1. INTERCULTURAL INSTITUTE TIMISOARA (RO)
Poles of cultures - a common heritage at the heart of cross-border cultural cooperation
Corina RACEANU,PhD
INTERCULTURAL INSTITUTE TIMISOARA (RO)
Poles of Cultures video

2. Context
In 2011, 4 cities from the cross-border region of Banat, decided to engage in cooperation in the field of culture in the framework of the project Poles of Cultures, which received funding under Romania-Republic of Serbia IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme. These cities are: Timisoara, the largest city in the West of Romania, with around inhabitants, former capital of the Banat region and an important cultural and university centre, as well as three smaller cities from the Serbian part of Banat: Zrenjanin, Pancevo and Vrsac.

3. During the previous two years, four cities in the region, less than 200 km from each other, shared publicly the same visionary goal: to become the European Capital of Culture: Timisoara, Zrenjanin, Belgrade (Pancevo’s neighbour) and Novi Sad. Timisoara and Novi Sad were successful and will be European Capitals of Culture in 2021.
The fact that the four cities involved in the Poles of Culture project were at different levels of cultural public policy development represented an excellent opportunity for mutual learning and exchange focusing on all levels of the policy cycle, towards better cultural cohesion of the region and, for two of them, to win the title of European Capital of Culture

4. Project content on cultural heritage
One of the problems the project committed to address (in 2011) was the limited awareness among the different stakeholders in all four partner cities of the major benefits that culture can bring to the process of community development and social cohesion. The project wanted to show that by capitalizing on material and immaterial cultural heritage and major cultural events valued by cultural tourism, culture can become a driver of local and regional development.
At the level of the population, however, the 5 sociological studies carried out with citizens interviewed, pointed out that cultural tourism was highlighted as a potential major opportunity for the economic development of the city.

5. Timisoara (RO)
Zrenjanin (SR)
Pancevo (SR)
Vrsac (SR)
Yes (%) 76 75 61 77
No (%) 24 38 19
From the perspective of the population, the most important aspects that favour cultural tourism are:
Timisoara (RO)
The existence of historical monuments but which must be restored – 66,8%
Zrenjanin (SR)
High-quality cultural events – 64,2%
Pancevo (SR)
High-quality tourism services – 88,5%
Vrsac (SR)
quality tourism services – 61,1%

6. Taking in account these results, the project has developed two mutually complementing approaches:
1. The creation of a new space for local and regional cultural events, by investing in the equipment for the functioning as a cultural and youth centre of the old cinema of Pancevo renovated by the local authorities; 2. Facilitating debates on the importance of sustainable valorisation of cultural heritage in order to develop future strategic measures for sustainable heritage interventions.

7. 1. A new space for local and regional cultural events.
In 2013 the old Apollo cinema of the city Pancevo (SR) was restored by local authorities and became the Youth Centre of the city. However, due to the lack of financial resources for lighting and sound equipment, the building was only partially used.

8. Through the modest financial support of our project, 14
Through the modest financial support of our project, euro were allocated for equipping and furnishing the main room of the Apollo Centre turning it into a functional space. One of the first activities hosted by Centre was our Pavilion Banat exhibition, part of the Pancevo Contemporary Art Biennale Pavilion Banat promoted 16 young artists selected from the four partner’s cities: Timisoara (RO), Pancevo, Zrenjanin, Vrsac (SR)

9. 2. Debates on the importance of sustainable valorisation of cultural heritage
2014 in Pancevo (SR)
Debate on "Urban regeneration of cultural and industrial heritage"- The role of public, private and civil sector

10. Debate on "Urban regeneration of cultural and industrial heritage"- The role of public, private and civil sector
Lecturers of the Debate were well known experts in the field of cultural heritage from Serbia and representatives of European networks and organisations, including the Swedish foundation Cultural Heritage without Borders (ChwB) and the European Network of Independent Cultural Centres TransEuropeHalles. They made presentations on architectural conservation and heritage management, heritage and creative economy, devastated objects of cultural heritage and urban planning and heritage. 

11. 2014 Timisoara (RO)
Debate on Urban regeneration through culture - Rehabilitation and functionalization of the built heritage and public spaces.

12. Urban regeneration through culture - Rehabilitation and functionalization of the built heritage and public spaces.
In 2014, the city of Timisoara has planned the future of its cultural sector for the following ten years, within our Poles of Cultures project. In the context of the process of developing the Cultural Strategy, complementing the development of the application file of Timisoara for the title of European Capital of Culture, a favourable context for reflection was created in the framework of our debate.

13. The debates were stimulated by the contribution of several invited speakers from France, Spain and Romania, as well as of a representative of Culture Action Europe network.

14. In addition, several other activities have been carried out within the project:
-18 local debates on other themes related to culture as a resource for development;
-4 sociological and statistical researches on cultural supply and demand involving citizens and mapping of cultural resources of the partners cities and of the region,
-The elaboration of 4 cultural strategies base on participatory approach - more of 650 representatives of civil society, artists and other interested parties participated in the elaboration of public policy documents, using the results of the researches
-Training sessions for 20 professionals in fields related to culture;

15. In addition, several other activities have been carried out within the project:
-Camp for 24 young volunteers to support involvement in the activities of Timisoara European Capital of Culture.
-The publication of 1000 books “Regional Cultural Pages” - an inventory of the main stakeholders active in the field of culture in the cross-border region;
- A matching event and the final conference bringing together 130 cultural operators from the whole region of the project both from Romania and from Serbia, to discuss concrete ideas of bilateral or multilateral cooperation.

16. At the end of the project, at the closing of the Project Conference the Public Authorities of the partner cities signed a “Regional partnership of cultural cross-border cooperation ”.
The success of the activities implemented, the contacts established between people, institutions and organisations on both sides of the border (52 institutions and 84 cultural organizations actively involved), as well as the high quality of cultural policies elaborated in the four partner cities contributed to building an awareness of the potential that the common cultural heritage of the region has for its future development.

17. ”Shine your light/Light up your city”
All the activities implemented in the framework of the Poles of Cultures brought significant contribution to the decision of awarding the Title of European Capital of Culture to the city of Timisoara for The fact that Novi Sad was also designated as European Capital of Culture in the same year, is putting the entire culture of the historical Banat region and of the cross-border region between Romania and Serbia in the spotlight at European level.
”Shine your light/Light up your city”

18. ”Shine your light/Light up your city”
We want to thank the European Union and the European Commission for the opportunities created for the region.
We also wish to thank the national and regional authorities of the Program in Romania for their professionalism in implementing the Program.
Thank you!
”Shine your light/Light up your city”