Commission on Culture in 2008

Rostock was hosting the meeting of the board of the Commission on Culture on 14-15 March. The agenda of the meeting consisted of severals topics that had to be planned and organized in 2008. The board met the leading officers of the cultural life of Rostock: Head of the Cultural Department Ms. Martina Bade, general intendant of the Volkstheater Rostock Mr. Steffen Piontek and project leader Mr. Thomas Werner.

The board consists of members from Russia (St. Petersburg), Latvia (Tukums), Denmark (Naestved), Sweden (Umea), Norway (Bergen) and Finland (Vaasa). The board members are going to organize national CoC meetings in 2008. There has already been one in Latvia and the city of Jyvaskyla is going to host the national meeting in Finland on 7 April. The board would appreciate if someone in the countries that are not represented in the board (Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Poland) could take an initiative to organize a national meeting. More detailed information on organizing the national meetings can be asked from the chairperson of the commission.

The announcement of the UBC Cultural Prize has been sent out to the cities in January. The theme of the Cultural Prize of 2008 is "New Footsteps of Youth Culture" and it will be given to a cultural organization that has proved to be especially successful and interesting. The deadline to submit the application form is 31 August. The Cultural Prize will be awarded during the next open working session in Bergen on 27-29 November. The theme of the working session will be announced later.

The CoC is supporting Festival Im Stadhafen on 18-20 April 2008 in Rostock and the Choir Festival on 14-18 May in Vaasa by giving the festivals the right to use the name of UBC Commission on Culture.