TWINS networks artists from all genres and generations
TWINS is … 53 cities in the Ruhr Metropolis, over 200 twin towns in the whole of Europe and beyond, a hundred exciting trailblazing ideas and projects, more than 1,700 participating artists groups, cultural clubs, institutions, "fringe" artists in Europe, choirs, schools, agencies, individual artists, local authorities and consulates, totalling thousands of participants.
The interactive Ruhr metropolis: Simply go over a city’s name with your mouse
to see that community’s European partner cities listed alphabetically.
Photography, painting, architecture, urban planning, jazz, classical music, chansons, brass band music and folk music, ballet, hip-hop, modern dance, theatre performances, marionette and improvisational theatre, pantomime, theatre makeup, poetry, literature, fantasy, writing and painting competitions, cooking and gardening, sporting events, culture camps and inventions, irrespective of the precise content. The principal uniting factor is that every project in the Ruhr Metropolis will be co-operating with partners from our European twin towns and/or Istanbul, Pécs and Israel.
In spring 2008 and 2009 an international jury selected the 100 best TWINS ideas from around 500 applications. The official accolade of being a TWINS project was mostly linked with financial aid. At the same time the projects became part of the official programme of the European Capital of Culture 2010. Above all TWINS is there to give young people the opportunity to take an active part in shaping the Europaen Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 and presenting their own unconventional project ideas.
On the occasion of the first kick-off meeting in 2006 more than 100 mayors from the European twin towns of the Ruhr Metropolis gave their binding promise to support the project. We should like to express our gratitude to them all as well as to all the protagonists involved, participating towns and cities, co-operation partners, promoters and sponsors for enabling the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 to present the following TWINS programme, one of the largest internationally creative networks ever to be realised in Europe.
May we extend a warm invitation to you to come and experience the TWINS projects at close hand in the Cultural Capital year in order to find out more – even better, take part!