At the beginning of 2023, the City of Nice officially submitted its candidacy for the European Capital of Culture for 2028. The application dossier was submitted to the Ministry of Culture.

With these words, Christian Estrosi expresses his enthusiasm for the initiative to promote Nice as a standard-bearer of European culture. Indeed, the Metropole Nice Côte d’Azur has many reasons to apply to become the European Capital of Culture in 2028. The goal is to position Nice and the region as genuine laboratories for innovative cultural practices, particularly digital ones. All this serves a policy of developing audiences and a sustainable transformation of the city. Moreover, it is important to engage with younger generations, offering them privileged access to various practices, whether in creation or artistic practice, individually or collectively.

This will help accelerate the revitalization of the cultural sector while continuing the modernization of the city’s facilities. The decision is aimed at creating new levers for cultural, tourist, and economic development of the area. All of this will bring significant economic benefits to the various sectors of activity in Nice. The candidacy is based on three major axes, relying on the theme of “Connecting the Unexpected”.

The Choice of Artistic Innovation

The candidacy aims to represent the many artistic fields that signify Nice. From performance, music, visual arts, and heritage, to craftsmanship and cuisine, these axes reflect the artistic ambition of the Metropole which it continually highlights. This choice encourages contemporary creation and new practices. Strong support will be given to artists and the policy of constructing and renovating cultural facilities.

The Choice of Solidarity

The different territories associated with the candidacy present very different topographies. Thus, they will mutually enrich one another with this essential choice of this candidacy. It involves creating a dynamic relationship between all these territories to promote mutual knowledge among populations that disregard each other. This approach will strengthen these cross-border links and open a laboratory for intelligent tourism.

The Choice of Sobriety

The objective of this candidacy is also to entrust artists and creators with building a societal model that is more respectful of life and more responsible. The NICE 2028 candidacy will therefore rely on what represents humanity’s greatest strength in the face of change and the unknown: arts, science, and culture.

The Three Pillars of the Candidacy

1. Pathways: Artistic Innovation to Blaze New Trails

This pillar invites an extraordinary visit to the territory. Whether for artists who will revisit the “classics”, or for residents and travelers who should be responsible actors in their experience. Artists, creatives, and professionals, in collaboration with the public, are invited to undertake these actions:

• Create works, develop new ways to experience the territory and heritage, through performances, materials, technologies, and narratives that go beyond the frame.
• Open new physical and digital connections between different points of the NICE 2028 perimeter and elsewhere in Europe and the world, invent unusual routes and accommodations to better cover the territory and rebalance it.
• Decentralize cultural facilities and events to make the territory the playground for the arts: take works outside the walls, discover or rediscover the coast or mountains.

2. Vitality: Foster, Break Down Barriers, and Amplify the Artistic Ecosystem

This pillar focuses on projects that contribute to reestablishing an active artistic ecosystem in Nice. This is notably evidenced by the creation of the video game school, as well as the results of the strategy to support cultural and creative industries. It also encompasses works and collaborations aimed at breaking down thought barriers in the sectors. Finally, it also targets exchange between artists and professionals from all backgrounds.

3. Citizenship: Co-construct the Resilient Living Community

This final pillar acts as a large co-construction workshop among the different parties applying across Europe. The set objective is to move forward together to raise awareness of our capacity for action on an individual, collective, and global scale. This will strengthen ties, as well as the entirety of life, to dispel ignorance and overcome the fear of venturing into the unknown.

Conclusion

We can affirm that the City of Nice has all the keys in hand to become the future European Capital of Culture in 2028. With its numerous projects framed by relevant axes, the Metropole proves once again its willingness to assert itself as a city enthusiastically welcoming cultural initiatives.