Concise.pdf - Brugge Plus

THE CHALLENGE: TO HAVE AS MANY
PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE SHARE IN
THE ENTHUSIASM THAT ARTISTS
ARE WORTHY OF
Making an evaluation of communication in a project like BRUGGE 2002, Cultural Capital
of Europe is no easy business. The complex task falling to the communication department
consisted in channelling the abundance and diversity of information and objectives. How,
when and in respect of what should the various target groups be informed, made aware
and/or motivated That was the central question that formed the keynote for the communication
policy. Moreover, these various assignments were given different shades of emphasis
according to the phase of the project in which they were carried out. In this overall evaluation
we shall limit ourselves to looking at a few of the important main themes running
through the communication, and the strengths and weaknesses thereof.
The communication policy:
a child of many fathers…
From as early as 1995 the Bruges city council was already carrying out a kind of preliminary
communication campaign. A campaign aimed at the general public and a
European press and lobbying campaign saw to it that Bruges’ candidacy for the title
“Cultural Capital of Europe” was on everyone’s lips. This phase ended with a happening
at the Markt on November 13 th 1997.
In 1998 Bart Caron was given the task, as “cultural researcher”, to outline this cultural
project in greater detail in terms of content, in close consultation with numerous
institutions and organisations in the cultural and economic sector. On May 28 th
1998 the title of Cultural Capital was awarded to Bruges. The final report of the
preparatory phase was subsequently also communicated to the press and public.
On June 1 st 1999 intendant Hugo De Greef set to work with his five-strong team, and
from then on work was carried out – under his supervision – on the development of
a communication policy. A communication department was put together under the
leadership of Tine Verschaeve and later Kristine Demulder (ad interim). They did a
large amount of work through to the end of 2000 and continued assembling the
team of communication staff, among other things. Besides the press officer, an officer
responsible for domestic promotion was recruited, as well as a production manager
and sponsorship manager. Toerisme Vlaanderen (the Tourist Office for
Flanders) seconded a staff member to
prepare and outline Toerisme
Vlaanderen’s tasks and objectives
“from the field”.
When Reinhilde Weyns began work
as communication manager in
September 2000, a great deal of
preparatory work had already been
done. From this point on, the communication
had to gain momentum,
and for this reason three press
employees, a production employee
and a staff member for domestic promotion
were added to the communi-
European Biennial for Graphic Art
51
CONCISE
© BERT KELLER