From the Editors
And so, already we have the second issue of Purpose - Entrepreneurship in
Culture,dedicated to the endeavours of £ód¼ to win the European Capital of Culture
2016.A 'lot' has been happening over the past year, but has that 'lot' been
significant and substantive enough to help us not only in the competition against
other Polish cities for the title, but also in convincing the people of £ód¼ that
our candidacy is a legitimate one?
The symbol of £ód¼ as a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture 2016
has featured on the promotional material for the city's major culture events. The
event organisers themselves made a point of this, which suggests that they are,
indeed, not indifferent to the initiative to seek the title. The city of £ód¼ has
organised a range of events directly promoting our candidacy; these were not, in
themselves, spectacular, but they were noted by the regional media and, as a
result,by the city's residents. As our editorial office sees it, the initiative to
win the title has definitely passed from the hands of the project's instigators to
those of the people of £ód¼, including animateurs and artists. Thanks to them, the
fire and enthusiasm to work toward winning the honour of the title has continued to
blaze. Was this an intentional and planned-for effect, or simply a side effect of
the forceful promotional campaign which has hit us over the previous year? We leave
it to you, our readers and, primarily, to everyone responsible for the progress of
the £ód¼ candidacy, to supply the answer to that question.
2009 has also abounded with events occurring under the auspices of the European
Year
of Creativity and Innovation 2009, launched by the European Parliament
and managed
in Poland by the Ministry of Education and the Educational System Development
Foundation. £ód¼ was represented by such events as two conferences, £ód¼ - City of
Innovation, organised by the City of £ód¼ Office, and Creative Industries - Culture,
Business and Innovation, organised by £ód¼ Art Centre, and the Creative
Self-Employment project, which was launched by our editorial office. Thematically
speaking, all these projects hovered around the economic significance of culture,
including, indirectly, the £ód¼ European Capital of Culture initiative. These events
formed a substantive input to the process of trying to win the title, lending, as
they did, not only a cultural, but also an economic and business dimension to our
candidacy.
The issue of Purpose - Enterprise in Culture which you have before you now is an
attempt to verify our city's preparations for the race to the title of European
Capital of Culture 2016. The fever which has been stirred up around the process of
going for the title has mobilised artists and animateurs to take a wider view of the
events they organise, as instrumental in building the £ód¼ image. In the opinion of
our editorial office, one thing that cannot be underestimated is the fact that our
candidacy has generated the goodwill and acceptance of the people of £ód¼.
They have
begun to identify with the vision of the city as the European Capital of Culture and
it has also begun to matter to them that £ód¼ win this competition. And that is the
great challenge which now faces the stewards of our city.
Maciej Mazerant - editor
Polish version www.purpose.com.pl
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