The ECoC evidence base

The Archive

Forty years of European Capitals of Culture in their own words: what cities promised, what they did, and what the evaluations found.

documents: 472
cities: 190
evaluations: 53
bid books: 182; 1985–2031

What the document types mean

Bid book (pre-selection): A city's first application for the title, judged by the selection panel to make the shortlist.; Evidence of intent: what a city promised, not what it delivered.
Bid book (final selection): A shortlisted city's full, final application for the title, with its programme, budget and plans.; Evidence of intent: what a city promised, not what it delivered.
Selection panel report: The EU expert panel's assessment of the bids in one competition, with its reasons and its recommendation.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Monitoring panel report: The EU expert panel's report on a designated city's preparations before its title year, with its advice.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Ex-post evaluation: An assessment, written after the title year or a programme, of what it actually achieved, usually by independent evaluators.; Evidence of outcome: what actually happened.
Monitoring or progress report: A city's own report on how its programme is going, written while it runs, with the figures it has tracked.; Evidence of outcome: what actually happened.
Strategy: A city's long-term plan or policy for culture, including legacy strategies and council decisions.; A plan: how a city meant to deliver and keep going.
Action plan: A concrete plan of what a city or organisation will do, by when and with what resources.; A plan: how a city meant to deliver and keep going.
Guide or toolkit: Practical how-to material that others can reuse: guides, toolkits, handbooks and templates.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Research: Studies, frameworks and papers across one or more cities, written by researchers rather than by a city.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.
Other: Anything else: news, memos, programme brochures and documents that fit no type above.; Context: useful background, not a city's own evidence of what happened.

6 documents of type bid book (pre-selection) for “Volunteering”

Clear

Ask Encore: “Volunteering”An answer from across the Archive, every claim cited to its document.

Found inside the documents

Magdeburg 2025 — Pre-selection