Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

July–September• Song Celebration of Children and Young Adults – addressingaudiences of young adults and children, the popularisation of theKult[rix] brand in the specified audiences.October–December• Activation of the basic values of Kult[rix] and the basic elementsof the 2014 concept via projects in the preparatory periodand their communication campaigns.2011• Activation of the basic values of Kult[rix] and the basic elementsof the 2014 concept via projects in the preparatory periodand their communication campaigns.• International activities in the promotion of the Riga ideas(conferences, cooperation partner networks, activities via Latvianembassies, cooperation with Latvians living abroad).2012• Continuation of activities, started in 2011• Initiation of individual ECC2014 projects, promotion of theKult[rix] brand through these, including the European Biennale forContemporary Art Manifesta (tbc).• International activities in promoting Riga as ECC (conferences,cooperation partner networks, activities via the Latvian embassies,cooperation with Latvians living abroad).2013• Publicity campaign for the Force Majeure programme conceptand principal themes in Latvia and abroad.• Initiation of indivdual ECC2014 projects, promotion of theKult[rix] brand through these, including Song and Dance Celebration,Tall Ships Races (tbc).• Marketing activities.• Social advertisements.• PR about upcoming activities for the European Capital of Culture.• Communication of the Kult[rix] and Force Majeure brand andslogan within the framework of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration,reaching a wide audience of Latvian inhabitants and foreignvisitors.2014 Stage 3:Comprehensive communication campaign about ECC events.A detailed plan to be developed based on the plan of actualevents.2015• Repeated survey about cultural understanding in Latvian society,changes after 2014, benefits from the organisation of ayear-long programme, measuring the communication objectivesachieved.• Creation of links with the next ECC cities, experience handover,“Amber Route” projects.Proposed resources for the implementation of information andpublicity events Included in the financial appendix of the book.Management and surveillanceof the communication processThe communication process, including media relations, areplanned and coordinated by the ECC Office:• plan media activities.• coordinate PR activities of the involved partner institutionsand ensure that the partner institutions inform the ManagementGroup about their plans in time, ensuring internal communicationby regular newsletters, direct contacts and regular planning meetings;• determine guidelines for the use of the logo and slogan, andcontrol implementation.Potential threats and crisis communicationThe Project Management Group must be prepared for several potentialsources of risk:1. The potential change of political power on local and nationallevel, and a potentially poor interest in the cultural project or overtlydominant political intervention attempts regarding project implementation:• Riga City Council will change twice during the project period(local government elections in June 2009 and June 2013);• National parliamentary elections – Autumn 2010, Autumn 2014.To ensure stability in case of crisis, it is intended to develop andmaintain close contact with the Chancery of the President ofLatvia. Although, there is the potential for the President of Latviato change during the project period (elections for the Presidentof Latvia are anticipated in the Latvian parliament in mid-2011),according to the Constitution of Latvia, the President does notrepresent any political power. Taking into account the authority ofthe presidency in Latvian society, this institution may be a powerfulopinion leader in matters affecting the significance of the ECCstatus for the country and society, as well as for the internationalimage of the country.Latvia’s representation in European Union institutions is anotherpolitical communication tool that it is planned to use. TheEuropean Parliament (EP) elections, due to take place in mid-2013, provide the opportunity for Latvian EP deputy candidates(after the elections – the deputies) to position matters concerningthis project, which is significant for Riga, Latvia and Europe, onthe agenda. An equally influential tool in the creation of the Latvianpolitical agenda relating to the successful planning and implementationof the ECC2014 project, is active dialogue with EuropeanCommission representatives and with events created togetherwith the European Commission Representation for leading politicaland social opinion-makers about the significance of ECC.2. Risk of financial difficulties for the project.In light of the global economic crisis of 2009, and financial burdenfaced by Latvia, the government is aiming towards a 20–40% reduction in the budget, and this will also affect the city’sfinancial planning and budgetary expenses in various sectors.In order that the Project Management Group may react with flexibilityto changes in the project budget dictated by external conditionsand to maintain the national significance and prestige ofECC, analysis of the experiences of Vilnius ECC 2009, Lincas ECC2009 and the planned ECC cities for 2010 is proposed in Stage 2,i.e. 2010–2013, and based on this, establish communication withthe project partners in Riga and Latvia to create an action plan forcrisis situations. Cultural operators and NGO’s will have significantroles in the development of the action plan, and their involvementin decision making may help to reduce the potential tension duringthe project implementation. The Latvian public will be informedabout the action plan developed by the city, using the project sitewww.Kult[rix].lv and mass media, as well as the European Commission,the ECC city network, Riga’s partnership towns and othercooperation networks in Latvia and abroad. The support of theEuropean Commission in developing the project, which enforcesthe prestige of the project in society, should be highlighted.3. Tension created by operators not involved in the project, aswell as project opponents.During the implementation of such projects, there is a strong riskof opposition. The main arguments are usually connected to theuse of tax payers’ money; for example, in economically difficulttimes, Riga is spending money on ‘entertainment, not bread’, orother topics relevant to society at the respective period of time.To reduce such potential tension, it is important to maintain regularcommunication with leading opinion-makers, ensure that theProject Management Group maintains a transparent decisionmakingprocess, its activities are explained to the general publicand it works towards the creation of a unified image of the project,emphasising the significance of culture for various economic sectorsand the economy overall. A database of cultural operators andpotential cooperation partners for the project has already been developed;discussions with representatives from the most influentialmass media are underway regarding the project aims, and a widecircle of cultural operators, NGO’s and leading opinion-makers areinvolved in project preparation. Similarly, professionals with experiencein managing large-scale projects of national significance,and institutions, with a positive public image, are involved in theproject. Pro-active discussions in the public space and with themain target audiences about potentially sensitive issues will avoidthe escalation, or even occurance, of tension.170 171