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Cities Ahead

The Cities Ahead programme supports ambitious European cultural and creative cities in attaining more international visibility and cultural appeal. At a two-day academy, renowned experts impart practical knowledge on international cultural urban development. Through a worldwide open call, cities receive further stimuli from the cultural and creative industries.

European cities can apply here to participate in Cities Ahead:

Application form

 

Info sheet(PDF, 296 KB)

Cities Ahead is a good opportunity for cities to reflect on what resources they have.
Charles Landry

Charles-Landry © Charles-Landry

Programme

The programme consists of two phases:
  • The Cities Ahead Academy consists of expert input and workshops to train local administrations and cultural actors in (international) cultural urban development
  • The two-day Cities Ahead Academy is organised locally in the participating city. The programme consists of three freely selectable modules (see below)
  • The Academy is open to employees from cultural administration, economic development, urban planning, offices for international relations, and tourism offices as well as employees of local cultural institutions
     
  • The optional Cities Ahead Open Call is a worldwide open call to promote innovative and participatory creative projects in the participating cities
  • The Cities Ahead Open Call offers the opportunity to involve artists and creatives as well as the local population in the urban development process

Modules

  • Building Creative City Ecosystems
    Establishing cities as cultural centres and developing creative districts
  • Leveraging Culture for Sustainability
    Utilising the potential of culture for sustainability-oriented urban development
  • Crafting Cultural Strategies
    Strategic planning in cities and regions
  • Joining International Networks
    Harnessing international initiatives for urban development
  • Working with Cultural Data
    Collecting data and using it for urban development
  • Enabling Cultural Participation
    Utilising citizen participation and involving communities in urban development

FAQ

Participating cities in 2024

Cities Ahead Oldenburg

The Cities Ahead Academy Oldenburg was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Oldenburg on 23 and 24 September 2024 at the Forum St. Peter Oldenburg.

Cities Ahead Academy Oldenburg © Jörg Hemmen © Jörg Hemmen

Cities Ahead Málaga

The Cities Ahead Málaga was organised by the Goethe-Institut in collaboration with Malaga City Council on 14 and 15 May 2024.

Cities Ahead Acadamy 2024 in Málaga Photo: Álvaro Cabreras © Goethe-Institut Madrid Photo: Álvaro Cabreras © Goethe-Institut Madrid

Cities Ahead Göttingen

The Cities Ahead Academy Göttingen was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Göttingen on 13 and 14 May 2024 at the Goethe-Institut Göttingen.

Cities Ahead Academy Göttingen © Valentin Grüning © Valentin Grüning

Cities Ahead Hamm

The Cities Ahead Academy Hamm was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the city of Hamm on 29 February and 1 March 2024 at the Gustav-Lübcke-Museum Hamm.

Cities Ahead Academy Hamm © City of Hamm © City of Hamm

Cities Ahead Bielsko-Biała

The Cities Ahead Academy Bielsko-Biała was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the city of Bielsko-Biała on 18 and 19 January 2024.

Cities Ahead Academy Bielsko-Biała © City of Bielsko-Biała © City of Bielsko-Biała

Participating cities in 2023

Cities Ahead Logroño

The Cities Ahead Academy Logroño was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the Cultural Department of the City of Logroño and Museo Würth La Rioja on 28 April 2023.

Additionally, in cooperation with the Concéntrico Festival, an open call for the (temporary) transformation of public space was addressed to creatives worldwide. The selected practices were presented in Logroño during the Concéntrico 09 festival, which took place from 27 April to 2 May 2023.

Cities Ahead Logroño © Lukas Miller © Lukas Miller

Cities Ahead Augsburg

The Cities Ahead Academy Augsburg was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the Department for Culture, World Heritage and Sport of the City of Augsburg from 1-3 February 2023.

Building on the results of the Academy, an open call for creative concepts from all over the world was devised. The placemaking projects sought should relate to Maximilianstrasse or the theatre district and strengthen the connections between people and these places.

Cities Ahead Augsburg © Lukas Miller © Lukas Miller

Contact

Goethe-Institut e.V. | Cities Ahead
citiesahead@goethe.de

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