With only one week to go before Jerez defends its candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2031 on March 10 at the Ministry of Culture in Madrid, the Governing Council of #Jerez2031 held a working session this morning to discuss the preparations and details of the presentation. The team, led by the Mayor of Jerez, María José García-Pelayo (the highest representative of the institution promoting the project: the Jerez City Council), will be comprised of ten cultural managers and professionals of various ages from across the province. The meeting agenda also included an informational breakfast with the media to share details of the candidacy process and to thank them for their essential work in raising awareness and understanding of it.
Thus, the Mayor of Jerez, María José García-Pelayo, the First Vice President of the Cádiz Provincial Council, Juan José Ortiz, the Rector of the University of Cádiz, Casimiro Mantell, and the President of the Jerez Chamber of Commerce, Javier Sánchez, had the opportunity to analyze, together with the candidacy’s Technical Office, the details of the process and the key elements of a presentation event where, in just 30 minutes, the narrative and strategic priorities of a provincial candidacy that firmly believes in culture as an engine of transformation; as a platform for collaboration, participation, and co-creation; and as a cornerstone for building a European project that reintegrates the principles and values of inclusion, diversity, equal opportunities, and sustainability into its priorities.
In this context, the ten members of the team defending Jerez’s bid to become European Capital of Culture 2031 will need to emphasize the cultural program’s complete alignment with the construction of a Europe of values, its extraordinary international dimension with active partners on all five continents, and its leading role in fostering the development of various cultural, educational, and heritage sectors throughout the province.
Thus, the presentation will highlight the scope of the more than 30 cultural projects included in the bid book, Jerez’s proven ability to promote and organize major events with international impact, the availability of a roadmap and robust governance structure activated with the creation and launch over a year ago of the Governing Council and the Technical Office for the bid, the value of participation throughout the entire process, the determination to ensure that the impact of the planned actions extends beyond the year the title is awarded, and the guarantee of stable, long-term funding from all the institutions involved.
Therefore, this presentation and defense of the candidacy must clearly address the objectives and guidelines set forth by the European Capital of Culture initiative and showcase specific content related to the contribution of the long-term strategy, the cultural and artistic program, the European dimension, dissemination, management, and delivery capacity.
El equipo de defensa de #Jerez2031 Capital Europea de la Cultura está integrado por:
- • María José García-Pelayo Jurado, Mayor of Jerez de la Frontera
- • Antonio de la Torre Palacios “Layto”, young rapper and cultural content creator
- • Antonio González Rueda, Head of Strategy for #Jerez2031
- • Lana Gungic, Head of European Dimension for #Jerez2031
- • Fredes Insa Mérida, Director of the Fredes Insa School of Dance and Musical Comedy
- • Rosario López Monreal, Director of Cultural Action and Project Management at the Montenmedio Contemporary Foundation
- • Antonio Mariscal Rodríguez, President of the Jerez Social Council and the Jerez Destination Tourism Cluster
- • Miriam Morales Lara, Managing Director of the Andrés de Ribera Foundation
- • Fabián Daniel Sánchez García, President of the National Association of Gypsy Presence and leader of the “European Routes of the Gypsy” project Gypsy Cultural Heritage
- • Ramiro Villapadierna, Head of Cultural Program for #Jerez2031
