€6.5 million grant for European Cultural Capital winner

The city chosen as the Cultural Capital of Europe for 2030, will also receive a €6.5 million grant from the government, Deputy Minister of Culture Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou announced on Thursday.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting which approved the deputy minister’s proposal for the grant, Kassianidou explained it will cover operational expenses and will account for up to 60 per cent of the total budget of the city in relation to these expenses.

Operational expenses include the organisation of artistic events, promotional activities and costs related to the administrative expenses of the organisation.

In 2011, within the framework of the cultural capital 2017, a grant of €5 million was approved by the state to Paphos which won the award. The goal of increasing the support for the Cultural Capital 2030 is to enable the selected city to organise its action plan more effectively and enrich it with high-quality cultural activities, the deputy minister noted.

The candidate cities are Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca.

The institution of the “Cultural Capital of Europe” is one of the most prestigious and prominent European cultural events, with its main goal being the promotion of relationships and the enhancement of intercultural dialogue among the peoples of Europe.

“The attainment of this title will have immense benefits for the region, but even more so for the city that wins it, offering recognition, visibility, prospects for economic development and progress. It is also a means of promoting our contemporary culture and the rich cultural heritage of our region,” Kassianidou stressed.

In addition to the €6.5 million grant, the selected city will receive a monetary award of €1.5 million accompanying the “Melina Mercouri” prize.

Furthermore, cities have the opportunity to receive additional funding from the community-structural funds, especially concerning their actions falling within the framework of urban development and social cohesion.

The Deputy Ministry of Culture, as the administrative authority is organising an information day with the aim of providing necessary information to representatives of cities interested in competing for the title. It will take place on Monday, January 29 at 9am at the University of Cyprus. More information can be found on the culture deputy ministry’s website.