As a candidate for the European Capital of Culture, Ghent aims to create—together, tuupetegoare—a city and region, from Ghent to the Dutch Zeeland and the farthest corners of Europe, where people feel at home, heard, and seen, where there is space for imagination, and where we find the resilience and strength to tackle today’s and tomorrow’s challenges together.

We are looking for a diverse group of supporters to continue nourishing the process alongside the Ghent2030 team and to help think through the next steps in our candidacy.

The supporters will bring specific expertise, valuable networks, and fresh perspectives. To build the supporters group, we are seeking people who want to support the candidacy and help realize the mission of Ghent2030. We are looking for committed doers and thinkers with diverse expertise and networks, for example, in:

  • The artistic (including amateur arts), cultural, and heritage sectors
  • The creative and events sectors
  • The broad socio-cultural sector and civil society
  • Education
  • The broader healthcare sector
  • The technology/economic, industrial, and agricultural sectors
  • Other specific expertise, such as urban development, accessibility, history, neighborhood work, ecology, migration, etc.

We are seeking individuals from Ghent, the region, and Zeeland, and/or people with European/international expertise and networks.

Mandate and mission

The full supporters group will meet once a month from October 2024 until June 2025 to:

  • Inspire and advise the Ghent2030 team in the launch of various toopen.
  • Reach out to and build networks locally, nationally, and internationally to kickstart the toopen.
  • Help safeguard the mission and approach of Gent2030.

What we expect

  • Enthusiasm and passion: a willingness to strengthen and enrich Ghent2030 together and on an equal footing.
  • Presence: being present as much as possible at the monthly meetings (live or hybrid).
  • Active engagement: using your expertise and network to help move the project forward.
  • Advocacy: embracing and promoting the mission, artistic narrative, 12 values, and learning principles of Ghent2030.

What we offer

  • Direction: helping to shape our Ghent candidacy and seeing the plans develop and grow.
  • Inspiration, enrichment, and networking: being part of an inspiring project where diverse expertise and skills come together, which can also be beneficial for your own professional development.
  • Volunteer compensation: a compensation per meeting for those who do not take on this role as part of a paid position.

What if Ghent doesn’t make the shortlist in October 2024? Even then, we want to think with this group about how to inject the gathered good ideas and energy into the city, the region, and Europe in the future.

Let us know if and why you are interested in this unique adventure. You can find an application form at the bottom of this page. 

Selection

  • Apply via the link below.
  • We will collect all applications by October 13th 2024. After that, all applications will be reviewed.
  • Applications will be screened based on motivation, expertise, and the network they can bring to the mission and project of Ghent2030.
  • We will form a diverse supporters group with attention to balance in gender, age, and background.

If there are more than 30 candidates, we will make a selection based on the above criteria. The first meeting will take place in the fall.

Apply via this form.