The participatory process for the #Jerez2031 European Capital of Culture bid is moving forward strongly following the outstanding celebration of the six thematic Agoras, in which more than 90 people linked to the cultural, educational, and social sectors of Jerez and the entire province of Cádiz took part. In total, this first interactive phase of the Agoras of Ideas has generated nearly 100 proposals to feed into the Project Lab Agoras that will take place in September. These sessions will mark a turning point in the collective construction of the bid’s cultural program, continuing the intense work carried out.
The #Jerez2031 Agoras brought together a broad representation of the cultural ecosystem, including creators, industry professionals, young people, educators, social stakeholders, and individual citizens who wanted to share and discuss their ideas for the candidacy project.
Thus, the participation structure was structured into six distinct spaces: three agoras linked to the cultural, professional, and civic spheres; one specifically for young people, a key group in building a vision for the future and a long-term sustainable strategy; another focused on education; and one with a social focus.
Regarding the dynamics, the meetings stood out not only for the volume of proposals presented (close to one hundred) but also for their quality, the intensity of the debate, and the ability to generate connections between participants from different disciplines. In this sense, the sessions served as authentic spaces for dialogue, where stakeholders shared concerns, needs, and proposals, and where collaborations between related projects began to be established.
Regarding the next steps in the participatory process, #Jerez2031 has scheduled the launch of the Social, Educational, and Cultural Ágoras Project Lab in September. These sessions will allow for the concrete development of the proposals selected for their relevance, viability, and alignment with the values of the European Capital of Culture initiative. These sessions will be organized according to the project’s strategic programming guidelines, with the aim of integrating the results into the bid book, which will be submitted at the end of December.