The Cáceres 2031 book for European Capital of Culture has been presented today before the Governing Council of the Consortium. The document, called ‘bid book’, will be registered next Tuesday, November 3, and includes the artistic and cultural proposal, the participation model, the European dimension, the legacy objectives and the economic planning with which the city faces the final phase of the selection process.

The book, presented by the project’s general coordinator, Iris Jugo, along with members of the technical team, develops Transcultura as a method of action that connects territory, heritage, and community to generate a sustainable cultural impact and contribute to addressing Europe’s contemporary challenges. Listening to citizens and the local area, connecting through partnerships, and transforming through culture are the foundations of Transcultura, which evolves from a concept to a methodology in this second and final phase of the bid.

Its development is supported by five areas: shared governance, cultural capacity, cultural community, transformative capacity and European contribution. With them, the bid links artistic creation with social participation, sector training and international cooperation.

Thirty projects and three agoras

The artistic and cultural programming is organized into more than 30 projects, distributed in 12 programs and three thematic axes, Land, Path and Encounter. As Jugo has detailed, creativity, care and peace are the transversal values ​​on which the proposal is based.

In the section on participation, training and legacy, the book contemplates more than 200 participatory projects co-created with local and European communities, a network of 15 cultural training laboratories distributed throughout Extremadura and the training of 1,200 cultural agents, mediators and managers in European skills.

Among its long-term objectives are a model of cultural governance that can serve as a reference for other medium-sized cities and a permanent platform for cooperation between Extremadura and Europe. The bid thus proposes that the work carried out will continue beyond 2031.

The Governing Council has also approved the economic planning of the project until 2032, in which the artistic and cultural program concentrates approximately 48% of the total budget. The total budget amounts to 65.7 million euros for the period 2026-2032.

Upcoming milestones of the bid

After the registration of the book on Tuesday, November 3, the bid calendar foresees the visit of experts to Cáceres on November 23 and the presentation and defense of the document in Madrid on November 30. The announcement of the city chosen as European Capital of Culture 2031 is scheduled for December 3.

The Governing Council

The Governing Council held today was chaired by the mayor of Cáceres and president of the Consortium, Rafa Mateos, and representatives of the Government of Extremadura – headed by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports, Laureano León -, the Provincial Council of Cáceres and the municipal groups participated, as well as the coordinator of Cáceres 2031, Iris Jugo, and part of the technical team working on the project.