Turkish Bursa, partner city to Košice, welcomes the application of the principal town of the east of Slovakia for nomination as European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2013 and proposes assistance and cooperation in the organisation of joint cultural projects. Istanbul, the future capital of culture in 2010, is also going to give us some precious pieces of advice.

The Košice-Bursa partnership commenced in 2000 by singing the partnership agreement on cooperation. When the representatives of Košice: František Knapík, the Mayor, Eduard Buraš and Norbert Lukán, the city councillors and Marek Kolárčik and Roman Sorger, the ECOC 2013 project team members, last visited Turkey on April 27-29, 2008, the Mayors of both cities made an agreement to revive cooperation in the cultural sectors.

Both teams agreed to prepare a joint supporting project for 2008-2009 and a programme package under the ECOC application of Košice. “Building on the basis of this agreement, intensive cooperation will be developed between the two cities which have many subjects in common and many options for mutual benefits. This is the onset of partnership between the cities which, among others, are linked through 150 years of common history,“ said R. Sorger who added that the Evangelical church in Štítnik would become a symbol of this mutual cooperation. “The church was originally Catholic, adorned by rare frescos. Later, it was taken over by the Protestants who also left behind their strong aesthetic signature. At the time of the Turkish reign, a crescent moon appeared on top of the church roof and remained perching there up to the present day.“

The Košice team and representatives of the art schools and drama schools in Bursa had discussions on some specific joint projects. E. Buraš made an invitation for the city officials and art ensembles from Bursa to participate in the European Cultural Festival of Nations and Nationalities whose 9th year is to be held last week of August in Košice. “Traditionally, the festival is attended by about ten European countries. This year we will likely pay the greatest attention to the Turkish city of Bursa. No ensemble from Turkey has ever been presented in this festival. The Bursa party gave us a positive response to our invitation and will consider their participation in the festival,” explained E. Buraš.

The encounter of the ECOC teams from Košice and Istanbul was also important for the agreement they made on some specific forms of cultural cooperation to practise. Istanbul will be the European Capital of Culture in 2010 along with Hungarian Pécs and German Essen. The representatives of Košice were received by Nuri Ăolakočlu, the chairman of the Executive Board for the Istanbul ECOC 2010 and by the members of the Istanbul team. “Nuri Ăolakočlu introduced their team organisational and financial schemes, the European capital of culture network and the young artist network. He showed a positive attitude to the participation of Košice within these networks. The teams of the nomination projects agreed to specify in details several joint projects to be implemented under the Košice supporting campaign. The teams also agreed on the main topics to develop in greater detail under the application of Košice,” added R. Sorger.

Text: Zuzana Lehotská