Concise.pdf - Brugge Plus

A balance of a year-long public network
All told, the public network was active for 321 days in 2002. One hundred and twelve
contact persons put their shoulder to the wheel of this initiative.
28 of them limited themselves to disseminating information on BRUGGE 2002
and raising the awareness of the residents of their municipality;
84 of them organised at least one group visit to BRUGGE 2002;
56 of them organised more than two group visits;
14 organised four or more group visits;
26 visited the three major exhibitions with a group.
In the form of organised group visits alone, 12,714 people visited the Cultural Capital
through the public network. There were two major public network days, to which all
contact persons were invited.
Survey and research report
In September 2002, Lien Phlypo of the Department of Applied Social and Cultural
Studies of the University of Ghent conducted surveys among groups who had visited
the public network. From the 250 reply forms, it emerged that 97.5% of the respondents
were satisfied with the introduction that they received from the co-ordinator,
95.6% showed themselves to be satisfied with the cultural activity that they had
attended in the framework of BRUGGE 2002 and 95.1% were satisfied with the local
contact person. 97.7% said that they were satisfied with the information sessions that
had been organised. 80.9% said that they had got to know people from the vicinity
better thanks to the public network, whilst 84.4% of the respondents stated that they
had met new people through the network. These are handsome results, from which
we can conclude that the network achieved its goal: to increase participation and stimulate
the formation of a community.
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CONCISE
A future
It very much remains to be seen whether the public network will be continued.
The network has actively developed in the region and the province. BRUGGE 2002 has
provided the proof that the public gains access to cultural events through the network
and that the working method results in an enthusiastic response. The network exists
now, and the contact persons are there. We are of the view that it would be useful for
the province of West Flanders to give these instruments continuity. In this respect we
already contacted the competent provincial policy makers and civil servants in 2002,
but to our great regret they did not agree with the idea of continuing with the public
network. A continuation could have had a positive effect on the many initiatives in
West Flanders. For us – and certainly also for the many contact persons – this is a
missed opportunity, to say the least.
© LUKE NOORDHOEK
100 Zeeland Portraits