Zora Jaurová: I even support the women’s basketball team from Košice

Theatre dramaturgist, reviewer and translator, director of the national office of the European grant programme Culture (2007–2013) – Cultural Contact Point in Bratislava. This black-haired lady of action whose Bratislava accent cannot be overlooked, Zora Jaurová (35) has now extended her rich professional CV by adding the cooperation with the Košice application project for nomination as the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2013.

The cities taking part in the ECOC competitions usually expect positive benefits for the city and its region. Are there any pitfalls about the application and the follow-on holding of the title?
The biggest pitfall occurs when the project is not successfully put into practice, when it stops at the halfway mark, fails to meet the goals and becomes a negative example. Since the European Capital City of Culture programme receives rather great attention in Europe, it’s quite well spread which cities succeeded and which failed. So all this is about a big chance as well as about a big risk. Another uncertain question is the financial support for the project. In respect of such long-time process of the project implementation things may get changed: this includes the political representation, even priorities and directions, which may have a negative impact on the project. That’s why it is necessary to have the financial limits set in advance and the management working very precisely.
In view of a long-term perspective and the overall impact of such project, the factor which seems the most crucial for the project is its sustainability, i.e. what the project leaves, how it changes the life and development of the city, its atmosphere and image. The project should not only be a year festival of cultural events, but it should start off a long-run process of cultivation of the city. This means investment into human resources, infrastructure and civil initiatives. Without such a framework we can hardly make the project become property of the citizens of the city and its region and to keep on developing.

What is better: globalise culture or persist on purity of traditions?
I don´t find the two things opposites. Definitely, investment into preservation of cultural heritage is important, and this should cover both tangible legacy (cultural landmarks, historic buildings, museum expositions), and intangible legacy (traditions, folklore, and others). To succeed in the global world we must know where we come from and be aware of our individual input to the global market. On the other hand, world globalisation, and, consequently, culture globalisation, is a fact which we must accept and the character of our culture and our cultural production need to adjust to this fact. Artists today use new technologies, establish cooperation and networks over continents and their output is completely different works than those made tens of years ago. This, however, demands a lot from the cultural institutions, which should be adjusting to this process. Unfortunately, most of the cultural infrastructure in Slovakia is deeply stuck in the 20th century, even in the history much longer ago. The goals of the project Košice – Interface 2013 also include a delivery of some example solutions to this particular issue.

Why did the Košice project succeed, even received one of the best evaluations?
I think the reason for this success lies in the attitude of the project to the culture and its context, which proceeds from very modern and European basis. The project seeks to deliver progressive impulses, and its view of culture in the city spans over broad context. The situation of the cultural policy in Slovakia is for long time very much joyless, and it is not easy to shake off this demoralising set of limitations. The Košice project is brave enough to call the problems their own names and offer solutions of European quality. Driven by innovations they are interesting in an international context as well.

What are the most frequent mistakes the applicants for nomination as ECOC make?
The projects, which turned out not very successful, mostly underestimated the role of a complex cultural development in the city and its sustainability. They either construed the programme as a chance for investment and structural development of the city and region, while they forgot the main part is to be played by the culture. Or the other way round, they would  make a programme of a year festival full of events, which failed to find audience, and left nothing behind. PR and marketing strategy are definitely important and must be of pan-European character.

How can we measure quality of culture? Is it the size of audience, number of visitors or sold records?
I think the criterion mainly refers to the potential to change, cultivate the audience and society. Inspiring people to get engaged in creative transformation of their environment. Obviously, it is hard to set tough criteria in the area where results may show in the long run and by very subtle innovations. At the present, creativity, however, is about to be part of the most significant potential of the 21st century economy. In such a process, culture and cultural production do have their indispensable place.

You are not from Košice, yet you are working very closely on the Košice project.Why?
No, I am not from Košice, I am even what is called a bighead from Bratislava… I’m joking now. But seriously speaking, when it came to the negotiations at the Council of EU over the new conditions for this competition I was representing Slovakia. From the very beginning Košice seemed to me the perfect candidate from Slovakia. It is the second largest city, has sufficient infrastructure to carry out the project, and it often remains under the shadow of the capital. The project might contribute to the raising of cultural profile and development of the city. When I was later approached by Marek Kolarčík who offered me to cooperate with their project I did have some good reasons to think about his offer as I had known him for his successful career as the founder of the House of Slovak Regions in Brussels and because I found him an excellent manager who was deeply familiar with the business. Finally, I got completely convinced after I was shown the basic framework of the project and the attitude of the project team to the project conception. And we may just guess that if this project is ultimately put into practice within the scope of its basic lines, it will certainly become something extraordinary, not only in terms of Slovakia, but also in the European context. For all that I very much appreciate it that I can participate in the Košice project. Although being deeply rooted in Bratislava, I am now beginning to have this strong feel of local patriotism, which are so familiar to Košice. I even support the women’s basketball team from Košice…

zuzana.lehotska@kosice13.sk