Shortlist for European Capital of Culture in the year 2008

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12 original bidding cities, now becomes a 6 shortlist, see BBC News

Bristol
Birmingham
Cardiff
Liverpool
Newcastle / Gateshead
Oxford

Who deserves to win?

[Sorry Gareth, Bradford did not make the cut]

"Prime Minister Tony Blair will name the winning city in March 2003"

The European Union (EU) has designed the Capital of Culture programme to replace the City of Culture status which began with Athens in 1985.

The first "Capital" will be Cork in the Republic of Ireland in 2005, followed by Patras in Greece in 2006 and Luxembourg a year later.

Each member country of the EU has been awarded the status on rotation for the years up to 2019, meaning a UK city will definitely be the culture capital in 2008.

the background of the award [is chosen by each EU country on rolling rota system.]

Previous Winners

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:42 (twenty-three years ago)

It's got to be Cardiff !

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:43 (twenty-three years ago)

[Sorry Gareth, Bradford did not make the cut]

nor should it, its a terrible place

Newcastle should win i guess

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Hearing representatives of the Belfast, Newcastle/Gateshead and Liverpool camps on the radio was a depressing experience. Each one was following a 'Ten, twenty years ago it was a bit grim here but you wouldn't recognise it now. It's party capital! And we've got a theatre too I think!' tack.

*I love that joint bid - it's like "Well yeah, on it's own, maybe not ..BUT WITH GATESHEAD!"

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:49 (twenty-three years ago)

get it right Gareth, it's a joint bid ...Newcastle / Gateshead !

NoRmAn to Thread !

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, I forgot about Liverpool's 'musical heritage'.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:50 (twenty-three years ago)

they probably included Gateshead so they can get money to upgrade the athletics stadium.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Oxford gets enough tourists already - I don't imagine the local economy needs much boosting. I'd strike that one off straight away.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:53 (twenty-three years ago)

well i wouldn't be worried so much about the criteria... I live inn cork and already the organisation has gone pear shaped as the first manager resigned on the basis that he was unsure of what his duties were. Plus much and all as I love my hometown I don't think that within 3 years we will be able to present ourselves as the cultural capital of Europe - seriously like if anyones been here recently half the place is ripped up with some kind of drainage scheme - and looking at the rate of work it ain't never going to be finished in time.

― nicola heskin (nixer), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Of the cities listed, my favourite by a long, long way is Bristol. But I think Liverpool should win: of the list, it has the strongest tradition of high and low culture, it is a good example of culture-led urban regeneration and of the cities listed it is still (I think) the least wealthy.

Insert goofy scouser joke here.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Tim = otm, after my brief visit there the other week Liverpool did seem very very poor but also very aware of it's cultural heritage and the history of the population. Plus there was loads of public art, which is always a good thing.

It was a fashion disaster of a place but I kinda liked it.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know who deserves to win, or why, but I think Newcastle/Gateshead are prob fave to win. not cos it's the only place on the list that I know well, but based on the riverside development/baltic flour mill/eyelashes bridge. wasn't the bridge voted best new public building or some twaddle?

― Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:31 (twenty-three years ago)

liverpool is an awful place

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:33 (twenty-three years ago)

bradford's poo.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:35 (twenty-three years ago)

the bridge won the (insert forgotten name here) prize for architecture yes, it was the other week, I would have given it to the barn that was shortlisted though as it was absolutely beautiful.

Other than that and the Baltic wharf thing though, what has Newcastle got? The Bigg market? A re-developed dockside? those things are ten a penny.

I thought that Liverpool was the favourite with the bookies?

Another question, why the hell is Luxembourg going to be a cultural capital? what the hell happens there?

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:40 (twenty-three years ago)

People bank, meet in cafes and vistit the steelworks at the weekend.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Not vistit.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Also wacky that several major capital cities have had it in the past... we wouldn't think of London bidding for this would we? (Poss because London's the European Capital of Culture every year, har).

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:47 (twenty-three years ago)

this year it's bruges. i wish it wasn't. i didn't realize we could fit MORE tourists than usual in our town... but apparently it is possible.

― nathalie (nathalie), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:48 (twenty-three years ago)

bradford's poo

hahaha! but i'm agreeing with you!

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Nathalie, would it seem odd for you to know that your city is most assiocated in Britain with Stephen Fry and a bunch of anti-EU Conservative MPs?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:51 (twenty-three years ago)

it shd be the deathless spires of ilxor, glittering in the vermilion rays of its twin suns!!

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 11:56 (twenty-three years ago)

gareth, i'm not neccessarily defending liverpool, btw.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Where is cockney scouser Jerry The Nipper when you need him?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:09 (twenty-three years ago)

but looking at those on the list it is *so* obvious that my fair city should win.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:20 (twenty-three years ago)

What happened to Belfast they were the bookies favourite? My money's on Newcastle and it's cool new bridge.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:29 (twenty-three years ago)

What happened to Belfast they were the bookies favourite?

with the current political climate tensions...they don't deserve to be on the shortlist.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

newcastle would win if the award was for 'best new bridge in a european city' but it's not.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 12:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Brighton didn't make the final shortlist which I am pleased about. Too many tourists already. And too many problems with the public services to worry about 'culture', which can take care of itself if you ask me. But of course 4 million quid has already been spent/wasted on the bid (mostly on nasty blue and orange bunting it seems - wonder what happens to it all now?)

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 13:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Nathalie, would it seem odd for you to know that your city is most assiocated in Britain with Stephen Fry and a bunch of anti-EU Conservative MPs?

is it?

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 13:37 (twenty-three years ago)

with the current political climate tensions...they don't deserve to be on the shortlist.

Oh. That's nice of you, DJ Martian.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 13:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Gareth, UK in this case clearly = N's frenzied brane.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 13:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Nathalie, would it seem odd for you to know that your city is most assiocated in Britain with Stephen Fry and a bunch of anti-EU Conservative MPs?
Yes, I thought it was lace, beer and chocolate. ;-) Seriously, yes it does. How and why did this come about?

― nathalie (nathalie), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

it isnt. nick made it up

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 14:33 (twenty-three years ago)

I did not!

Beer and Chocolate for Belgium generally, yes. But Bruges?

Stephen Fry - when he fled the country and left his fellow actors in the shit he was finally located in Bruges.

Ant-EU - The Bruges Group is an alliance of 'Eurosceptic' MPs that used to get mentioned quite a lot in the media.

Can anyone else in the UK tell me what they think Bruges is more associated with then?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

club bruges.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 16:30 (twenty-three years ago)

"they flew to bruges"

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Definitely lace (although it isn't really a beautiful type of lace).

― nathalie (nathalie), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 16:44 (twenty-three years ago)

The wonderful winking bridge won the Stirling Prize - and quite right too. I think that and the Gormley Angel Of The North are what has got Newcastle/Gateshead this far, and might yet win it for them.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 19:16 (twenty-three years ago)

seven months pass...

Theee Scousers have Won ! Congratulations Liverpool !

Liverpool named Capital of Culture
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/2959944.stm

in the 80s/90s Liverpool had a shrinking population, now will it turnaround?

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 06:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I am so happy we didn't win, what with all the back-slapping, preening and resting on laurels that I've put up with during the last few months.

The joint bid is due to the new bridge being the Gateshead Millenium Eye - also the Baltic arts centre and the Sage music centre (unfinished) are also south of the river.

Anyone read X-Ray - with Lauren Laverne pushing Sunderland as hipcity, oh how we laughed!

― gE0rdIEr0b0t (s.r.w.), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 06:50 (twenty-three years ago)

(but in our hearts, knew it to be true - N'castle bands currently SuXOR)

― gE0rdIEr0b0t (s.r.w.), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 06:52 (twenty-three years ago)

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