Jerez’s candidacy process for European Capital of Culture in 2031 has focused on three key pillars: citizen participation as a driving force in shaping the city’s cultural agenda, the transformative role of culture in building more open and inclusive societies, and its capacity to address people’s expectations and challenges by promoting opportunities beyond 2031. For this reason, the initiative launched by the Federation of Neighborhood Associations Solidaridad of Jerez to promote Ágora Jerez, an innovative project for the promotion and development of participatory neighborhood culture, is particularly relevant.
This activity, included in Jerez’s Strategic Grants Plan, is open to the participation of all neighborhood groups and is the result of a year of prior work, during which the necessary strategic planning, materials development, and the digital identity and corporate image renewal process of the Solidarity Federation were carried out.
The project offers a range of workshops in the different districts and the rural area, reflecting a commitment to decentralization and neighborhood culture. These include the Co-creation Workshops “Diagnose to Create”; Neighborhood Memory: A Historical Identity Project; and Community Workshops. The Cloisters of Santo Domingo will host the central event of Ágora Jerez this autumn: the New Networks Fair, which will feature a forum for sharing experiences, a space for exchange and reflection, a gastronomic gathering, and concerts by young local talent.
The president of the Federation of Neighborhood Associations Solidarity, Manuel Cazorla, along with the delegate for Citizen Participation of the Jerez City Council, Carmen Pina, presented this project for the promotion and development of participatory neighborhood culture. Miguel González, from the consulting firm Territorio y Ciudad, also participated in the presentation.