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RIVER//CITIES PLATFORMpublication date: 2007.01.22 author: redakcja
RIVER//CITIES PLATFORM
There are many cities settled on the banks of rivers. Rivers – the ways of transport of commodities as well as of ideas and new information. Land’s blood system, that at the same time joins and divides people. It could be an important economic factor. It might as well be a recreation zone, a vibrant place of social life. It could also be a problem.
The River//Cities Platform is a new network for the international exchange of ideas, projects, experiences, and expertise. It aims to create partnerships among cities where water, communities, arts and culture come together. In October, during an initiating meeting in Warsaw, representatives of 5 countries: Poland, Great Britain, Sweden, Croatia and Austria, and 9 organisations have decided to establish the River//Cities Platform and have made the first big step on the way to create it. The river is a place that may connect many important fields in the city: environment, architecture, city planning, transport but also arts, culture, cultural tourism and education. We want to work in a cross-sectorial way. We believe the river is an important factor in the city, and we want to emphasise its values and focus on its environment.
The River//Cities Platform aims at developing a platform for international exchange of ideas, projects, experience, and expertise. The main objective is to create partnerships among the cities, which have something in common – they are situated on the banks of a river. We are looking for partners who are interested in developing ideas for bringing the community to the river. Partners who share our concerns and problems. River cultural festivals or cultural organizations that have already done projects connected with the river, those who are focused on social and environmental issues and want to expand their ideas into a more international context.
The Platform’s structure and coordination still need to be developed, we have decided however that the contact address and coordination would be in Warsaw.
The 1st River//Cities Forum was organized under the Honorary Patronage of Tomasz Koziński, The Governor of Mazowsze Region.
Partner: the British Council and Vattenfall Heat Poland S.A.. Representatives of Warsaw institutions and ofÞ ces dealing with river issues, as well as of non-governmental organizations participated in the meeting.
Initial meeting participants, Warsaw, 23-24.10.2006Adrian Evans – Thames Festival London UK
Marcus Schober – Donau Insel Festival Vienna Austria
Davor Miskovic – Drugo More Rijeca Croatia
Chris Torch – Intercult Stockholm Sweden
Mik Flood – London, UK
wisla.art.pl representatives from Warsaw
Agnieszka Wlazel i Sylwia Kujawska - Federation of Independent Filmmakers
Klara Kopcinska i Jozef Zuk Piwkowski - STEP association
Teresa Tyszowiecka – MostArt
Artur Lis i Katarzyna Stefanowicz – MAKATA Theatre Association
and
Agata Etmanowicz – Artistic Center Fabryka Trzciny
Maryna Czaplinska – Dorozkarnia Cultural Center
Following its 2nd meeting in London on the 1st and 2nd March, 2007 and hosted by the Mayor’s Thames Festival, representatives from more than eleven organisations shared a desire to take the Platform forward as a framework for European and international intercultural dialogue.
Next River//Cities - Rivers of Change platform meeting is going to be held in Warszawa July 25th and 26th, and subsequent in September in Vienna and in October in Dublin.
Current participating organisations:
International Centre, Cities on Water, Venice, Italy.
EGEAC Management of Facilities and Cultural Animation Enterprise, Lisbon, Portugal.
Riverfestival Brisbane, Australia.
The Mayor’s Thames Festival, London, UK.
Donau Insel Festival, Vienna, Austria.
International Festival of the Sea, UK.
Cultural Department Wroclaw, Poland.
Wisla Art, Warsaw, Poland.
SEAS/Intercult, Stockholm, Sweden.
Newcastle/Gateshead, Culture 10, UK
Drugo More, Rijeka, Croatia
new member - Vardar
27 other organisations showed their interest in the River//Cities Platform.
The River//Cities platform is pleased to announce that its third meeting will be held in Lisbon during the Portuguese Presidency, 25th to 27th October 2007.
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