<p>The city of Jerez participated in the 13th Culture Next Conference, held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from October 16 to 18. This important event brought together representatives from European cities and major cultural networks, along with delegates from the European Commission, local artists, and various cultural organizations.</p>
<p>Jerez is part of this important network of cities and wanted to take advantage of its participation in Culture Next to take its #Jerez2031 European Capital of Culture candidacy process to a key international forum for sharing ideas, exchanging best practices, exploring new opportunities for international collaboration, and addressing strategies that strengthen the role of culture in urban and social development.</p>
<p>The Conference featured presentations and panels on the goal of including culture as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in the next UN agenda, as well as discussions on the reform of the regulations regarding the European Capitals of Culture, and sessions focused on cultural networks and strengthening ties between participating cities, consolidating the importance of culture as a pillar of sustainable development in Europe.</p>