- The initiative, born from the dialogues of the bid, will be a permanent structure of cultural support as a legacy of the European Capital of Culture
Cáceres 2031 presented this Wednesday the new Office of Cultural Activation and Citizen Participation (OAC), a space created to support, connect and promote the cultural fabric of the city and Extremadura within the project of candidacy for European Capital of Culture.
Located in the Palacio de la Isla, the office was created as a support tool for artists, creators, associations, collectives and citizens interested in developing cultural initiatives, offering personalized advice, information on aid and subsidies, guidance in cultural management and connection with cultural networks and agents.
“The Cultural Activation Office will serve to support those who often have good ideas, projects, or cultural initiatives, but need guidance to turn them into reality. We want to facilitate that process and thus strengthen the city’s cultural fabric,” explained Jorge Suárez, Councilor for Culture of the Cáceres City Council.
The Cultural Activation Office is an initiative that arises directly from the dialogues and participatory processes promoted by Cáceres 2031, in which the local cultural sector expressed the need to have a stable structure of support, mediation and accompaniment to strengthen the city’s cultural projects.
In this sense, the OAC is seen as one of the most important legacies of the candidacy, with the aim of remaining in place beyond 2031. The objective is to consolidate a useful and accessible space that continues to strengthen the cultural ecosystem of Cáceres regardless of the final result of the European candidacy.
“The bid to become European Capital of Culture is not just about reaching 2031, but about building structures and networks that will last over time. A legacy,” said Iris Jugo, general coordinator of the Cáceres 2031 Consortium.
Services
Among the main services the office will offer are advice on professionalizing cultural projects, guidance on public and private funding opportunities, support in developing creative initiatives, and connecting citizens, artists, and institutions. In addition, an artificial intelligence tool is being developed to improve cultural projects and identify European and regional funding opportunities.
The office is also created with the purpose of promoting citizen participation and cultural volunteering, as well as becoming a “one-stop shop” capable of centralizing cultural information from different administrations and entities.
The Office of Cultural Activation is headed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals from the cultural, administrative and production fields.
The OAC is located in the Palacio de la Isla and offers in-person service Monday through Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., as well as extended hours on Thursday afternoons, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. An online appointment booking system is also available on the Cáceres 2031 website.
