Cultural Village of Europe news

The Cultural Villages of Europe network met in Wijk aan Zee

Marion — 2014-06-26

The Cultural Villages of Europe network met in Wijk aan Zee from 12th to 16th of June 2014.

Palkonya, Mellionnec, Porrùa, Ströbeck, Paxos, Tommerup, and Kirchheim was represented by representatives of their local organisations. The Deuch villages was organising the 15 years of the network. The cultural villages of Europe shared by turn why they have been involved in the project, and what are the benefits, 15 years later. Many villages came with funding members of the network.

All along the week-end was organised events designed to Wijk aan Zee inhabitants: opening of the exhibition Dvorjak in Bevenrvijk, and concert of the jazz arrangement of the New Wold 9th symphony of Antonin Dvorjak, the première of the film Europa Ludens, by Jan Van Der Lan, and a music festival in Wijk aan Zee inhabitants’ houses and gardens.

The coordination group of Cultural Villages of Europe also met several times during this week end. Composed by at least one person per village, the Task Force is in charge of the agenda, the communication and the common UE funding. They talk about the network communication, and planed to work more with social Medias and having new European website. Each member is ambassador of Cultural Villages of Europe network.

They also worked on the future activities of the network with a plan for 2015-2016, and ideas for 2017-2018.
In 2015-2016, several events will be organising around the topic “Let’s make society together”. The village games will be the main tool to better understand and cooperate each others.

In 2015, Paxos will host an intercultural meeting in collaboration with youth. It is the first time since 2000 that the youth camp will not be organised, but that the young people will have the opportunity to especially take part into the organisation/participation of the big European meeting.
Also in 2015, Mellionnec will organise a tool box conference and in 2016 Tommerup will invite all villages for a Village Games international event.

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The program for august festival in Bystre

2012-08-17

Meeting of the European countries 23.8.2012 - 26.8.2012.

New website of youth camp in Wijk aan Zee

2012-06-17

On this website you can find information about the youth camp in Wijk aan Zee this summer. You will be able to find the programme, what to bring and other things we think you might want to know about the youth camp.

But have some patience, the website is brand new, so the above stuff will appear on this website in the next weeks! Have fun!

• Youth Camp 2012

Program for next years

Task Forse group — 2011-08-07

European market
2012 Bystre
2013 Pergine / Mellionnec
2014 Paxos

Youthcamp
2012 Wijk aan Zee
2013 Bystré
2013 Pergine also wants to organize a youth camp

Conference and Task Force meetings
2012 Ströbeck Conference and task force
2013 Killingi-Nõmme Conference and Task force

Other meetings
2012 Ströbeck Music festival
2012 Kilingi-Nõmme Music festival

A Task Force meeting in Kirchheim

Gerda Strasser — 2011-03-15

25th - 27th February 2011 - Kirchheim im Innkreis- The European Village of Cultural 2010, Upper Austria.

Delegates from the remaining 10 European Villages of Cultural attended a Task Force meeting to discuss the future strategy of the “Cultural Villages 2020”. The meeting was opened by Mr. Bert Kisjes (NL) - the main initiator of the European Villages of Cultural – with a short film and a brief report of the last and very successful 12 years together.

On Saturday, the Task Force continued their discussions on the “Visions & Strategies” required for the collaboration between villages in Europe. They were addressed by Ms. Sylvia Amann. Also discussed was how to meet villagers from other European Villages who have shown an interest in joining the group; and how to make available to them, the experiences, results and benefits gained by everyone over the last 12 years.

At the end of this very intensive workshop, the Mayor of Paxos, Greece (Spyros Bogdanos) signed the Community Partnership document which had been previously signed by other dignitaries in October 2010. This now means that a total of nine European Villages of Cultural have agreed to official partnerships with each other, thus ensuring and maintaining existing and long-standing friendships.

The 2011 European Villages of Cultural calendar is already filling up and everything begins with the official launch taking place in Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands) which also includes an Artists’ Symposium. Then we have the annual June wine festival held in the Hungarian village of Palkonya, followed by similar events in Pergine Valdarno (Italy). Three festivals are also planned in Bystré (Czech Republic) which includes a music festival.
This year Schachendorf-Ströbeck (Germany) celebrate "1000 years” of chess and the French village of Mellionnec have invited their friends from Porrúa (Spain) and Kirchheim (Austria) to their musical festival.
Last year a group of Kirchheim senior citizens visited Schachdorf Ströbeck and thoroughly enjoyed interesting discussions about "change. Consequently in May this year, Kirchheim will open its doors to senior citizens from Schachdorf Ströbeck to continue their discussions.

Photo: The signing of the community partnerships by the Mayor of Paxos Mr. Spyros BOGDANOS. Photo Club Kirchheim.