Les rencontres in Clichy - strategies for future capitals of culture

Politicians and cultural leaders met for an exchange of ideas and experiences in the town of Clichy-La-Garenne at the Seine. The series of conferences is called Les Rencontres (the gatherings) and constitutes a network and a union of European cities and regions for culture.

Roger Tropeano (president of Les Rencontres) goes into the policy making process triggered by Les Rencontres: professional politicians meet professionals from the field of culture to talk about European Cultural Policy.
Odile Wolfs (the Dutch cultural counsellor of the Limburg province) explains how Les Rencontres prepares candidates for the title of capital of culture. 2018, the following cities want to become capitals of culture: Maastricht, Aix-la-Chapelle, Hasselt, Heerlen, Liège, Sittard-Geleen with the provinces of Dutch Limburg, Belgian Limburg and Liège and the German-speaking community of Belgium and the Aix-la-Chapelle region.

«La Ville en Vie La Vie en Ville»

Henri Simons (director of the Atomium in Brussels) favours decentralised work regarding art and culture in order to strengthen the

local communities.
Esra Nilgün Mirze (director of international relations of the capital of culture Istanbul 2010) considers the common use and misuse of key words such as „intercultural dialogue“ or „cultural diversity“ a chance of a new definition.
Gilles Catoire, the mayor of Clichy-la-Garenne since 1985, is the host of this conference.