That is why we are taking over the secretariat and chairmanship of Culture Night throughout Elsinore
Blog post by Aslak Gottlieb, Chairman of the Board
I just spoke on the phone with a reporter from Helsingør Dagblad. The reason is that, starting this year, our association is taking over the administration of Culture Night. And I myself will be chairing the steering committee, which consists of a wonderful group of people from towns throughout the Helsingør area. In recent years, the event has taken place in Tikøb, Hornbæk, Espergærde, and Helsingør. Over two evenings, in fact. It’s truly impressive that our local community has enough of an audience for what is effectively four Culture Nights (!)
The journalist called in response to a press release issued by Helsingør Theater, which, after serving as the secretariat for Culture Night for a number of years, has now handed over that role. The press release states that we at Elsinore 2032 will now be responsible for coordinating the festive events at the end of September. In the press release, I am quoted as saying
Culture Night is an anarchic project—in the best possible way—where shops, associations, and cultural institutions throughout Elsinore work together under one umbrella. It’s a great example of the kind of collaboration we hope to support over the next 10 years as we work toward becoming the European Capital of Culture. We all owe Helsingør Theater a huge thank you for their work in organizing Culture Night. After so many years, it’s only fair that someone else takes over, and as a relatively new association, we’re full of energy and ready to take on the challenge.
So, we on the board have rolled up our sleeves. The reporter asked me if taking on such a huge responsibility for this well-run project was “a daunting task.” I don’t remember if I was prompted to use that exact word, but sure, there’s always a certain amount of excitement and nervousness when you take on new tasks.
Because it’s definitely a huge responsibility we’re taking on. The streets of these four cities are packed and buzzing with life on Culture Night. Imagine if we ended up screwing it up. Don’t change a winning horse. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And all that.
We on the board are not nervous. Over the past year and a half as a newly established association, we have received tremendous support, and we are confident that we have the capacity to handle the task. In 2022 , we organized five events ourselves, gaining firsthand experience with what the format entails. You can see for yourself who our members are.
But why? After all, we’re a board of directors who work without pay. What makes us voluntarily take on a task that was already being carried out professionally and competently?
Yes, Culture Night gives us a sort of preview of what we, as the European Capital of Culture in 2032, will be able to offer. Not that stores in the city will be open late every night throughout 2032. But the level of cultural activity throughout Elsinore will naturally receive a tremendous boost in the years leading up to 2032 and beyond. That is one of the key points of the project.
The journalist also asked how the change in leadership would specifically affect this year’s Culture Night. I took the liberty of speaking a bit cautiously. To me, it’s important that we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and that we develop Culture Night at a steady pace. This will be done in collaboration with the steering committee, which will meet for the first time in early February.
So he only got the gist that we’re going to focus on how we can also attract out-of-town visitors to Culture Night. Anyone who has been to Culture Night in Copenhagen knows from the traffic chaos that sometimes reigns both in the city and on its access roads just how big a draw the concept can be. We need to work on that—without causing traffic chaos.
Now that we’re no longer a shipbuilding town, let’s become a great host city.
