Version: 06 February 2017 Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching 1 Coaching visit report and roadmap Coaching visit Kaunas 5-7 December 2016 Document prepared by the coaching team after the coaching visit and completed by the host city Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................. 3 Executive summary ......................................................................................... 4 Themed workshops and discussions with local stakeholders ......................................... 9 Theme 1 - Cooperation between the city and the district ......................................... 9 Theme 2 – Valorising the modernist heritage of Kaunas ........................................... 12
Transcript
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
1
Coaching visit report and roadmap
Coaching visit Kaunas 5-7 December 2016
Document prepared by the coaching team after the coaching visit and completed by the host city
- Kaunas City had 297,000 inhabitants in 2015, including 35,000 students. 50,000 citizens left the city in the last 10 years. Retaining and attracting population is a key challenge for the city. Kaunas District has approx. 84,000 inhabitants.
- A national science and innovation centre “Science Island” is planned to open in 2018.
- Renovation of current stadium into a multifunctional stadium for 16,000 spectators; also premises for community groups.
- Reconstruction of the main pedestrian high street
- More than 20 new business centre developments in the city
- New ‘Initiatives for Kaunas’, a local participatory budget system. A team of experts decides which projects will be funded; €3.6 Mio were spent in 2016 to support 374 projects (130 linked to culture), out of 530 applications. Its seems that large organisations mainly benefitted from the programme.
Local cultural policies
A local cultural strategy is being developed. It will put emphasis on:
- Improving the quality of cultural services
- Strengthening communities
- Developing the local cultural and creative industries and local infrastructures
Cultural heritage
- The most important heritage buildings for the city of Kaunas date back from the 1919-1940 period, when Kaunas was the capital of Lithuania. Modernist architecture developed and now represents the “golden era” of the city.
- Kaunas’ modernist architecture received the European heritage label in 2014. This helped to raise the attention to the modernism architecture in Kaunas (there is an app about Kaunas modernism architecture and a colouring book for children).
- Kaunas is a UNESCO creative city of design. The city’s objective is to have its modernist heritage listed as UNESCO world heritage.
- A new local heritage restoration support programme exists (see more details below)
The coaching needs Ahead of the coaching visit Kaunas has identified coaching needs around two issues:
1. Communications - Developing effective communication between Kaunas City and Kaunas District - Need to develop efficient communication model among cultural institutions to unlock
- New ways to protect and use heritage buildings - Strategic decision making and governance with relevant stakeholders
In light of these needs, the objectives of the coaching visit were to:
Help the city make the current preparation of both a local cultural strategy and an European Capital of Culture bid (the city is shortlisted for 2022) a unique opportunity to:
o use creativity as a local driver for action o develop a clear long term cultural vision: objectives, partnerships, financial
means Consider ways to improve partnerships and communication between the municipality
levels and the various local cultural stakeholders
Help the city find keys to use its rich architectural heritage as a driver for local development and attractiveness. This includes finding new uses and new partnerships to finance them.
Initial key hypothesis - Kaunas is currently developing an ambitious cultural strategy. It will be part of a wider
process aiming to make the city attractive and retain inhabitants - The city has already put lots of efforts into various international bidding processes.
The current preparation of the ECoC 2022 bid provides momentum for the city to develop its cultural vision (objectives and governance)
- Architecture and design are potentially key assets for the city. A specific vision is needed to find resources to maintain and valorise buildings and to make them attractive for various uses
Programme of the visit
December 5 December 6 December 7
AM 09.00 Pick up from the hotel. 09.30 Presentation of the analysis of Kaunas city by coachers. Discussion. (venue – Library of President Valdas Adamkus) 10.30 Theme of the meeting: “Cooperation of Kaunas City and Kaunas District”. Team work, brain-storming, for solution of the problem. Participants: representatives of Kaunas City Municipality Administration, Kaunas Council members, Division of Culture, Public Relations Division, Foreign Relations Division, “Kaunas Capital
09.00 Pick up from the hotel. 09.30 Official meeting with the Vice-Mayor of Kaunas City Mr Simonas Kairys, Deputy Director of Administration Mr Sigitas Šliažas, divisions of the administration, Council members, “Kaunas Capital of Culture 2022” team, others (venue - Kaunas City Municipal
Arrival of coaching team
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
6
of Culture 2022” team, Kaunas District Municipality Division of Culture, Kaunas District Culture Centres (Ežerėlis, Rokai, Samylai, Garliava sports and culture centre), Kaunas County Library, Kaunas District Museum.
Administration, address: Laisvės al. 96, Small Hall). Presentation of the analysis, discussion, conclusions.
12.00 – 13.00 LUNCH at restaurant
“Miesto sodas”
11.30 LUNCH at restaurant
“Bernelių užeiga”
PM
16.00 Pick up from the hotel. Walking to the Municipal administration building (city hall). On the way to the city hall, we will show you the objects of cultural heritage that raise problems. 16.30 In the city hall: - General introduction of Kaunas City (by Foreign Relations Division) – introduction of the team of “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022”, its aims, relations to cultural heritage and cooperation with Kaunas District. - introduction of the situation of cultural heritage objects and the main challenges (the cases of the buildings of Pažanga, Milk centre, Central Post Office). (venue - Kaunas City Municipal Administration, address: Laisvės al. 96, Small Hall).
13.30 Theme of the meeting: Usage of Cultural Heritage, Problems of its Adjustment. Team work, brainstorming, for solution of the problem. Participants: Kaunas Council, Kaunas City Administration Division of Culture, Foreign Relations Division Cultural Heritage Division, City planning and Architecture Division, Development Programmes and Investments Division. Representatives of Kaunas Post office, Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, managers of cultural heritage objects(Dainius Lanauskas, Dainius Vaitiekūnas, Edmundas Kolevaitis, Monika Inčerytė, etc.). (venue – Cultural Heritage Division) Sightseeing tour at Kaunas Resurrection Church
End of visit – 13.00 departure for Vilnius air-port from the hotel (for Kaunas air-port at 12.30).
PM 18.00 Dinner at restaurant “55”
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
7
List of stakeholders met during the visit
Name Organisation Position
Aurelija Prašmunaitė Rokai entertainment hall, Kaunas District
manager
Rimantė Adomaitytė Samynai Culture centre, Kaunas District
manager
Birutė Jagrienė Kaunas District Municipality (Culture Subdivision)
manager
Ieva Jasaitytė Tourism and Business Information Centre of Kaunas District
manager
Gabrielė Geležiūnaitė Kaunas District museum Project Manager
Zigmas Kaliesinskas Kaunas District museum Head
Albinas Vilčinskas Kaunas City, Culture Division Head
Justina Baronaitė Kaunas City, Culture Division Chief Specialist
Ina Pukelytė Kaunas City Council member, Chairperson of Culture Committee
Virginija Vitkienė Kaunas – European Capital of Culture organization
Ana Čižauskienė Kaunas – European Capital of Culture organization
Lina Duobaitė Kaunas City, Foreign Relations Division
Deputy Head
Karolina Presniakovaite Kaunas City, Foreign Relations Division
Chief Specialist
Audrius Buraitis Kaunas City, Division of Architecture
Architect
Gražina Janulytė-Bernotienė Kaunas Union of Architects Architect
Andrijana Filinaitė Kaunas City, Cultural Heritage Division
Chief Specialist
Saulius Rimas Kaunas City, Cultural Heritage Division
Head
Initiatives presented
Title Local heritage restoration support programme
Saulius Rimas, responsible for the programme
Description,
including
- Context
- The objective of this new programme is to help owners of modernist buildings (including private houses) to restore them. The programme also co-funds conservation and research
- 2016 budget: €400 000
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
8
- Objectives
- Implement
ation
- Key actors
involved
- Budget
- Up to 50 % co-financing
- An open call was launched. A city commission (council members and representatives of the city administration) decides which projects will be funded.
- Half of the applications were successful
- Priorities in terms of restoration are: facades, the Old Town, the New Town, modernist and wooden architecture
Title European Capital of Culture bid (2022)
Ana Čižauskienė
Description,
including
- Context
- Objectives
- Implement
ation
- Key actors
involved
- Budget
- The city is shortlisted, together with Klaipeda. The final decision is expected at the end of March 2017
- The process was suggested by independent culture professionals - It is a joint application by the city and its districts - The main theme is ‘ConTEMPOrary capital’ (this refer to Kaunas
former capital of Lithuania) - The full programme is available here http://kaunas2022.eu/ - 2 researches are now being conducted:
o One on the quality and accessibility of cultural services in districts (as most services are very central). First results show that young people are not interested in these services and highlight the lack of information about these services
o A mapping of the local cultural and creative industries (CCIs)
Themed workshops and discussions with local stakeholders
Theme 1 - Cooperation between the city and the district
Methodology used: We started with an open discussion between representatives from various actors from the city, the districts and from cultural organisations based in the city and the districts. Then we broke into two groups and used the ‘stop-continue/develop-start’ method. Participants were very active during the discussions. The main findings are presented below.
Objectives of a better cooperation between the city and the districts in the area of
culture:
From the city
- We serve the same people, that’s why we should develop the cultural offer together
- To spread information what is happening in the city / in the district: build up a common digital and non-digital platform or other communication tool.
- Work together for the ECoC bid: preparation and implementation
- Strategic papers and plans on how to connect with the river already exist. Reach agreement on how to best use the cultural heritage and the river as common parts of the local identity.
From the districts
- More people should come to the districts and use the cultural offer of the districts, not only the offer provided in the city centre
- More people attending cultural events in the district means more economic/cultural opportunities for the locals
- There are artists and producers in the districts, not only audiences and participants, and these should be supported and developed as a city resource
- Learning from each other and, together, improving capacity building
Common objectives identified
- To develop a complementing cultural offer of the city and the district, creating a “whole city” offer
- To jointly spread digital and non-digital information about the cultural offer and services in the city and the district
- More people from the city to use the cultural offer in the district
- Key role of mobility and easy transportation to cultural places in the city to the district and vice versa
- Joint preparation and implementation of the ECoC bid
- Need for exchange and learning from each other
What should continue and be further developed
- Personal cooperation and networking between the various local cultural actors and individual administrative representatives from the district and the city (calling each
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
10
other and coordinating their activities) on specific themes / issues (suggested themes were: water tourism; tourism routes, tourism e-marketing and products; bicycle tourism signing-system, music festival & events)
- Fortress network: it connects all Kaunas fortifications in one system/network; o It is based on the tradition to give fortresses a meaning for today, so that the
fortresses can be part of the daily life of the locals: providing the opportunity that the locals can use the fortresses with different purposes.
o The management / use of the buildings is shared with other organisations (with shared responsibilities). At the beginning they build up trust/confidence between the different stakeholders. There is a common board and one elected director of the network. Both the city and district finance the network and a private organisation provides staff and equipment.
o Art and science work together: events in the fortress; cooperation with other universities;
o applying together for EU funding;
o joint media campaigns;
- Joint ECoC bid: official agreement to prepare the bid together; sharing the costs of bidding according to the number of inhabitants; there is a common board; cultural lab thematic meetings; cultural operators are open to cooperate, but administrative dependency makes it difficult to cooperate: here a political solution is needed.
What should stop
- Stop competing between the city centre and the district
- Stop not cooperating and not sharing information. It seems that cooperation is not actively supported by politicians, in particular when different parties are in power (Kaunas City strategy on culture to be approved by Council in February 2017 states that city’s and district’s cultural links will be strengthened).
What should happen in the future
- Better cooperation between city and district in the area of culture; create a feeling of “one Kaunas”
- Make the most of the river (i.e. developing tourism) as it could act as a ‘connector’ between the city and the district. An issue here seems to be the conservative attitude of the state authority responsible for the river
- Cooperation on art residences; problem: lack of spaces that are easy to access. Many empty spaces remain difficult to access due to ownership issues, administrative issues, or lack of interest from owners.
- More coordinated youth involvement
- Bigger cultural / public institutions to work together with communities (see the Birmingham Arts champion example)
- Develop networks of independent cultural institutions at city and district level and at administration level
- Common elaboration of strategy and activities for culture
- Joint fund raising for cultural activities
- Positive “propaganda”: showcasing positive examples of cooperation between the city and the district
- Joint research or consultation on how to reach the people and have adequate culture offer
- Sometimes less is more: more quality culture events instead of many events
- Pop-up activities
Concrete recommendations How to convince politicians from different parties that cooperation is positive?
o Don’t wait for everything you want to be in place: Model the challenge you want to
see!
o Demonstrate to politicians the positive effects (win-win) of cooperation examples that already take place in other EU cities/regions
o Arrange study visits with politicians/media/decision-makers to other European city-regions, where the cooperation works successfully, or invite European decision-makers to come and explain in Kaunas (i.e. Hannover region)
o Collect the themes you want to work on and explain politicians why it is important to cooperate and to do this together
o Use the ECoC bid to demonstrate that cooperation is beneficial
o Start cooperation on the issues you want to cooperate on; put ‘better communication and cooperation’ in the ECOC bid
o Collect and present evidence for the impact of interventions as a whole and use data concerning participation, economic impact and sense of identity (for example) to inform the development of programmes
o Involve politicians themselves in the city/district cooperation. The involvement of politicians and a better cooperation and complementarity between actors from the city and the district will be key to develop a cultural strategy for Kaunas
o Identify a “champion” in each political party who supports cooperation between the city and the district and/or cultural activities.
o Find what local politicians might be interested in – e.g. they may have studied history, or be a member of a group, or have a child who is involved in cultural activities. Then you can try to find a way in and don’t give up, just because they may not be free or interested in attending something, does not mean they will never come to anything.
o Have a round-table debate, which people are inclined to participate in if it is live-streamed or hosted by a significant partner, then they can end up becoming the face of the cause.
o Use steering groups and advisory groups to keep people engaged, and once you have their interest, give them launches event to speak at, or a role in chairing a group of cultural specialists or residents, so that they feel they are involved.
o Use your networks – they may not respond to you, but they may respond to someone they already know. Again, make wide use of people’s personal contacts. It is likely that you will know someone who knows someone who knows your prospect.
o Think about what you are offering them in return – it could be visibility, new contacts, or a new interest.
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
12
Theme 2 – Valorising the modernist heritage of Kaunas
Methodology used: an open discussion with representatives from the city administration and from various actors (including the university). Participants were very active during the discussions. The main findings are presented below.
Challenges for the modernist architecture in Kaunas
- Many buildings need rehabilitation: how to decide on which goes first? Do” rough checks”, involve the university and organisations like “friends of the old town.
- How to properly maintain and rehabilitate the buildings? Technical skills are missing. Good practice examples:
o Wächterhäuser, StadtWohnen Chemnitz, Haushalten e.V.; urban commons
o good examples in Docomomo International activities http://www.docomomo.com/index
Docomomo’s mission: act as watchdog when important modern movement buildings anywhere are under threat; foster interest in the ideas and heritage of the modern movement...."
- How to raise awareness about modernist buildings? Tours to/about these buildings already exist (e.g. EKSKURSAS), and gather around a number of heritage enthusiasts
- One building often has many owners (one per apartment): how to deal with their different interests and financial capacities? Calculate and compare the profit of 1. pure “maintenance” and rent income of a run-down buildings and 2. rehabilitation costs and rents after rehabilitation for a period of 15/20 years. The result might demonstrate that the investment ensures a higher profit. If people cannot afford the expenditures of rehabilitation, think about how the financing can be supported i.e. through loans with very low interest rates.
- Technical infrastructure is outdated, which requires higher investments in the buildings.
- Instead of reusing the cultural heritage buildings or adapting them to their needs, public institutions like universities build new ones. It is said that this is financially more feasible among others because there is more funding for the construction of new buildings than for rehabilitation; adjustments cannot be made because of preservation regulations.
- Preservation legislation is not flexible enough to adapt the buildings to new uses.
- How to bring vacant buildings back in use? Launch a public call about ideas for the uses of particular/vacant buildings, arrange urban hackathons, map vacant buildings, organise tours and walk shops to vacant buildings and what to do with them etc.
Useful examples for Kaunas
- Mapping empty buildings (see ‘mapping empty building’ document attached to this report p9-10 and see the URBACT mapping stakeholder’s methodology here)
- Incredibol in Bologna: providing empty heritage building to artists
- Heritage programme of Birmingham: Heritage week and Heritage strategy group
- Porto / Lisbon: how they involve the citizens in community development
- Porto example of reuse buildings; http://criticalconcrete.com/; Merida, Spain.
- Funding programmes: check the Modern century programme of the World monuments fund and the ‘Keep it modern’ programme of the Getty foundation
Concrete recommendations
General hints
- Best protection of heritage buildings is the proper use, without harming the heritage values, and a use that allows gaining revenues to maintain the building.
- Start with a small number of buildings; test different approaches; monitor what works before "going bigger".
- Find out (communicate) the opportunities of these buildings; check what really needs to be changed in the structure/infrastructure, etc.
- Make owners/users/citizens/politicians aware about the heritage values and their benefits and importance for urban development and for the identity of the place.
- Demonstrate owners that protecting these heritage values protects their investments.
- Attach people emotionally to their cultural heritage. Make them part of their daily life.
Practical general recommendations
- Create contemporary stories for the modernist heritage: calendar of modernism architecture: each day one house; ask inhabitants/users about their personal stories of today, include videos and sounds such as http://www.atmintiesvietos.lt/ (see the Memory loops project in Munich)
- Open a museum of old and new personal stories related to the local cultural heritage
- Map vacant/derelict heritage buildings
- Map the stakeholders (change makers: public AND private ones!) interested in the regeneration/reuse of cultural heritage buildings; that want to be or are already active (check Facebook followers on modernist architecture in Kaunas): Involve them in the development of activities linked to the ECoC bid: develop community projects related to heritage buildings.
- Identify potential users and uses for the vacant heritage buildings.
- Invite them for partnerships, to develop together activities. Programming for ECoC activities could be a good reason.
Ideas to improve the newly launched local heritage support programme:
- Use the heritage support programme for ‘public relations’ and to raise citizens’ awareness about their local heritage. This can be done through:
o tours to rehabilitated buildings targeting citizens, tourists and specialised tours for owners, giving them the opportunity to talk to other owners (sharing experience about rehabilitation works; real costs of rehabilitation, etc.); this would mean considering the legal definition of a tour-guide and who is allowed
to do this. There are local ‘unofficial’ non-regulated local tour guides who are not officially recognised but provide extremely interesting tours.
o a booklet/calendar presenting rehabilitated buildings with short information about the buildings or personal stories about the buildings, also explaining the significance of the building;
o “Open doors” days: owners open buildings to the public, so that they can take a look inside / look behind the façade.
o Concentrate the funding on vacant, derelict buildings to give them an extra push to be re-used / rehabilitated.
o A regular forum of interested parties, to galvanise action, and discuss priorities (see Birmingham’s Heritage strategy group and this report by the UK heritage lottery fund)
We understood that people tend to leave Kaunas. To make Kaunas area more attractive to stay, live and work, we think that culture, and the bid for ECoC, can be a useful tool.
The recommendations presented below should be complemented with recommendations that are specific to the two main issues for which Kaunas asked for coaching (1-better cooperation between the city and the districts; 2- Valorising the modernist heritage) and that can be found in dedicated sections earlier in this report.
Smart cooperation & partnerships for a rich and innovative cultural offer for its citizens
- During our stay we realised the need for a cultural offer that is closer to the interests of the citizens (and a rich cultural offer can make a city/region more attractive). We are also aware of the limited resources available. So you should ensure a complementing cultural offer of the city and the district, based on the interests of the citizens and, through this, develop an improved cultural offer and an efficient spending of your resources in the city/in the district. To do so, the administrations responsible for culture in the city/in the district have to cooperate and you have to build up partnerships with cultural institutions and organisations from the private sector to ensure a certain spectrum of cultural offers.
An innovative cultural offer cannot be done alone through the public institutions.
Bid for ECoC as a unique opportunity for change and to test innovative approaches
- Working on European Capital of Culture is a great opportunity to test such cooperation and partnerships, and to test certain cultural services: and we figured that Kaunas does not have to start from scratch as cooperation between the district and the city already partly takes place at the personal level on issues like tourism, e-marketing or the bid for ECoC, or more advanced one like the fortress network. You can build up on these experiences and test new cooperation structures and themes which both serve the city and the district.
Strengthen Kaunas identity and DNA (attachment of people to Kaunas)
- Another aspect of keeping people is that they feel attached to their place, that they feel at home. This strongly connects to the issue of identity. And you have a rich cultural heritage, which you can use; cultural activities can also support the emotional attachment to Kaunas (one soft instrument to make people stay).
Cultural heritage as a tool to foster this identity feeling
- Use your cultural heritage to strengthen the local identity, but use your heritage buildings in particular to provide opportunities for your citizens: living in a special place, working in a special place and atmosphere. Find out about new uses and check if modernist buildings can provide such space i.e. for start-ups/incubators for young entrepreneurs, etc. (cultural heritage department has to work with the economic department); in the long-run this also pays off in terms of rents and the buildings contribute to the economic development.
- And here again: re-using the buildings should not be done alone by the city or the district. We heard about civic initiatives and engagements. You can use this enthusiasm,
Version: 06 February 2017
Culture for Cities and Regions - coaching
16
this energy in the reuse of these buildings; try to build up partnerships which such initiatives and change makers. Identify them. Be the matchmaker/broker between owners and potential users or buyers. The German city of Chemnitz founded an own institution which was responsible for the reuse and rehabilitation of their derelict old houses in a shrinking environment, and it was successful.
Capacity buildings and skills/ resources
- Administrations and local cultural institutions need certain skills/capacities and resources: make sure that your administration gains such skills.
- Analyse the existing capacities and gaps, and check which resources are needed to overcome these gaps.
Other issues discussed
- Politicians have to drive the change and the cooperation between city and district administration.
- How to make “traditional” museums more innovative and more service oriented? Identify museums that are more innovative; implement a “take-over” by young people, or other ways for residents to co-design or co-curate activities.; develop peer-to-peer exchange. EUROCITIES might help with match-making.
- Street arts: use street art as a “unique selling point” for Kaunas
- Less can be more! A good quality event in a district, promoted as part of the city offer, is more valuable than lots of city centre activities which are under-resourced, for example.
- Get in touch with the people who are in charge for Kaunas URBACT network ‘Creative spirits’ www.urbact.eu
- Use membership to European city networks such as EUROCITIES as a catalyst to drive innovation in local cultural policies
- Implement certain parts of the ECoC bid even if you will not be ECoC 2022. The discussions and ideas are still valid and you will have created a sense of energy.
- Inform/coordinate projects/strategies of the city that might be relevant or affect the district.
- Work with the local institution in charge of attracting investments: tourism, business, marketing.
- Use ECoC to drive this cooperation!
- Use the forthcoming European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 to both: raise the profile of Kaunas at international level, by showcasing the local heritage; and raise local awareness about the importance of the local cultural heritage
Next steps
- Map buildings and institutions (city and district)
o Think about what you would like to do with them; discuss and agree.
o Build up trust; think what you can offer; do the clustering/selection of themes to work/cooperate on
o Develop a roadmap for cooperation and partnerships
o Work with your colleagues in economic development, who will be looking for sites for business relocations, and try to encourage them to see the heritage aspect as “added value”
- Actively start to match up with your counterparts on the district sites
- Add cultural events of the district in the cultural calendar of the city.
- Use the coaching visit report to get in touch with the district, discuss it and define what you want to do together
Next steps and actions identified by the host city
Learning points from the host city
Natural and legal entities operating in culture of Kaunas City and District have established a common association “Kaunas Tempo Academy” (in January this year) with the aim to network, cooperate in cultural projects, educational programmes, develop common information tools about the supply of culture. The membership is open for all; the main activity would be to develop the cooperation platform that can be used by Kaunas Capital of Culture 2022 programme. Even if we do not succeed in this competition, the association will still be active. Planned events: annual cultural forum organization in Kaunas, representation of cultural sector, etc.
