of the universe? Do we stand any chance of discovering it? Europeans will find some possible answers to these questions during the ‘Space 2016 AD’ conference which will bring the most up-todate knowledge about the universe closer to us. This international conference will be organized in partnership with the Centre for Astronomy at Nicolaus Copernicus University.

Post-workshop exhibition, Winter holidays in the Centre of Contemporary Art 2009 PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: Skyway Mission launch pad: Gothic Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Vision

Spacecraft name: Tofifest Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Partnership Destination: Galaxy of Vision

The Skyway International Festival of Light, a week-long event first held in August 2009, has become a flagship event organized by Toruń 2016 and has perfectly fitted into the city's goal of becoming a European Capital of Culture. International artists, inspired by the architecture of Toruń and its links to astronomy, create light installations and unusual artistic events. Using light, multimedia projections, sound, and ‘interventions’, they transform public space giving the Gothic architecture of Toruń's Old Town a modern setting. The medieval walls become a space for unusual artistic activities; a place where art meets man. Skyway is an event which has a different main theme and expands its formula every year. The festivals preceding 2016 will prepare the ground as the festival in that year will recapitulate previous years in an unusual way. In 2016 it will be held under the slogan the ‘Art of Science’.

The Tofifest International Film Festival is a cultural event of high prestige. Compared to other festivals, it is characterized by a defiant spirit present both in the selection of films (including premieres presented during festivals in Cannes, Berlin and Rotterdam) and activities carried out in collaboration with local artists as well as alternative concerts held annually. All these events create a unique atmosphere during each festival. Tofifest creatively combines European, Polish and local dimensions, presenting films from each of these categories thus enabling a dialogue between them. The festival intends to strongly emphasize in its programme the cinema of those countries where the European Capital of Culture is located in a given year. Spain will be its special guest during 2016. Tofifest is trying to build a cultural bridge between high and popular art, presenting both the sophisticated auteur cinema and that which fits in with the popular mainstream. Workshop activities, seminars and meetings which accompany the festival, undermine conventional thinking about divisions in film art as well as pigeonholing films simply as better or worse.

Educational Theatre Association ‘Our Theatre’ in Włocławek PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: House of Europe – Flying Festival Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Partnership Destination: Galaxy of Vision

Spacecraft name: Folk Design Mission launch pad: Vistula Trajectory: Innovation, Diversity Destination: Galaxy of Vision

This is a theatre project based on the idea of ‘conversations’ on what we have in common in Europe. Project partners have been invited to the dialogue and will discuss Europe in the context of their native culture, social situation and historical background. The Baj Pomorski Theatre – the organizer of the annual ‘Meetings’ (Spotkania) of the International Puppet Theatre Festival – is a leading player in this endeavour, and is involving other theatres to organise international festivals for the ‘House of Europe – Flying Festival’. Each participant is to stage a premiere at home to promote European issues, contemporary drama and contemporary means of expression. The project involves a mutual exchange of performances between all project partners and in this way a ‘flying festival’ travelling throughout Europe will be developed. In 2016 a common performance with an international cast will be produced whose premiere is planned for Toruń. The ‘House of Europe – Flying Festival’ is a continuation of the ‘Children and Family in Contemporary Europe – Flying Festival’ being carried out under the Culture 2007–13 Programme.

The project involves making folk art in the region better known and initiating collaboration of folk artists with young designers from Poland and elsewhere in Europe. Adapting traditional folk motifs to contemporary applied art and creating a new regional product will be one consequence of their contact. The next stage will be a design festival attended by groups of folk artists from the region with those from outside Poland. Contemporary design, including furniture, crockery, cutlery, lighting, etc. will be presented, as well as socially-engaged design in the form of small architectural projects such as benches, sandpits and children’s playgrounds.

Stained Glass studio of Władysław i Wojciech Kozioł

Spacecraft name: 55 and Over – Mature Creation Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Vision

The project involves establishing a permanent theatre group formed by people aged 55+, who will prepare their dramatic exercises and performances on a regular basis. The groups will be led by professional actors and directors and their performances will be presented in cafes, clubs and arts and community centres in Toruń and other towns in the region. The project will be a continuation of the ‘Literary flash mob’ event, already organized by Toruń 2016, in which senior citizens recited poetry on the trams and buses in the city.

PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: Art for the Moment Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Innovation Destination: E-Galaxy

Spacecraft name: Open Yourself, Open a Drawer Mission launch pad: Vistula Trajectory: Diversity Destination: E-Galaxy

In collaboration with the Centre for Contemporary Art, a big LED screen connected to the Internet will be put up in the centre of Toruń. A graphic application will be made available online with free access for logged in users and, after registration, an artist will have 20 minutes to create a work of art which will be displayed on the screen. Such works will be transitory; however passers-by will have the opportunity to observe the process of their creation.

Building a regional identity is an underlying idea of this project. We will encourage the inhabitants of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region to open up their drawers and find old postcards, photographs and historical documents attesting to past life in our region. Pictures showing specific buildings and places will be juxtaposed with contemporary photographs of these places. The aim is to stimulate reflection on public space, its development, embellishment and treatment as a common good. The collected postcards, pictures and documents will enrich the resources of the KuyaviaPomerania Digital Library and be presented in the form a multimedia gallery, catalogued according to the places they show and the authors who produced them. Many photographs of our region at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries were taken by Aleksander Jacobi, who at that time had photographic studios in Toruń, Chełmno, Grudziądz and Inowrocław.

Spacecraft name: Thinking about Women: Lotte Jacobi Mission launch pad: Copernicus Trajectory: Innovation Destination: E-Galaxy

The year 2016 marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of the famous photographer born in Toruń, Lotte Jacobi, a granddaughter of a precursor of photography in our region. Within the ‘Thinking About Women’ project, we want to make this outstanding artistic photographer better known elsewhere in Europe. She took portraits of such famous figures as Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Eleanor Roosevelt. Materials collected in Tadeusz Zakrzewski’s album (developed and printed by a publishing house engaged in promoting outstanding female authors) will be used in this venture into virtual space. In subsequent versions of the project we will present other outstanding, and sometimes underestimated, women involved in the arts.

Film workshops. International Film Festival Tofifest 2010 PHOTO. Ernest Wińczyk

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: The Seni Cup Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Partnership Destination: Galaxy of Sensation

Spacecraft name: This Journey Will Change Your Art Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Sensation

The SENI CUP is an international football tournament for the mentally disabled which has been held in Toruń since 2001. Teams consisting of mentally disabled residents of social welfare homes, or participants of the occupational therapy workshops associated with them, take part in the tournament. The best teams from qualifying tournaments in Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia take part in the final matches in Toruń.

This project is a pilot residential programme of micro-level collaborations carried out by foreign artists, designers and curators with the inhabitants of Toruń. The temporary residents will be offered a taste of life in our city (walking, local trips, collective cooking, and numerous meetings with local people); all this in order to encourage them to produce works of art inspired by Toruń. Residential stays of at least one month will be an extension of this project. The programme will be investigatory, based on performances, lectures, workshops and activities in public spaces, where the participants will creatively use the potential of the city and region.

Spacecraft name: Artcoolinaria Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Sensation

Artcoolinaria is a series of workshops on the boundaries of culinary experimentation. These activities will include children investigating what types of colouring are hidden in vegetables and fruit, a story of colour calculated in kilograms. Artcoolinaria is also producing ‘shaking shapes’ – sculpting in jelly. The combined, colourful jellies will become the raw material from which the shapes will be created. To bring together the results of the workshops, a cookery book identifying the individual creators will be issued. During regular meetings held at the Centre for Contemporary Art, organisers along with the children will follow the ‘gastronomic’ designs and check nutritional value tables; they will be experimenting, designing and cooking.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

The Festival of Science and Arts 2005 PHOTO. Andrzej Romański

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: The Festival of Science and Arts Mission launch pad: Copernicus Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Galaxy of Interpenetration

Spacecraft name: Mobile Arts and Community Centre Mission launch pad: Vistula Trajectory: Innovation, Diversity Destination: Galaxy of Interpenetration

Organized by Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń’s The Festival of Science and Arts popularises science and art among the citizens of Toruń and the region. University academic staff and representatives of local enterprises and institutions (who present scientific achievements used in their work and the artistic activities they engage in) actively participate in an event presented over four days. Participants can become familiar from the inside with places usually inaccessible on a daily basis (such as laboratories, workshops and studios). The festival enables people to learn a scientific perspective on many issues and events in everyday life. One example of such a successful marriage of science and art is the B 61 Institute – a project bringing together science, theatre, song, drama and performance. The shows of the B 61 Institute invite the audience on a journey during which they participate in an interactive event whose scenario is based on connections between less obvious areas of science and contemporary art. Performances by artists and scientists together allow a high standard to be maintained on both planes of human activity. The work of the B 61 Institute project team utilises new spaces for artistic activity (the first presentation took place at Fort I in Toruń), popularises issues of astronomy, physics and medicine, and unites those involved in art around a common idea. Each performance by the B 61 Institute is a great event, prepared in secret and coming as a complete surprise for the audience.

This project aims at establishing a Mobile Arts and Community Centre – a kind of laboratory along the lines of touring cinemas which armed with suitable equipment, qualified staff and workshop materials – is going to set off on its educational and artistic journey through the districts of Toruń and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region. A modern arts and community centre is a lively place stimulating local activity while serving as a means of building bridges between different groups of inhabitants: the young and senior citizens, officials and members of the public, the rich and the poor. Participants in the programmes developed by the centres will not only be consumers, but also active co-creators of these cultural projects. Mobile arts and community centres will be directed at groups at risk of social exclusion. Spacecraft name: Metro Art Part Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Partnership, Diversity Destination: Galaxy of Interpenetration

B 61 Institute – endoscopy 2010 PHOTO. Magdalena Kujawa, City Council of Toruń

Toruń will become the background for the presentation of the cultural showcases of its nine partner cities, each of which will be invited to present the strengths of their ‘cultural landscape’. In this way, we will create an interdisciplinary event during which all the arts will be ‘interpenetrating’ one another. Metro Art Part is our kind of 'Stargate' to highlight European culture in all its diversity.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: ‘Moon Trees’ Park Mission launch pad: Vistula Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Ecogalaxy

Spacecraft name: Request to Aliens Mission launch pad: Pulsar Trajectory: Innovation Destination: Ecogalaxy

When Apollo 14 was taking off in 1971, none of us could have foreseen that one of the elements of this voyage would become a long-lasting symbol of our city. Ross Mitchell, an astronaut, took with him on board the spacecraft about 500 seeds of trees that became known as ‘moon trees’ after returning to Earth. We want to plant ‘moon trees’ in Poland, too – in Toruń and in other places in our region. Planting a mini park of such trees in Toruń will be a natural symbol of the European Capital of Culture celebrations linking Toruń with the cosmos.

We want to place in Toruń an inscription large enough to be visible from space. The idea behind this project is to send a message to ‘aliens’ which is both a request and a warning about the condition of our planet. In Toruń, the rectangular concrete pool in the middle of the university campus is perfectly suited for its implementation, above all because of its clear visibility from satellites. The message that we want to send into space is ‘More Oxygen’, together with a pictogram of an O3 (ozone) molecule. By 2016, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will have increased even more and will constitute an increasingly serious threat to environmental sustainability. This inscription will also be a clear slogan to ourselves, reminding us that our daily choices affect the future of Earth.

Spacecraft name: Eco Future Mission launch pad: Copernicus Trajectory: Partnership Destination: Ecogalaxy

Environmental degradation is one of the major threats developed by our civilization. Due to the nature of our candidature, we want to draw Europe’s attention to a growing problem hundreds of kilometres above our heads. Currently more than 10,000 satellites orbiting the Earth are in fact space junk, the remnants of earlier launchings. We are planning to organize an ecological conference on this very issue and invite European environmental organizations and specialists to collaborate. It is worth noting that for about 40 years now, on average, one piece of space junk a day has been returning to Earth. Most burn up in the atmosphere, but some fall into the oceans or other places on the globe.

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Breakfast on the grass PHOTO. Anna Wojciulewicz

A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

Spacecraft name: A Four-Hand Concert with Spain Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Innovation, Partnership Destination: La Galaxia Española

Spacecraft name: Republic of Youth Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Partnership Destination: La Galaxia Española

For many years now, Toruń School of Music has been organizing the All-Poland Competition for Piano Chamber Music, one of the very few events in Poland that promotes the performance of pieces for four hands or for two pianos. By 2016, we are planning to extend the competition formula and invite young musicians from elsewhere in Europe and the world to take part. A concert for two pianos by talented Polish and Spanish pianists will be another special event in 2016. In this way, culture from Poland and Spain – written for two voices – stands a chance of producing a common sound, full of beauty and harmony.

This project is an extension of our initiative which resulted in the establishment of the Youth Forum. We are going to invite young Spaniards – from secondary schools, university students and members of non-governmental organizations – to discuss the role of young people in shaping the cultural landscape of Europe. In this way we will create a space for mutual inspiration between the two countries joined in 2016 by a cultural bridge.

Parade. San Fermin 2008 PHOTO. Małgorzata Litwin City Council of Toruń

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Spacecraft name: Festival of Spanish Regions Mission launch pad: Hansa Trajectory: Partnership, Diversity Destination: La Galaxia Española

Spain is a country where regional differences in culture are exceptionally strong. In order to understand Spanish cultures in depth, one would have to go on a journey through all its regions and discover the richness of their customs, cuisine, music ... In 2016, however it will be enough to travel to Toruń to find this extraordinary diversity. Our Festival of Spanish Regions will enable us to discover the various cultures brought together under a single theme. We will also present the languages spoken there such as Basque, Galician, and Catalan. People in Spain tend to identify more with their region of origin than with the country as a whole and it is these languages that deepen the strong regional ties.

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A Space Journey – structure of the programme for 2016

How events are selected for inclusion in the programme

Elements of the programme addressed to specific target groups

At the first stage of preparing the application, we invited artists from Toruń and the region to contribute to our proposal by sending in their project outlines. After consultations among the Toruń 2016 team, and with the support of the Linz 09 Programme Director and a consultant to Marseille, Ulrich Fuchs, who gave us his opinion on the concept of our application we selected the project proposals to be included in the application. Projects submitted had to meet the criteria found on the form available at www.torun2016.eu and fit into the underlying idea of the Toruń 2016 application, i.e. to be based on one of the main themes: Copernican science/humanism, European cultural exchange, regional identity, cultural heritage, social movement/contemporary art/alternative art; and represent at least one of our three European principles: Innovation, Diversity and Partnership. Project writers were also to indicate the target group that would be addressed by their event. At this stage we did not require a description of how it was going to be financed or an example of a budget. This information will be necessary when detail for the programme is required following the short-listing stage. We also intend to hold another contest, open to all institutions and those involved in the arts who will want to join us in developing a detailed programme for 2016. The key for selecting projects will be their compliance with our Pillars and meeting at least one of our European criteria.

In developing the programme for 2016, we are thoroughly analysing the target groups to which we want to direct specific events and are planning to include events for children, young people, the elderly and the disabled. In selecting campaigns addressed to specific target groups we make sure that the young, elderly or disabled will not merely be passive audiences of cultural events. We will direct them to initiatives in which they will be able to get actively involved including the ‘Mobile Arts and Community Centre’, ‘55 and over – Mature Creation’ or ‘Sound of a Vacuum’. We would also like to direct our activities to those who are not audiences of cultural events in an everyday sense. A big challenge of 2016 will be to encourage and attract members of all social strata to participate.

Cultural projects which will be developed in coming years irrespective of the success of our candidature Our taking part in the contest for the title of European Capital of Culture has led to a real explosion of creativity among artists in Toruń and the region. Many of the ideas that have been put forward as a result of opening our Universe of Culture will be, or already are being implemented regardless of what will happen to our candidature. Such projects include the ‘House of Europe – Flying Festival’, featured in the Galaxy of Vision, or the Metro Art Part Festival, in the Galaxy of Interpenetration, in which Toruń’s twin cities will present their cultural wealth. The most important event, which had its origins alongside the idea of taking part in the competition, is the Skyway International Festival of Light which delivers the objective of transforming the historical centre of Toruń into a space for innovative artistic activity in the fullest possible way. Skyway is an event that has already found its permanent place in the cultural landscape of our city covering not only the Old Town but also other areas of Toruń. In addition to the special events planned for 2016, there are a number of others evolving in Toruń of great reputation and several years standing which by 2016 will have expanded their formula. These include the ‘KONTAKT’ Theatre Festival, the ‘PROBALTICA’ Festival and the Festival of Science and the Art.

Open call for projects within the Universe of Culture. Facade of the Artus Court PHOTO. Przemysław Draheim

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The Space Flight Centre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; organization and financing

3. The Space Flight Centre

organization and financing

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The Space Flight Centre – organization and financing

The planned structure of Toruń 2016

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journey into the Universe of Culture is our goal but the projects must be managed effectively and wisely if we want our Space Expedition to be a complete success. For this purpose, as early as 2008, the city set up our Space Flight Centre: Toruń 2016. It is from there that we are going to conduct our intergalactic navigation. According to its statutes, Toruń 2016 is a local government cultural institution organized by the City of Toruń, with the Mayor having the power to appoint or dismiss its director. It is financed by a specified-user subsidy from the city budget and currently employs fourteen, a number justi-

fied by the scale of preparation activities needed for competition documentation. It is planned to maintain current staffing until the decision on which city is to be a European Capital of Culture in 2016, at the end of 2011. In subsequent years, i.e. 2012–16, we assume a significant increase in the number of team members along with development of the organizational structure, until shortly before the beginning of the celebration when there will be about 100 staff.

The Director, who represents Toruń 2016 externally and assumes full responsibility for the entirety of its work, will manage it. Establishing a programme consistent with the underlying ideas of the application will be the Programme Director’s responsibility who, in the organizational structure, will be responsible to the Director and who will also exercise artistic supervision over the coordinators of the respective Galaxies. Coordinators will be responsible for individual thematic areas. The scope of their duties will include assuring the professional level of the projects making up the programme, preparing

plans for their implementation as well as submitting budgets for approval by the management. They will work closely with the Department of Event Organization, Department of International Cooperation, the Regional Coordinator and individuals and organizations outside Toruń 2016. The coordinators will also supervise the managers of respective artistic events. There will be three advisory bodies affiliated to Toruń 2016: the Programme Council, the ‘Council of Consultants’ consisting of European experts involved in the European Capital of Culture project, and the Council for Financial Management.

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The Space Flight Centre – organization and financing

Coordination at the regional level In planning the regional character of the celebrations, we have taken measures to facilitate the synchronization of events in those cities and towns collaborating with Toruń in the organization of 2016. We have decided that the most appropriate partner is the Marshal’s Office of Kuyavian-Pomeranian region, an organizational unit through which the Provincial Government performs its tasks.

Song of Songs Festival 2008 | PHOTO. Archive of S.O.S Music

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In view of the regional dimension, in March 2007 a letter of intent was signed between Mayor of the City of Toruń and the Marshal of Kuyavia-Pomerania. Already, in 2007, the signatories had stated that the City of Toruń and the Kuyavia-Pomerania would collaborate in the organization of the 2016 celebrations. Concluded on 9th June 2010, agreement no. PR-1162-3/10/2010 provided detail from this document according to which the Marshal of the Kuyavia-Pomerania declared: • that a coordinator would be employed for the region’s involvement in the 2016 celebrations, • support for the regional projects initiated by Toruń 2016, • provision of assistance from the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Information Office in Brussels. According to the agreement concluded, the responsibilities of the regional coordinator will include: • collaboration with the departments of the Marshal’s Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region, provincial cultural institutions and with the Representative of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region in Brussels, • participation in organizing and coordinating regional events implemented by Toruń 2016. Assistance from the Information Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region in Brussels will include: • implementing the policy of promoting the region in respect of Toruń’s endeavours to become a European Capital of Culture 2016, • distributing information material promoting Toruń as a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture, • seeking foreign partners for the implementation of educational, cultural, and sporting programmes.

With a view to strengthening relationships with the towns and cities that have expressed support for Toruń, we are now undertaking common cultural initiatives. Within the ‘Festival of Music’, coordinated by Toruń 2016, music stages will be found in Grudziądz, Inowrocław and Włocławek, other towns in the region. The number of events organized at the regional level will increase with the employment of an officer who, on behalf of the Marshal’s Office of Kuyavian-Pomeranian region, will be responsible for organizing and initiating such events.

If Toruń wins the title of European Capital of Culture for 2016, coordinators responsible for organizing events in a given area will be appointed in all the towns of the region that show the will to join in the celebrations. These officials will be responsible to the regional coordinator. Conditions of cooperation between the city and regional local governments developed already allow us to boldly state that Toruń is prepared to organize the celebrations on a regional level.

Song of Songs Festival 2008 | PHOTO. Archive of S.O.S. Music

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The Space Flight Centre – organization and financing

The methods and criteria for selecting artistic directors for given events We want to avoid the top-down appointment of managers for all events through a single procedure. We hope rather that the right candidates will emerge during the preparatory years, developing a number of their own smaller projects or working in consultation with Toruń 2016 on proposals for projects. It can be assumed that a favourable ratio is 2/3 managers who have gained experience in Toruń 2016 preceding the event, and 1/3 found and selected for the purposes of projects approved by the Programme Council. In the case of the first group, approval of a manager will be based on: • previous cooperation with Toruń 2016, • the attractiveness of an auteur project developed by the candidate, • experience in implementing a variety of projects, • proposed conditions for collaboration by both parties. In the case of the second group, approval of a manager will be based on: • an offer of the post sent to Europe's leading specialists in given fields who, according to the assessment carried out by Toruń 2016, the Programme Council and consultants, will best implement a given project, • an open competition decided on the basis of achievements, professional biography, interviews, and the proposed scenario for implementing a given task.

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Apart from documented achievements, the candidates should have a good command of foreign languages (English preferred), communication skills and the ability to collaborate creatively, i.e. on one hand, the ability to adapt to the requirements of joint activities and, on the other, the ability to defend their own vision and reject excessive institutional compromise (a strong creative backbone). Only in this way can we ensure a high level of events. The nature of their academic qualifications should not be a leading criterion here: the greater the diversity of this group, the more interesting the cultural offer.

Financing of the events The declarations of the city authorities taking part in the competition for the title of European Capital of Culture entailed concrete action. Beginning from 2007, appropriate funds have been set aside from the city budget to implement the tasks related to obtaining the title and this amount has been increasing gradually. These funds are spent on promotion and information activities, administrative costs, and financing events of high artistic potential, special versions of which will be included in the programme. Given current expenditure in connection with the city’s preparations, and the target number of events covered by the programme, the budget for 2016 as well as for the years preceding it, has been estimated. Working on the budget for 2016, we deliberately decided to allocate a part of the funds to finance regular events in both preceding years and in the period following. While we are working on our candidature, our thinking is of a long-term nature and the organization of 2016 is only one element in the strategy for the cultural development of our city.

The structure of the budget, the total amount and the sources

From the graph it can be seen that the budget for 2016 amounts to 37 million euros. The planned total expenditure for the organization of events from 2012 to 2018 amounts to 76,5 million euros

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The Space Flight Centre – organization and financing

Sources of funding The funds making up the budget for 2016 will come from a variety of sources as shown in the graph below.

3% 2%

Municipal budget for the City of Toruń State budget Budget for the Kujavian-Pomeranian Province

13%

EU and other funds

46%

Sponsors Sale of tickets Other

26%

St. John’s parade during the Days of Toruń PHOTO. Jacek Smarz

Sources of financing

Years 2012–2018 (in euros)

Municipal budget of the city of toruń

35,500 000

State budget

20,000 000

Budget for the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Region

10,000 000

EU and other funds

5,000 000

Sponsors

2,500 000

Sale of tickets

2,000 000

Other

1,500 000

Total

76,500 000

Structure of the expenditure

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The Space Flight Centre – organization and financing

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Relevant financial commitments by the city authorities

The budget presented was drawn up in consultation with the Department of Budgeting and Financial Planning of Toruń City Council. The Mayor of Toruń made a declarationon the funding which will be set aside from the budget planned for preceding years, 2016 and the period following as approved in a resolution of the city council.

Funds provided for infrastructure development: cultural and tourist facilities, and restoration

The total value of planned investments is 77 million euros, of which about 22 million are for investments in the maintenance and revitalization of the historic fabric of the city. Investment plans relating to the further development of the cultural infrastructure, as well as maintenance and restoration, are described in detail in Part 4 of this application: Investment plans until 2016.

The involvement of sponsors and their intended financial contribution

The city has already taken steps to activate the business community towards cultural patronage. The city authorities have organized conferences on collaboration between business and culture, as well as conducted direct negotiations. On the basis of the potential developed in preceding years, it will be possible to acquire sponsors for the celebrations. Based on the experiences of previous European Capitals of Culture, Toruń is planning to have different levels of sponsorship matching appropriate forms of promotion by sponsors. The slogan to stimulate sponsors to co-finance the event will be ‘Buy the sky!’ The forecast contribution of sponsors to the celebrations has been estimated tentatively at 2,5 million euros.

The funds guaranteed by the City of Toruń will be set aside beginning from 2012 and, according to information received from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on 18 June 2010 (no. DWZ/886/10), the state budget will subsidise the celebrations from 2014 onwards. According to the Decision of Marshal of the Kuyavian – Pomeranian Region nr KN.P.0724-15/2010 in case of successful progression of Toruń in the application process, the financial support of the events taking place in Toruń and in the region will increase significantly. The funds coming from the budget of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Region will be secured in the years 2012–18. Sponsorship agreements will be concluded over the period 2012–15, while the projected revenue from ticket sale will be estimated in 2015.

The schedule of determining elements of the budget if Toruń is granted the title of European Capital of Culture

The range and complexity of the programme requires the establishing of a special system of financial management. To this end, within Toruń City Council a unit responsible for determining the budget allocation, and the continuous evaluation of its implementation, will be set apart. This unit will be working closely with the Accounting Department of Toruń 2016 and the Toruń ‘Cultural Observatorium’ (an organisation for the assessment and monitoring of the celebrations). Toruń 2016 will provide information on the events planned for 2016 and preceding years, while the ‘Cultural Observatorium’ will carry out a prior evaluation of these events in terms of achieving projected social, cultural and economic outcomes. On this basis, it will be possible to develop an effective plan for the allocation of funds provided for the implementation of the Toruń 2016 programme. The system of income and expenditure adopted will allow us to clearly determine which events have been financed and how it has been implemented. Each of the planned events will be assigned an appropriate outcome indicator, thus making it possible to evaluate the degree to which objectives have been implemented and checked by the ‘Cultural Observatorium’ on a regular basis. The Council for Financial Management, will supervise expenditures. In addition, we are also planning to carry out external audits.

The system of monitoring and assessment of financial management

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4.Our Ground Base the city’s infrastructure

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International accessibility

he city’s strengths in communication accessibility Toruń’s favourable location at a crossroads of European routes leading from east to west and from north to south significantly influences international, domestic and regional transport and communication within the city itself. The maps present Toruń's location.

Toruń

Gdańsk Szczecin S-10

A-1

Bydgoszcz

Poznań

Białystok

Toruń S-10

A-1

Warszawa

Łódź Wrocław

A-1

Katowice Kraków

Lublin

A Trans-European Transport Corridor runs through Toruń from Gdańsk in the north to Cieszyn in the south, and further through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and on to the Balkans. It is through this corridor that the international E 75 (national trunk road no. 1) runs towards the south of Europe. Until 2011 Toruń will be linked with the A1 motorway, important for both domestic and international communication. The city has coach connections with such destinations as Vienna, Athens, Barcelona and Alicante, as well as Paris, Bordeaux and most cities in the UK. The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport in Bydgoszcz, located about 50 km from Toruń, provides direct connections to Düsseldorf, London, Dublin, Liverpool, East Midlands and to Warsaw. Work currently underway on the expansion of the passenger terminal, construction of check-in desks and renovating the runway and taxiways, will certainly attract new carriers and establish further connections to the main airport hubs in Europe. In turn, direct and efficient access (about 40 minutes) from the airport to Toruń Główny (the main railway station) will be provided by the BiT-CITY Rapid Rail whose construction will have been completed by 2014.

Józef Piłsudski Road Bridge | PHOTO. Adam Fisz

Accessibility from other Polish cities The city’s central location in Poland includes convenient road and rail links with Warsaw (200 km), Gdańsk (180 km), Poznań (150 km) and Szczecin (300 km) all of which have international airports. There are three national trunk roads passing through Toruń, the S10 – a dual-carriageway from Szczecin, through Toruń, to Warsaw, trunk road no. 15 – from Wrocław, though Toruń, to Olsztyn, and trunk road no. 80 – connecting Toruń and Bydgoszcz. A clearway S10 Szczecin – Toruń – Warszawa | PHOTO. Daniel Pach

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A significant advantage in terms of national communication will be Toruń’s second road bridge across the Vistula (together with access roads) which, thanks to co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund, will be opened in 2013. Until then, helped by further co-financing from European Union funds, the city will implement a number of other investments aimed at a major reconstruction of the city’s internal communication framework. These include in particular the construction of an east-west route through the north of the city, a northsouth route (Staromostowa), as well as the modernization of Szosa Lubicka as an access road to the A1 motorway. There is a coach station and three railway stations in the city. The coach connections are with such cities as Gdynia, Olsztyn, Warsaw, Lublin, Łódź, Kraków, Katowice, Wrocław, Poznań and Szczecin. Direct trains leave Toruń’s main railway station for Poznań, Bydgoszcz, Olsztyn and Warsaw.

Rubinkowo District PHOTO. Marek Czarnecki

Our Ground Base– the city’s infrastructure

Regional accessibility An extensive system of local roads allows easy communication with Toruń for those who live elsewhere in the region, complementing national and provincial networks. Regional accessibility is also provided by a well-developed railway network. Another important element which will improve Toruń’s accessibility within the region is the BiT-CITY Rapid Rail planned between Toruń and Bydgoszcz.

Toruń’s accommodation potential and tourist facilities Ever since tourism became a leading element in the city’s development, accommodation facilities have been expanding. In 2003, 25 facilities offering year-round accommodation, with space for up to 1,427 guests, were operating in the city. By 2007, the number had increased to 35 and could accommodate an additional 730 visitors. Currently, 31 hotels, nine hostels and a campsite, youth hostels, and even agritourism farms are in operation, together providing a total of 3,043 beds.

We want to get accommodation facilities elsewhere in the region involved in the celebrations of 2016 to complement those in the city. In settlements within a distance of 70 km from Toruń, 10,430 beds in hotels, motels and inns are available. Overall, in addition to seasonal private accommodation, there are 20,256 places in 362 facilities within 140 km of the city. The nature of Toruń’s accommodation facilities is consistent with the image of the city. They are located in renovated 19th, 17th, and even 13th c. buildings, ancient granaries, an Old Mill (Stary Młyn) and 19th c. barracks, and combine historic atmosphere with contemporary standards. Visitors to Toruń delight in the beauty of medieval town houses and granaries, so the city authorities have adopted a strategy of selling historical buildings to investors in the hotel industry, and as a result the Heban and the Solaris Hotels have already been established. It is forecast that by 2016, other facilities of this type, with about 200 additional beds, will have been opened. In 2010 a two-star hotel of the French B&B chain, with 93 rooms, located near the coach station was completed. By the year 2011 a four-star hotel on Bulwar Filadelfijski (Philadelphia Boulevard) with two swimming pools, about 150 hotel rooms and several suites is to be completed Parking spaces are yet another important element of efficient service for tourism. The total number serving the Old Town and its surroundings is 1,962. At the moment, 4 other car parks are being built. Thanks to those investments there will be 1,000 additional parking spaces in Toruń.

A visualisation of the four star hotel Wodnik

Baj Pomorski Theatre | PHOTO. studiozz@wp.pl

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Investment plans until 2016

• The adaptation of the historic Dovecote Tower (Baszta Gołęb-

Toruń is a leading Polish city in terms of the use of EU funds. The value of funding contracts signed by the end of 2009 at 2,331 PLN per city inhabitant is more than twice the average for the country as a whole amounting to only 1,100 PLN. This allows the simultaneous implementation of many infrastructural investments aimed at preparing the city to host the 2016 celebrations. Among the most important cultural infrastructure facilities which the city can now boast, there is the Centre for Contemporary Art (established in 2008) the first devoted to contemporary art designed and built from scratch in Polish post-war history, the Baj Pomorski Theatre renovated in 2006, the District Museum (Muzeum Okręgowe), the Wilam Horzyca Theatre, Artus Court (Dwór Artusa) with chambers capable of holding symphonic concerts, as well as the concert hall at the School of Music and the Aula, a large hall at Nicolaus Copernicus University. The infrastructure currently at the city’s disposal is complemented by a number of projects covering cultural infrastructure as well as cultural revitalization and maintenance, planned for 2010–16.

nik) and Monastery Gate (Brama Klasztorna) into art studios and offices for non-governmental cultural organizations. • The development of the area around Philadelphia Boulevard (Bulwar Filadelfijski).

Total planned investment equals 77 million euros, of which about 22 million are for the maintenance and revitalization of the historic fabric of the city. The most important include: • The concert hall in Jordanki • The International Centre for Youth Meetings • The Modernity Centre (Centrum Nowoczesności) • Toruń Old Town – conserved and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site • ‘Toruń – The Hansa by the Vistula’

The concert hall in Jordanki The project involves the construction of a concert hall for the staging of large international and national cultural events in the fields of music, theatre and multimedia, with a total audience capacity of 1,350. Designed by a Spanish architectural practice, the facility will be close to the historical city centre and the ‘Signs of the Times’ Centre for Contemporary Art, and will be tangible evidence of our efforts to become a European Capital of Culture. The project’s value is 35 million euros.

The International Centre for Youth Meetings The project was conceived to create a database to enable active exchange between children and young people from around the world. This investment will help to strengthen the process of European integration as well as develop and promote active leisure activities among the young. The total value of the first stage of the investment is 6 million euros.

The Modernity Centre Within the project of revitalizing degraded post-industrial facilities, part of the complex of Toruń Mills (Młyny Toruńskie) at Kościuszki, Łokietka and Dworcowa Streets, a modern learning centre offering an opportunity for interactive education will be established. Through play and experiment (a departure from

the ‘look but do not touch’ formula, to ‘touch and check it out’), the Modernity Centre will provide visitors with independent, active and experimental learning and the development of understanding of science, technology, nature and culture. The total investment amounts to 8 million euros.

Toruń Old Town – conserved and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Among a series of projects undertaken in the field of cultural infrastructure, projects concerning the conservation of the historic fabric of the city should be emphasized. The most important of the investments implemented in revitalization is the one involving restoration work, renovation and adaptation of selected historic buildings of the Old Town complex, including the District Museum, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny), St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist Cathedral (św. Jana Chrzciciela i św. Jana Ewangelisty), and St James’s Church (św. Jakuba Apostoła). The total investment is 10 million euros.

Center of Contemporary Art ‘Znaki Czasu’ | PHOTO. Wojciech Olech

‘Toruń – The Hansa by the Vistula’ To emphasize the Hanseatic tradition of Toruń and create new touristic product, in collaboration with the League of Polish UNESCO Cities and Sites, the implementation of a project named ‘Toruń – The Hansa by the Vistula’ has been planned. The investment project involves upgrading the Old Town Hall, Esken House and the Teutonic Knights’ Castle, as well as developing Szeroka and Królowej Jadwigi Streets by placing the coats of arms of the citymembers of the Hanseatic League as well as guild symbols into the surface of the street itself. The total investment is 6 million euros. Visualistaion of the Concert Hall in Jordanki

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Adaptations of ancient city gates and towers as art studios and offices for non-governmental cultural organizations A growing revival of creativity has been taking place alongside the city’s efforts to become a European Capital of Culture 2016, and projects to support this have been developed involving the preparation of infrastructural facilities to be used as art studios and offices for non-governmental organizations. To this end, the implementation of a comprehensive project involving the adaptation for cultural purposes of three gates and towers (Baszta Gołębnik [Dovecote Tower], Krzywa Wieża [the Leaning Tower] and Brama Klasztorna [Monastery Gate]) is planned. The Leaning Tower was adapted as the first and is now the seat of Toruń 2016. The value of the investment amounts 87,000 euros.

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Astro-Base

Road and rail infrastructure

Among investments made by the regional government, the project called ‘Astro-Base’, involving the construction of a network of astronomical observatories throughout the region, is worth noting. They are to be established in 14 locations: Brodnica, Dobrzyń nad Wisłą (Dobrzyń on the Vistula), Gniewkowo, Golub-Dobrzyń, Gostycyń, Jabłonowo Pomorskie, Kruszwica, Radziejów, Rypin, Świecie, Unisław, Zławieś Wielka, Żnin and Inowrocław. All the centres are to be set up at schools and thereby enriching their educational offer. According to its objectives, as early as at the end of 2011 the first students will be able to observe not only astronomic features close to the solar system, but also distant star systems and galaxies, ‘islands of the universe’, millions of light years from Earth.

For the period 2010–14 significant investments in road and rail infrastructure have been planned among which the following should be singled out: • construction of a road bridge over the Vistula River, together with access roads – an investment with a total value of 230 million euros • upgrading Toruń’s road network with new and improved roads – an investment worth a total of 30 million euros • construction of the BiT-CITY Rapid Rail in the Bydgoszcz-Toruń joint metropolitan area and the integration of the transport systems of both cities. The contribution of the City of Toruń amounts to 49 million euros and is a project implemented in partnership with the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region.

Development of the Philadelphia Boulevard area

The Martian Base

Toruń’s Old Town, together with a surrounding green belt, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Therefore, in addition to projects for the revitalization of the Old Town, others are aimed at enlivening Bulwar Filadelfijski and developing the area of Kępa Bazarowa for viewing purposes. Within the Bulwar Filadelfijski development project, preparation of technical infrastructure, an open-air cinema, sculpture exhibitions, and viewing telescopes are planned. The objectives of a separate project, entitled ‘Green Bridge’, envisage the adaptation of Kępa Bazarowa as a lookout point together with small architectural features characteristic of a medieval Hanseatic port. The value of the investment amounts 2,5 million euros. In addition to these, several other initiatives are worth mentioning.

Plans to build a prototype of a Martian Base in Toruń, simulating conditions in which the first astronauts will be living on Mars, are currently at an initial stage. The Mars Society Foundation is the originator of the project which would be the first such base in Europe, alongside the two already existing in the USA in Utah and on the arctic Devon Island. According to the plans, the Polish base will be expanded through pneumatic modules which will increase the usable area several times and allow a certain self-sufficiency (e.g. by growing fresh vegetables, an extensive system of CO2 recycling and energy recovery). The base will be a platform for the development of an interdisciplinary research centre focusing on space technologies and their transfer to other sectors of the economy, as well as serving the education of children and young people.

A joint undertaking of the City of Toruń, the provincial local government and the Ministry of Sport will be to build a sports-andentertainment hall on Bema Street. The hall will sit up to 5,000, with the possibility of extending it by an additional 1,500 seats. The objectives ensure that in addition to its sports function, it will also serve as a venue for educational and cultural events: congresses, conventions, fairs, exhibitions, symposiums, concerts and theatrical performances. The value of the investment amounts to 31 million euros. According to the schedule presented, all major investments in the city's infrastructure will have been completed by 2014. This is a deliberate action of the city authorities so as to be able to increase the funding for the organization of cultural events in 2016. The schedule of work

on the implementation of the most important investments

Description

2010 2011

2012

2013

2014

Construction of the concert hall in Jordanki The International Centre for Youth Meetings The Modernity Centre Toruń Old Town – conserved and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Toruń – The Hansa by the Vistula Adaptation of the historic Dovecote Tower and Monastery Gate for art studios and bases for non-governmental cultural organizations Development of the Bulwar Filadelfijski (Philadelphia Boulevard) area Construction of a road bridge over the Vistula River, together with access roads Upgrading Toruń’s road network with new and improved roads Construction of the BiT-CITY Rapid Rail in the Bydgoszcz–Toruń joint metropolitan area and the integration of the two city transport systems Astro-Base The Martian Bases

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5. Interplanetary Link-Up communication strategy

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ommunication strategy objectives Aims of the communication strategy Our Universe of Culture needs an ‘Interplanetary system of communication’ which will ensure effective communication of ideas at local, regional, national and European levels and provide all participants with an opportunity for an open dialogue and exchange of opinions and ideas. The communication strategy, therefore relates to the broader context of the European Capital of Culture celebrations, and its objectives will coincide with those set out in this application, but they will also develop and expand their meaning. The tasks in the field of communication will include: • promoting Toruń’s European Capital of Culture offer and promoting the city as a tourist destination, • producing the image of Toruń as a place where tradition meets modernity, thus creating a space for artistic activity, • reaching out to a wide audience (local, regional, European, global), • encouraging potential audiences to get involved and generate the effects desired – their arrival and longer stays in Toruń, • emphasizing the European perspective as well as Toruń’s role in contemporary Europe. It should be noted that these tasks determine the external nature of the communication strategy by addressing the potential audiences of the European Capital of Culture offer. The process of developing the programme for 2016, however, is also important – the title of European Capital of Culture is awarded to a city, which means to its inhabitants, and it is to their creativity, energy and ideas that the final shape of the programme will depend on, and it is they who will give it its unique character and atmosphere.

Spreading the idea of the European Capital of Culture in the kindergartens of Toruń

In this case, the communication strategy aims at: • providing those who live in Toruń with comprehensive information about the European Capital of Culture – the objectives of the competition, what it demands and the benefits it brings, • encouraging them to participate in developing the city’s offer and creating a social dialogue leading to greater social inclusion, • promoting new opportunities for professional involvement in organizing events for the European Capital of Culture, for instance through volunteering, • updating on work in progress and dispelling any doubts that might lead to a potential crisis, • building a sense of local pride and making the inhabitants the city’s natural ambassadors and hosts.

PHOTO. Przemysław Draheim

Target groups Being aware of the infinity of the Universe of Culture induces us to realize the infinity of civilizations. Therefore, we assume that the communication strategy will be addressed to the widest possible audiences at local, regional, national, European and global levels. We are committed to involving all social groups in the celebrations: children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, disabled, businesspeople, policy makers, politicians, net surfers, enthusiasts, and not forgetting tourists visiting the city and region for the first time. A very important target group are those who for various reasons do not take part in cultural life at present, and who we want to persuade to change their attitude. The media play an important role in the process of communication; hence, the project will put a strong emphasis on public relations, including the creation and development of successful

collaborations with journalists at local, national and European levels, building positive relationships and opening dialogues leading to better understanding and communication.

The main message The ‘Interplanetary system of communication’ is to ensure that the message sent across the Universe of Culture will be properly received and understood by the inhabitants of the city, region, Poland, Europe and beyond. It should also lead to creating in the minds of our audience – after translation according to their own decoding system (language, knowledge, cultural context, etc.) – an image consistent with our intention. Therefore, the basic assumption and expected result of the communication strategy is to ensure consistency of the message in all activities and among all target groups.

The subordination of the entire system of visual identification to the underlying idea of our application will provide this consistency. The Universe of Culture is therefore the starting point for creating a graphic system which will be used in all promotional materials, including the project website, brochures, leaflets, banners, all kinds of promotional items, and materials for the press. The nature of the promotional events we plan, for example traditional and ambient advertising, will be based on cosmic imagery.

Planned activities The complexity of the cultural offer in our Universe of Culture requires us to develop a diverse programme of activities. The effectiveness of our impact will result from the continuity and complementarity of what is carried out which together will produce an effect of synergy.

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Below are some examples of directions that have already been followed, or will be, as part of our promotion strategy. The complete schedule will be developed at a later stage.

Branding Toruń 2016 The branding of the project involves collaboration with the largest possible network of partners: cultural institutions, administrative authorities, businesses, hotels, restaurants, schools and research centres. This will create a group of natural ambassadors for promoting the project. Each of our partners will be equipped with a set of promotional materials such as the project logo, programme brochures, and small promotional items which will be deployed at a given location. Special presentations, debates and meetings are designed to provide partners with as much information about planned activities as possible so that they will become a reliable source of information.

Modern technologies We intend to take full advantage of modern technology. The www.torun2016.eu homepage now serves as an interactive communication platform created by its users (user comments, connection to community sites, collaboration with online forums and portals of social journalism, etc.) and offers a wide range of options (subpages for themes or for selected art forms, space for e-discussions and e-conferences, reports from events). Collaboration with various partners will create almost unlimited opportunities for participation in cultural events by facilitating the booking and purchasing of tickets, the making of hotel reservations, arranging transportation, etc.

The site is also to be a very valuable tool for generating the PR content to be used to communicate with the media. The organization of numerous surveys, contests and question and answer pages, to be used for wider communication, will serve this purpose. Collaboration with companies in the modern technology sector will prepare an advanced programme reaching far into the future in its scope and opportunities. Right now we are using the most modern solutions to streamline our PR operations and have introduced a virtual press office – a modern tool of communication with the media – using netPR.pl technology, and found on media.torun2016.eu.

The city’s offer We are planning to prepare a special campaign to mobilize the city as host to a European Capital of Culture, to include the greatest number of partners possible and develop a common and attractive tourist offer. Its target audience will be those partners forming the infrastructural base of the city: hotels, restaurants and shops, as well as state and private cultural institutions and clubs of all kinds. For this purpose, a special presentation on the European Capital of Culture, with particular emphasis on its value for the economic development of the region, will be developed. We are going to present the achievements of other cities as the examples of good practice, alongside details concerning Toruń’s cultural offer: the artists, the programme, the promotional schedule and other aspects. It will be presented at meetings with representatives of interested groups during which we will focus on dialogue and effective ideas, and the offer produced will be used to promote Toruń in the region, Poland, Europe and the rest of the world. Image campaign ‘Toruń has its address’ | PHOTO. Patryk Lewandowski

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Fête de la Musique 2010

PHOTO. Joanna Gus

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Public relations

Project media partners

Special events

• A ‘Parade of Galaxies’ – a happening as an invitation to visit

Public relations are understood here as a wide range of activities carried out in collaboration with the media which are intended to provide both ongoing support of current events and to constantly promote the main message of the European Capital of Culture. Among the activities planned in this regard, the following can be mentioned: • media tours (study visits) organized for Polish journalists in partner towns abroad and/or other cities that have yet to host the European Capital of Culture, and visits to Toruń for foreign journalists, • media tours for journalists from other Polish cities (presentation of objectives, plans, ideas and achievements so far), • press conferences and media events (opening and closing celebrations, exhibition openings, inaugural concerts, performances, festivals, etc.), • ongoing support for all media events, debates, conferences and so on, • continued collaboration with the media (interviews, press releases, sponsored articles, presentations and meetings with individuals).

The variety of events gives us an opportunity to acquire a wide range of media partners who will support us in reaching out to wider audiences. We anticipate various forms of collaboration: advertising, sponsored programmes, banners, dedicated radio and TV programming and the possibility of obtaining regular airtime, and many others. We are intending to attract local, national, European and world partners, to collaborate with leading TV information channels (such as BBC World News, EuroNews), cultural ones (e.g. Mezzo), scientific ones (Discovery Channel, National Geographic) and others. We are planning to attract partners from among the daily and trade press, Internet portals and radio. We will increase our negotiating power by working closely with the Spanish Capital of Culture, developing a common supported offer involving numerous joint undertakings.

Our ‘action plan’ involves the organization of a number of surprising and unconventional events that will attract the attention of both the public and the media so as to give us media presence. In organising them, we will be guided by innovation, but always within the principle of consistency in communication. We are also planning to engage artists (a kind of brainstorming) which will yield truly unique ideas. Among examples of projects we can mention the following: • Time Capsule – a specially designed vehicle equipped with modern technology which can be entered and selected programmes used (a flight programme, a programme for time travel around Toruń, Europe, history, culture). We intend to introduce this project to other cities. • The ‘Toruń Solar System’ – a unique 3D demonstration (laser or any other form of animation) being a transformation of real outer space into the Universe of Culture and its individual Galaxies. This would be broadcasted within the city space as a reference to the proximity of different forms of art and culture to everyday life

Toruń. Specially designed giant walking ‘sculptures’ representing respective Galaxies will attend the parade. • New Year's Eve 2015 – we are going to start celebrating Toruń becoming a European Capital of Culture on 31st December, 2015. Hotels and restaurants will be waiting to welcome tourists arriving in Toruń with special offers and their guests will be able to find out details of journeys in the Universe of Culture. New Year's Eve in Toruń will encourage people to take part in the grand opening of the 2016 celebrations.

Presentations at national and international fairs and events We are planning to participate in various events in Poland and Europe and intend to develop a schedule of major occasions that will provide us with the greatest possible exposure. As in the case of special activities, we want to stand out and attract attention from our own city’s inhabitants and the media, and hence our participation will be of an original, ‘cosmic’ character.

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Crisis management Potential crises are an inevitable part of any activity which is why we intend to get ready for such an eventuality. For this, points at which a crisis may occur will be identified, with appropriate remedial procedures put in place. We assume a wide collaboration with various services (the police, emergency services, fire brigade, etc.) to develop optimal solutions (identify points of potential crisis, emergency procedures, emergency teams).

Communication budget

Based on the experience of other candidate cities, 19 per cent of the total budget for the 2016 event has been allocated for promotion and marketing. The graph below shows an approximate breakdown of funds within this category.

Publicizing the Melina Mercouri Prize To win the Melina Mercouri Prize would be a victory for all the city’s inhabitants involved in the preparation of the European Capital of Culture offer. A Festival of Toruń will be held on such an occasion – a joyous celebration of achievement and gratitude for everyone’s contribution and work. The scenario of this festival will be found in the next phase of proposal development and will be jointly prepared by the organizers and inhabitants. Naming the ‘Moon Trees Park’ in Toruń after Melina Mercouri is to be one of its most important points, a lasting memento of this extraordinary event and highlighting that Toruń and its citizens are members of the European community. At the same time, to win the Melina Mercouri Prize would be a very potent tool for promoting Toruń on a national level, as an example to other cities and a cause for national pride. It will be used in the fullest possible manner to promote the city using a wide range of communication tools (the website, advertising, PR, etc.). We are planning to spend the financial part of this prize on the organization of the Creative Meteor Shower, mentioned earlier, in European countries. During 2016 we want to organize symbolic events promoting the culture of our city in every European country through concerts, exhibitions, literary meetings and academic lectures. In this way, we will give the European prize back to Europe in a creative way.

Schedule of the promotional actions

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6. The ‘Cultural Observatorium’ evaluation and monitoring of the events

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‘Multidimensional Impact Evaluation’ model The experience of cities who have won the title before indicates that it is necessary to set up a special research unit devoted to measuring, inspecting and evaluating the impact of the activities used both to obtain the title and after. An appropriate research team called the ‘Cultural Observatorium’ will be established whose aim will be to implement the Super Nova 2016 project. Super Nova 2016 is a multi-dimensional and long-term measurement, inspection and evaluation model of the impact of activities related to Toruń being a European Capital of Culture, and the impact of such a title on the regional, social, tourist, economic and cultural environment, as well as on the infrastructure.

An outline of the research methodology The first step in implementing the Super Nova 2016 project will be the establishment of the ‘Cultural Observatorium’ team which will be composed of cultural sociologists, social political scientists and social geographers as well as economists dealing with the issue of tourism development. Since the project is aimed at multi-dimensional and long-term studies (including the time before submitting an application, that after being granted the title of European Capital of Culture, the year 2016 itself, and the period thereafter) the activity of the ‘Cultural Observatorium’ will last a total of seven years. It will publish and present detailed reports from its research on an annual basis. The second step will be to collect all data available on the quality of life in the city, participation in culture, tourism and the integration of existing knowledge resulting from the research and experience of the following institutions: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, the police, the Employment Office, the City Council of Toruń, the Department for Roads and Bridges, Bydgoszcz airport, the City Social Welfare Centre.

In the third stage, the team will construct a methodologically advanced research model aimed at determining basic objectives, challenges and research topics. The project is to focus both on the processes of change in culture (and the tourist, service, business, academic environments surrounding it) and the effects of measures promoting culture. It is expected that the study will include: • drawing a regional mental map. This concerns how the boundaries of the region are seen, and ideas about its most important social, cultural, historical, economic and spatial features, • developing the cultural menu and making sure that it is converted into a coherent regional identity, • evaluation of the changes in quality of life in the city and region on the basis of the most recent indicators of quality of life, above all, the IMD (Index of Multiple Deprivation), under the influence of activities related to the European Capital of Culture, • continuous monitoring of the reconstruction of local creative industries, the emergence of new cultural institutions and the system of financing existing ones, • evaluation of changes in cultural activity, focused on pinpointing the relations between active interest in culture and the two most important factors: the standard of living in absolute terms and the degree of social inequality. This also includes a longterm monitoring of growth of cultural activity among the population of Toruń and the region, their income, and calculating the Gini coefficient to illustrate the level of social inequality in the city and the region,

• regular ethnographic surveys, using a range of qualitative techniques, on the reception of cultural events among the inhabitants, • spatial mapping of ‘culture locations’ and attendance at them, • evaluation of the branding of the city in the eyes of the citizens of the region, as well as a longitudinal evaluation, in defined time intervals, of the perception of culture in Toruń in the largest settlements in the region, • qualitative and quantitative evaluation of changes to the infrastructure, including tourist facilities, • evaluation of the impact of granting a title of European Capital of Culture to Toruń and related activities on the city’s tourism potential. In particular the impact of obtaining the title on the number of visitors, visits and the number of days spent by tourists in the city, the amount of money spent per day, the ratio of the number of regional tourists to non-regional and foreign, hotel occupancy, and jobs in the tourism sector created by investment and cultural events. In addition to this, an evaluation of the relationship between multi-dimensional activities around the European Capital of Culture and business, as well as business tourism, • mapping the Toruń-culture-tourism contextual and associative network. Analysis of Internet and press content carried out at regular intervals, targeted to pinpoint changes in the perception of Toruń. What is said about the city, how it is said, and what is changing in this image? • an advanced evaluation of the impact of the promotional campaign in the six major settlements in the region as well as outside it.

The First Day of Spring 2009 PHOTO. Karolina Wiśniewska

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Introduction

pp. 6–9

1. The Big Bang basic principles and key ideas

pp. 10–71

2. A Space Journey structure of the programme for 2016

pp. 72–103

3. The Space Flight Centre organization and financing

pp. 104–115

4. Our Grand Base the city’s infrastructure

pp. 116–125

5. Interplanetary Link-Up communication strategy

6. The ‘Cultural Observatorium’ evaluation and monitoring of the events

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pp. 126–135

pp. 136–139

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Graphic design: Studio Z4 in cooperation with Ale... studio Supervision of graphic design: Jacek Yerka This application has been illustrated with the paintings by Jacek Yerka: On the edge of the space, Eruption, Cloudbreaker, Underwater tower, Erosion, Return to home, The sonet DVD Project: UnderMyBed Revision of the Polish text: Magda Tokarska-Romańska Translation: Andrzej Leszczyński

We were supported by: Toruń 2016 Programme Council: Lucjan Broniewicz, Marek Głowacki, Rafał Góralski, dr Aleksander Jankowski, Jarosław Józefowicz, prof. Włodzimierz Karaszewski, Łukasz Karwowski, Zbigniew Klonowski, Paweł Łysak, Marzena Matowska, Mirosław Męczekalski, Piotr Roszak, Jan Świerkowski, prof. Tomasz Szlendak, Wojciech Zaguła Toruń 2016 team: Ewa Bartosik, Alicja Chajewska, Przemysław Draheim, Joanna Gus, Piotr Kozanecki, Jarosław Jaworski, Paulina Owczarek, Kamil Podlasiewski, Karolina Szczepanowska, Agnieszka Szostek-Makowska, Dominika Urzędowska, Dorota Wiśniewska, Łukasz Wróblewski, Karolina Zawałkiewicz

Toruń 2016 team

Application was prepared by:

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Special thanks to: Presidents of Włocławek, Grudziądz, Inowrocław, Mayors of Brodnica, Świecie, Chełmno, Solec Kujawski, Wąbrzeźno, Aleksandrów Kujawski, Ciechocinek, Górzno and the goverment of Golub-Dobrzyń District who signed the declaration of support to Toruń.

Krystian Kubjaczyk – Director of Toruń 2016, Zbigniew Lisowski – Programme Coordinator, Agnieszka Marecka – Head of Application Department, Magdalena JadczakMyszka – Main Specialist in Application Department

This application couldn’t be completed without the artists who submitted their projects to open call for projects under the title ‘Lets open The Universe of Culture’ and without the people of Toruń who supported our efforts to become the European Capital of Culture and have been our constant inspiration.

In cooperation with:

Managers of the Project:

Auramedia, dr Michał Buszko, Mario Caeiro, Ulrich Fuchs, Marta Kołacz, prof. Wiesława Limont, Piotr Roszak, Anna Przedrzymirska, Mariusz Sadurski, prof. Tomasz Szlendak, dr Michał Targowski

Barbara Sroka 2007–2008 Olga Marcinkiewicz 2008 – 2009 Krystian Kubjaczyk 2009 –2010

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Interplanetary Link-Up â&#x20AC;&#x201C; communication strategy

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