Excitement is mounting as Ireland's second-largest city gets ready to present itself to the world as European Capital of Culture next year.
A spectacular river-based fireworks display on Jan. 8 will mark the end of over two years of preparation and the beginning of a year that organizers hope will put Cork on the cultural map and draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the southern port city.
Cork, with a population of 123,000, has undergone something of a renaissance in the past decade and has just completed a facelift of the city center.
Previously traffic-clogged streets have been transformed by Catalan architect Beth Gali, using a mixture of European-style plazas, daring paving patterns and ultramodern street lighting evocative of dockside cranes.
Now all hands are on deck to ensure that the new and improved Cork -- the "real capital" of Ireland, according to its inhabitants -- projects the best image possible during its year of fame.
A diverse program of over 4,000 events has been assembled, covering virtually everything from international folk, choral and jazz festivals to exhibitions featuring art from the expanded European Union (EU) and uniquely, a "knitting map" of the city based on satellite coordinates.
Organizers, though focusing on local talent, have also attracted a number of "big names." A lecture by architect Daniel Libeskind is sure to be a highlight, while Libeskind's pavilion "Eighteen Turns" will be on view in a city park during the summer.
Acclaimed writer and director Neil LaBute will also hold the world premiere of a new work in autumn, while all around the city local communities, schools and ethnic groups have been encouraged to have their say.
Cork 2005 organizers, aware of the diversity that comes under the banner of "culture," have also included sporting activities -- such as the EU Chess Championships -- and gourmet-related activities on the international stage, said Mary McCarthy, the director of program development for Cork. "It really focuses the city into moving forward in a coherent way."
"This designation has been the catalyst for a rejuvenation of the city and it will leave a lasting legacy -- once you have it, you've had it forever."
The European City of Culture program was launched in 1985 by the EU to "highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures and the features they share." This year the title was changed to capital of culture.
Cork is the smallest city so far to get the honor, following in the footsteps of Bologna, Antwerp, Glasgow, Lille and Graz, amongst others.
Organizers have, however, had a relatively small budget to play with -- around 13.5 million euros (US$17.5 million), compared to the 100 million euros said to be available to 2008 holders Liverpool.
Some have criticized how the money has been spent, pointing out that the general public in the city seems to have a lack of awareness of the year ahead.
"To a certain extent, I would accept that," said Mary McCarthy. "But we had to make decisions based on the money allocated to us and advertising is very expensive -- the money has been spent on programming and content rather than marketing and people will see that once the year begins and awareness begins to grow."
"People know that the year is special but they aren't aware of the detail," she said. "We will be publishing monthly programs which will be much more digestible."
Healthy debate is of course all too familiar to Corkonians. An ancient city boasting a strong maritime tradition, Cork natives are fiercely independent and proud of it.
Cork 2005 organizers are hoping that it's that independent streak, combined with the small, intimate environment of the city, that will combine to make 12 months of culture a year to remember.
Further information and full program details are available on the Cork 2005 Web site (www.cork2005.ie).
Taiwan’s English education system is being pulled apart by three opposing forces. Bilingual Nation 2030 pulls students toward English and global communication. Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness pulls them toward digital judgment, verification and AI-mediated work. But Taiwan’s old exam culture pulls them back toward memorization, grammar drills, timed reading and correct answers. If the education system keeps using old exams to define success, it risks producing graduates who are neither genuinely bilingual nor genuinely AI-ready, but trained for tasks machines can already perform. The first force is Bilingual Nation 2030. Launched in 2018, the policy aimed to “help Taiwan’s workforce connect
It seems every few days one bumps into one of those “real man” comments in which Taiwan is urged to “face reality” or similar, and “make a deal,” with the speaker implying that soon it will be too late. “Deal” advocates always present themselves as having a superior grip on reality, and the manly ability to make the “hard choice.” Their testosterone-laden language often echoes that of Taiwan sellout advocates. Note that such commentary always specifies a process (“make a deal, work with, make progress”), never the end state of what occupation by a violent authoritarian colonialist state will entail. In
There are shadowy cabals plotting to sell out Taiwan to be annexed by China, by invasion if necessary. Fortunately, they are buffoons. In 2019, former Bamboo Union gangster and founder of the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP), Chang An-le (張安樂, colorfully known as “White Wolf”), led a protest at the Legislative Yuan against comments made by then-premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) that in the event of an attack by China, he would never surrender, but would protect the nation by fighting to the end, even if he only had a broom. Chang had party members bring a wooden casket that they
June 1 to June 7 "If all Taiwanese were as afraid of dying as you, then what would happen?” Physician Shih Chiang-nan (施江南) reportedly said this to his wife Chen Chiao-tung (陳焦桐) after she urged him to stop intervening on behalf of Taiwanese soldiers stranded overseas after serving in the Japanese Army during World War II. Shih had clashed with high-ranking officials over the issue, engaged in several heated arguments with Taiwan governor-general Chen Yi (陳儀) and allegedly shouted at general Ko Yuan-fen (柯遠芬), chief of staff of the Taiwan Garrison Command, over
RSS