Katowice has been preparing to apply for the European Youth Capital 2015 (EYC) title since last several months. On Wednesday, the City officially initiated the efforts during an inaugural conference which took place in the Silesian Library.
As it was during the race for the European Capital of Culture’s title, a coordinative institution (Katowice – City of Gardens) and involved parties hope to release an energy of the Katowice youths and involved them in the programme.
The conference was attended by, among others, Kieran Lang and Jacob Sakil – Young Mayors of London, Borough of Lewisham, for 2011-2012 and 2009-2010 respectively – and Marcello Ingrassia, a representative of the European Capital of Youth Turin 2010. The invited guests gave speeches.
The official motto of the Katowice candidature is the City of Dreams. Inaugural workshops, lecture courses and meetings are taking place from 21st to 30th of March.
The European Youth Capital is a title granted by the European Youth Forum to a European city for a period of one year, during which it is given the chance to showcase its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development.
The deadline for EYC 2015 application is 1st of May 2012. On 4th of July 2012, the Forum will announce a short list of candidates, which fulfilled the criteria of the call. Then, the short-listed cities will have the possibility to improve the applications by 1st of October this year. The European Youth Capital 2015 should be announced late 2012.