European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC)

#30yearsofENCC

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On June 4th, 2024, we celebrated the network's 30th anniversary together with our founders, members and the broader ENCC community.

Listen to the #30yearsofENCC voice collage here

On June 4th, 1994, a group of cultural operators from Belgium, Finland and Poland gathered in a small cultural centre in Flanders determined to build "a network for those who never dreamed they could go European". They named their brainchild the European Network of Cultural Centres.

Exactly thirty years later, we celebrated this wonderful journey in the context of Tracing the Trails, our annual conference dedicated to inclusive culture, in the stunning venue provided by our hosts Ziemeļrīgas kultūras apvienība and the Associaton of Latvian Culture Centres in Riga, Latvia. Together with our founders, members and broader community, we retraced the network's creation and its many milestones along the years.

Thank you to the participants, the tireless hosts, and the great Latvian artists who performed: post-folklore band Rikši, mixed choir Norise, singer songwriter Arnis Miltiņš and his children Laima Miltiņa-Rode (vocal, violin) and Jānis Miltiņš (keyboard).

Browse the photo gallery here (© Reinis Oliņš)

You can still be part of the #30yearsofENCC voice collage! You just need to record a short audio message (60 seconds max) answering one or more of the following questions:

  • Could you take us through a nice memory you have that involves the ENCC?

  • What does the ENCC represent for you?

  • What do you wish for the future of the network?

If you use an iOS smartphone, use "voice memos" (or the equivalent in the device's language); if you use an Android device, use "voice recorder" (or the equivalent in the device's language). You don't need to introduce yourself in the recording. Once you have your message, send it to irene.fici@encc.eu, making sure to write your name and surname for credits.

Some tips to maximise sound quality: record the message in a quiet room, and hold the phone's microphone approx 30 cm from your mouth.