Matera – Basilicata. Italy. European Capitals of Culture (EcOC) as key drivers for local economic development. October 25, 2019

Organized by Materahub and the FondazioneMatera – Basilicata 2019, and within the events linked to the celebration of Matera as 2019 European Capital of Culture (ECoC), the Arlab Programme, a program that links 2 EU Projects: Transformative Tourism across European Capital of Culture + ECoC SME, organized a conference to debate on the importance and role of the European Capital of Cultures nomination as a key driver for local economic development.

The conference, that counted with the participation of past, current and future European Capitals of Culture and with experts on cultural and creative industries and cultural tourism, debated about the role of ECoC for Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) development and the relationship between ECoC, territories and CCIs, through three thematic tables.

The event, organized at the Camera di Commercio di Matera, included two main sessions, as follows

Session 1 – 10.30 to 13.00 – The role of ECoC for CCI development – Round table with representatives of ECoC cities 

Speakers:

– Paolo Montemurro Materahub
– Bernd Fesel European Creative Business Network
– Franco Bianchini Hull University
– Rossella Tarantino Matera 2019 Foundation
– Michaela Halasz Creative Industries Kosice
– Francesca Imperiale ENCATC
– possible guest from DG EAC

Session 2 – 14.30 to 17.00 – ECoC, territories and CCI – thematic tables 

TABLE 1 – Transformative tourism and ECoC (moderator Emma Taveri from Destination Makers and  Emmanuele Curti from Matera 2019)
TABLE 2 – EcoC and CCIs (moderator Bernd Fesel from ECBN and Paolo Montemurro from Materahub)
TABLE 3 – EcoC and their legacy (moderator Franco Bianchini from Hull University and Rossella Tarantino from Matera 2019)