General illustration of the site

  • On July 2nd, 200 ambassadors went to see the play "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" from Bertolt Brecht, directed by Jasmina Douieb. They discovered the friendly atmosphere of the Festival au Carré and a high quality show in the yard of the Carré des Arts.

    For the Festival au Carré the ambassadors of Mons 2015 are of capital importance!

     

  • On Tuesday, 2 June, the Mons 2015 team presented the first dossier for the Mons bid to the European jury of 13 experts, six of them chosen by Belgium.
    According to a source present at the meeting, "the bid from Mons was judged sufficiently solid to progress through this first stage of pre-selection" (Le Soir, 3/06/09).
    So the team is now getting straight to work on the second dossier for the bid, which is due at the end of 2009, with a final appearance before the jury in March 2010.

     

  • On Sunday, 14 June, on the occasion of the traditional Mons Ducasse, we assembled about fifty cultural ambassadors, all important cultural and economic figures, for the "Doudou" festivities. They were able not only to discover Mons in the context of its bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2015, but also to share this great festival with the citizens of Mons.

  • The section "Your projects" is already bearing fruit. The Mons 2015 team has thus started to analyse the project ideas submitted via the website. What's on the menu?


    - Creating an audiovisual programme about our heritage.
    - Organising a national exhibition of painting, sculpture and photography based around 15 varied subjects.
    - Developing an international festival of contemporary theatre in Mons. All supported by amateur troupes, staging works by contemporary living playwrights, combining dance, music and puppets with "classical" theatre.
    - Arranging the stars from the European Union flag on the surface of the water on the Grand Large lake.
    - Organising a prestigious free concert with an internationally renowned organist.
    - Producing a cartoon book about the town of Mons and its heritage.
    - Organising a dance week in Mons for 2015.
    - Presenting the main popular festivals from the province of Hainaut and the regions of Nord and Pas-de-Calais (carnivals, fireworks, markets, giants etc.) in an exhibition of the costumes, masks, photographs, films etc.
    - Celebrating the authors and illustrators from our region by creating a database, free to consult on the internet and available to public libraries and cultural associations in the Hainaut region.
    - Producing a show by children left entirely to their own devices...


    Here's to your projects!

  • The Czech Republic originally had three candidates – Hradec Kralove, Ostrava and Pilsen. The first round saw the elimination of Hradec Kralove. So now there are only two cities left to choose from. Congratulations to both of them !

    The results of the selection panel’s first meeting were announced by its chairman Sir Robert Scott. The board met in Prague on 7th and 8th December 2009 to study the applications and review the presentations of the three candidate cities. Based on this the board shortlisted those that would go through to the second and final round.

     

     

  • On Tuesday, 27 January at 3 p.m. in Mons, the MONS MECHELEN 2009-2016 framework agreement was signed by Elio Di Rupo, Burgomaster of Mons, and Bart Somers, Burgomaster of Mechelen. This agreement is an important first step towards a cultural collaboration between Mons and Mechelen, instead of a competition for the title of European Capital of Culture. With this collaboration, Mons and Mechelen are sending an important signal of openness to Europe and the rest of the world by encouraging intercultural dialogue between our two linguistic communities. It has been the work of one year of negotiations but it has been worth it, because given the current political situation in Belgium, this agreement shows that it is still possible for us to work together.

    Through a joint action, Mechelen supports Mons' bid and will prepare its own programme. By signing this agreement, Mons shows its commitment to work with Mechelen as its main Flemish partner. Within this framework, Mons will establish a 12-month programme, and Mechelen a programme that will last a maximum of 6 months. In addition to these is the ME-MO (Mechelen-Mons) programme that the two have developed together.

    This collaboration, as Bart Somers and Elio Di Rupo have explained, makes use of the similarities between the two cities. Here is a non-exhaustive list: Mons and Mechelen are two "average" cities with almost the same population; they both cultivate a spirit of friendliness; Mechelen and Mons are linked via their world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO; and finally, the two cities, founded in the 7th century, have remarkably well preserved historical centres which, from a size perspective, are perfect examples of medieval Dutch towns.
    This agreement, the only one of its kind, has been extremely well received by the two linguistic communities. Press articles have appeared in La Province, Le Soir, La Libre Belgique, De Standaard, De Morgen, De Tijd and De Gazet Van Antwerpen. The news has also been broadcast by VRT, RTBF, regional television channels and other radio stations.

    Le Soir, on 28 January, quoting Bart Somers, highlighted the "signal issued by two cities, one Walloon and one Flemish, who have decided to work together." For its part, De Standaard referred to this collaboration as an initial step capable of inspiring a cultural agreement between the two communities.

    Now it is simply a matter of waiting for the European jury who will be nominating the European Capital of Culture for 2015 to make its final decision in March 2010.

     

     

  • The aim of this association is to foster international cultural cooperation between the cities bidding for the title of European Capital of Culture and to create an independent opinion forum open to all. This association permits exchanges of information between the candidates, cooperation between all the members and bidding cities on developing cultural activities, and finally, the development of links between the private and public key players in cultural matters.

    The keen interest in the title of European Capital of Culture is to some extent explained by the fact that, whether they win or not, all the participating cities emerge from the process with cultural projects for the future and contacts established with their European counterparts.

    Thanks to the www.candidatecities.com website, browsers can roam the map of Europe and analyse each of the candidate cities in the countries of the Union. You will see that in Spain no fewer than 13 cities are bidding to be selected as the European Capital of Culture in 2016. This means that you can trace the routes of all the cities bidding, see which were the "runners up", etc. In addition, each city has its own page with information, photos, and documents on their bids. Mons, of course, is no exception to the rule, and updates its page regularly!

    Finally, a very friendly application enables you to vote for the cities you prefer! At the moment, you can vote for your favourite cities in Sweden, Poland, and Spain. Who knows - perhaps one of the candidates will bring back happy holiday memories...

  • Operation "I'll be 20 in 2015", a communication and collaborative work platform for the classroom environment made available for free by Microsoft, has now been activated. After hardware installation and a period of training for Mons schoolteachers, the children of the Ecole du Futur began activating these tools on 21 April, with Mr. Elio Di Rupo and Microsoft educational advisers in attendance.


    8,340 young people from 9 Mons schools - from all sections of the Belgian education system - are participating in this e-teaching platform via an assigned e-mail address, a password, and Windows Live@edu tools.


    Through their receipt of privileged information, their participation in European and culturally themed exchanges and their achievement of innovative projects, these young people will have become a generation of ambassadors with top-notch skills in new technologies by the time of their 20th birthdays in 2015!

  • The Mons 2015 team was recently welcomed at the offices of Ostrava 2015 in the Czech Republic to exchange information on projects both teams have in common. This was followed by a guided tour of historical sites such as the Michal and Landek Mines, the viewing tower of the new city hall and a night tour of Stodolní Street. Mons and Ostrava have many similar themes in their projects, especially in the context of their shared mining history. Our two cities have many opportunities to work together in their respective bids, and for this reason we have committed to a permanent cultural information exchange. With the aim of 2015 in mind, this collaboration will serve as a basis for an East-West exchange platform starting from the time of the official designation of the two cities as European Capitals of Culture.

  • On Friday 3 December, the website received the European prize for best navigation from the public jury.

    The "CMS Awards" are given to the best website designers. This award ceremony may be considered as a "foot in the door" to the Webby Awards, the well-known American event. The public jury, after pre-selecting 200 European sites, has granted our website, Mons2015.eu, the Gold Award for best navigation. Mons 2015, which has adopted the slogan "Where technology meets culture" in its bid for the title of European Capital of Culture, is of course delighted with the success of Vitam, the designer of the Mons 2015 website.

    What does this gold "Oscar" for best navigation mean? In a word, the mons2015.eu site was considered by Internet surfers as the easiest to use and the best thought-out. This Award shows to advantage the long-standing work between Vitam, a website design company, and the Mons 2015 team.

    The Mons 2015 site was designed to be changeable and interactive, but above all simple in terms of its interface, making navigation easier. Constantly being updated, the Mons 2015 site allows surfers to give it their own personal touches. They can add their questions, photos, and videos, which gives the site a friendly and attractive feel.

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  • 2010 A very important year for Mons 2015 !

    And let's celkebrate this all together on wednesday February 10 on the Grand Place at 7 PM.

    Concert Mister Cover - A lot of surprises - Happy Hours.

    Beer at 1 € in 9 cafés, special 2015 menus in different restaurants.

    All welcome !

     

  • On Friday, 30 January, here and there first- and second-year students from the Ecole du Futur could be spotted between the booths at the fish market. Dressed warmly and proudly sporting bright red "Mons 2015, that's Capital!" T-shirts, they made the rounds of the Friday market in search of new Ambassadors.

    This was done on their own initiative - the idea came up in class. The headship of the school and its teaching coordinator, Michel Meuret, soon seized the opportunity and set the operation in motion. Computers being the school's main teaching tools, the students were made aware of the concept of European Capitals of Culture by way of a PowerPoint presentation put together by their teachers.

    Informed, aware, and full of good humour, they enthusiastically threw themselves into the task of increasing the number of Ambassadors. They were slowed neither by the winter cold nor by the few refusals they received: thanks to them, the Mons 2015 project can count on the support of more than 200 new Ambassadors ready to take up the challenge of Mons becoming the 2015 European Capital of Culture!

  • Dany Josse has just been appointed coordinator of the Carré des Associations, a new organisation which will be based at the Maison Folie in Rue des Arbalestriers. There, Dany Josse will be responsible for offering the associations of Mons an area for meetings, information, and networking, with the help of the Centre Culturel Participatif, the Maison Folie, and the "associations" sector of the city of Mons.

    J.T.: Hello, Dany Josse. Why are you supporting Mons 2015?

    D.J.: I'm supporting Mons 2015 because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We in the Mons-Borinage region have been given a chance to bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2015. I feel it's important because this bid, if it turns out to be a winner - and I'm sure it will - and we become European Capital of Culture 2015, it will give us a special opportunity to do a really good job of developing the region as a whole. When I say "the region as a whole", I mean from every point of view. It isn't only a matter of culture. Of course the cultural aspect is important, but to my mind the cultural aspect covers everything. So we're also talking about economic and social development. To sum it up, I would say that this is an extraordinary occasion for the people who live here to break free from the past, with new access to new things, and for everyone to benefit from a major improvement in quality for the whole region. It certainly needs it; this isn't an easy region, so it's a great opportunity for us, and I myself am obviously very pleased that the city has decided to go for it and give a chance to every area of our community life in the Mons-Borinage region.

    J.T.: What is your vision of Mons in 2015?

    D.J.: I feel that in 2015... we mustn't regard 2015 as sacred - it's only a date, a deadline - something very important will be happening for a whole year. But I think that 2015 started on the day when we decided to join the battle; we're in it already, and things are on the march. 2015 will obviously be a year when important things will be happening every day in a very busy calendar, with things to see, hear and understand... We hope a lot of people will come in from outside, from our Mons-Borinage sub-region, from everywhere in Belgium and neighbouring countries as well - our neighbours in Northern France spring to mind immediately, but not just them. And afterwards, it'll go on - it has to! The name of the game is to see 2015 as a deadline, in other words to get there with something to be done, but what we're doing today is just as important, and what happens afterwards, in other words everything that's been set up - the new structures, whether cultural, social, or economic - must continue to develop. So it's an opportunity. 2015 will be a very important year if we have the title of Cultural Capital, because that's when we'll have a very high concentration of the most diverse activities in the various areas of the city but, obviously, above all in the cultural sphere, and then it must continue to develop, that's the important thing.

    J.T.: Fair enough! Now a question that concerns you particularly. What do you feel to be the importance of integrating the association sector in a project such as Mons 2015?

    D.J.: As I just said, everyone must take part. And the association side is very important. In a city like Mons with its 19 districts, there are no fewer than 400 associations, of all kinds - culture, sport, social, there's something for everyone. These associations, which operate in their own special areas every day, are of importance to the life of a city like Mons, so we can't do without them. It wouldn't make sense. Not only can we not do without them - I think we should include them and give them all the help they need. I don't think we've paid quite enough attention to the voluntary sector in the past, but it's certainly alive and kicking, as I can see for myself, from meeting and spending time with them. So it's really very, very important, and now we must - with the associations, and with their special knowledge of their specific fields - move things forward and make the most of the opportunity given to us by Mons 2015. And then afterwards, with these associations, we must continue on the right path to develop and emancipate the region just as, I feel, in any society.

    Support the Mons 2015 project, like Dany Josse.

  • Mrs De Oliveira, who used to teach Spanish and Portuguese at the Ecole d'Interprètes Internationaux in Mons, has lived in Mons for 38 years and has supported the Mons 2015 project as an ambassador from the start.

    J.T.: Hello, Mrs De Oliveira. My first question is: Why are you supporting Mons 2015?

    I.D.O.: Hello. Well, I'm supporting Mons 2015 because I believe it is a very fine project for the City from both cultural and economic points of view. I think the City will develop enormously between now and 2015, thanks to major new structures and cultural projects which, I think, will become increasingly important.

    J.T.: Fair enough. How do you imagine Mons in 2015?

    I.D.O.: I imagine the city will have changed a great deal, because there will be these new infrastructures - in particular the Station district, etc. And I imagine that in 2015, the whole city will be taking part in this event. Rather like what happened in Lille, I imagine great festivals and major cultural events. As we're already starting to make the population - in particular young people - aware of this, I think everyone will be ready to take part in this great event in 2015. I hope there will be major exhibitions of paintings - by Belgian and international artists - and also that we will be visited by top level musicians and major theatre companies, and I think we'll have huge numbers of foreign visitors from nearby - French and Dutch - and people from even further afield. I am thinking of people from cities that have already been European Capitals of Culture, like Lille and Guimarães, and the ones we're going to be hearing a lot about this year (Editor's note: Linz in Austria), and in coming years.

    J.T.: And how do you see Mons after 2015?

    I.D.O.: Well, I imagine a rejuvenated, dynamic city. Thanks to all the visitors, there'll be a greater cultural mix, and then perhaps a livelier city as well... And it'll be all year round, not just major events or shopping trips or going to cafés, but a more exciting cultural environment.

    J.T.: Just one last question. How do you, as a former university teacher, imagine the universities may be involved in a project like Mons 2015?

    I.D.O.: I think young people have to be put in the picture from now on - I've already started to work on this - because in my opinion it'll be the young people who'll do most for this project if they're aware of what's going on. In the context of an interpreting school or a university, I think that what's most interesting is in fact being able to communicate with young people. As they already have the opportunity of Erasmus exchanges, I can very easily imagine that students from Madrid, Seville, or Edinburgh will take part in this event and that this will give Mons an echo throughout Europe. But to do this, the young people need to be educated a little and gently coaxed into taking part in events that interest them, without forcing them of course, but by making them aware of them. I find the Slam evenings, for example, very interesting. I think that for language students, who work with language itself, these are very interesting evenings. I feel we mustn't force them, we must handle it gently, with a great deal of diplomacy, so that they will enjoy the events, and afterwards, well, we've won!

     

  • J.T.: Hello, Franco Dragone. You're a member of the artistic team of the Mons 2015 Foundation. So here's my first question: Why are you supporting Mons 2015?

    F.D.: Because I think it's a project that can do a great deal for us in this region ... and we need it! Our region has suffered a lot, and now it's developing; it's a region with a future. Mons 2015 could turn out to be very constructive, and I don't think it's something just for Mons - it's for the whole region, all of Hainaut. So that's why I'd like to see the world come to us, here to Mons. The world will be invited, so a lot of good will come of it. People don't realise this ... a lot will come out of it for individuals and the population as a whole. So we have to do Mons 2015, both for us and for them.

    J.T.: So how do you see Mons in 2015?

    F.D.: I see Mons in 2015 as buzzing with excitement. Obviously, I hope that it will be a window opening up the whole region to the world. Today we're going through a very serious, very major crisis, so I think people will take time to reflect. In Mons in 2015, there will be young people who will be 20 years old, and the future will be theirs. So it is important now to do something that will really give foundations and a structure to our region, which needs an event on this scale, so while we may not have the Olympic Games in Mons, let's at least have Mons 2015!

  • J.T.: Hello, Mr. Meuret. My first question is: Why are you supporting Mons 2015?

    M.M.: Because, quite simply, it's an ambitious project for the city, the region, and all the cultural and educational institutions. And a school that wants its teaching programme to be as wide open to the cultural world as possible owes it to itself to invest in a project of this nature.

    J.T.: Can you remind us in a few words of the particular aspects of the teaching at the Ecole du Futur?

    M.M.: The special feature of the Ecole du Futur, in addition to the principle of working independently, is that the cultural dimension is strongly present all the way through school. We have set up partnerships with the institutions of Mons and Greater Mons - the MAC's, the BAM, the Mundaneum, the archaeological circle of Mons-Borinage, etc. These are long-term, recurring partnerships and we do in-depth work with them. We are also the only town centre school offering History of Art in the final two years.

    J.T.: So how do you imagine the possible involvement of your school in relation to the Mons 2015 theme "Where technology meets culture"?

    M.M.: The thinking behind the foundation of the Ecole du Futur naturally includes the use of new technologies, in particular computers. The PC is a tool that is almost indispensable today, one that we must incorporate in the teachers' daily routine without making it an object we can't do without, because "paper" courses, of course, still exist, but we encourage the teachers to use the computers for correcting exercises, research, etc....So new technologies, which we can't do without today, are really integrated into our school, and it is clear that Mons 2015, which is a cultural project, will involve a great deal of use of the computer, a tool which will enable us to enter the platform which will be created (Editor's note: To be understood as the Microsoft platform of the project "I'll be 20 in 2015") in Mons, which will enable pupils from Mons schools to exchange opinions, information, and impressions on the project, its future, and its development.

    J.T.: And finally, how do you see Mons in 2015?

    M.M.: As a city even more beautiful than it is today. Mons has a rich cultural heritage, some of which is visible, and some less so. It may be just this less visible side that should be promoted for Mons 2015, but I think there's a good team in place there which has already proved itself. For example, there's the Mons Manège, which is a total success in terms of both the design of the premises and its programmes, and that's just one example of what can make Mons 2015 a success. And there you have it - Mons, an open, pleasant city. Pleasant to move about in, with increased visibility of all the wealth of its heritage.

    J.T.: Hello, Gaspardo. You're one of the young people who'll be 20 in 2015. Do you think it's important for the city of Mons to become European Capital of Culture in 2015?

    G.: Yes, of course, because it'll develop the city. That'll be a good thing, because from now on everyone will try to get to know Mons. It'll be very good for the city and the people of Mons as well, I think.

    J.T.: How do you imagine the city of Mons in 2015?

    G.: Well, I imagine it'll be like a big party that'll last a whole year. There'll be a lot of activities, festivals, lots of things!

    J.T.: You'll be 20 in 2015. You may be studying away from Mons. Will you come back often for the city's activities in 2015?

    G.: Oh yes! I love Mons! It's my city... (laugh)

     

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    On Sunday 1 March Mons submitted its bid for the title of European Capital of Culture to the head office of the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union. Pupils from the town's infant and primary schools rallied together to organise this bid through a "candi-fête" - a party to celebrate the town's application.
    In a collective effort they worked together to create a glorious fresco painting which they displayed on Sunday on the Grand-Place.
    Pupils from each village and from across the length and breadth of our town participated in this event. All the schools worked together hand in hand, regardless of which section of the Belgian education system they belong to, and regardless of the type of teaching the school offers, be it ordinary or specialised.
    The children based their work on the theme "Come and see my village" and were asked to feature illustrations of their area's folk, architectural, cultural, religious and environmental heritage, each section designed as a piece of the puzzle.

    The children, their teachers and the headmasters had faith in this somewhat unorthodox project, this seemingly risky gamble, and it transpired that this faith was rewarded as the project was a resounding success.
    We would like to express our gratitude for their passion, their talent and for the time and energy which they have devoted to this venture.
    Let us once again emphasise our heartfelt appreciation to the children because without you none of this would have been possible.
    You inspire us to reach for the stars and to pursue our dreams and it is this mind-set which makes all these projects become achievable.

     

     

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    A delegation of around 100 young people from Mons made a grand entrance in Brussels on Sunday, 1 March at the head office of the Permanent Representation to the European Union, Rue de la Loi.
    Greeted by the ambassador Mr De Ruyt, children from infant and primary schools, young pupils from the music academy, young people and children from the Mons Youth Council and 3 slam poets from the Maison Folie had organised a ceremony for presenting the town's bid dossier.

    In doing so they showcased the very heart and soul of the town through a few readings and musical excerpts, and so offered a glimpse into the essence of the dossier, a priceless cultural heritage and also an illustration of the resolve of a group of young people dead set upon overcoming the challenge they are faced with: being Europe's cultural centre for a whole year.

     

     

  • Brussels-born photographer Marie-Francoise Plissart and Caroline Lamarche, a novelist from Liège, have recently collaborated on Mons, the first reference book on contemporary Greater Mons.
    This art book, edited in French and available in a trilingual Dutch/German/English version, was part of the dossier presented in the bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2015, submitted on Sunday to the Belgian Ambassador to the European Union.

    "This is the reflection of Mons today on its path to becoming Mons 2015" was the comment made by Elio di Rupo, the burgomaster of Mons, who with this book project was looking for a vision of the city from an impartial point of view. The result of 2 years' worth of the photographer Marie-Francoise Plissart's work, this book covers the 19 districts of Mons. This is not so much in order to make certain all these districts were included but more a case of "chance or coincidence actually coinciding with will or a person's wishes", according to Caroline Lamarche, who borrowed the idea from the Surrealist writer Fernand Dumont, a native of Mons.

    Published by Les Impressions Nouvelles, Mons will be previewed at the Brussels Book Fair and distributed across libraries from 20 April. There will be 5 versions available: a large hardback (29.5 euros) and a small paperback (15 euros), both available in the French and trilingual version, in addition to a luxury edition, numbered and signed, with 100 copies in circulation and priced at 100 euros.

     

    Available at the Mons Tourism Office