Thomas Pesquet sponsor of the Rouen European Capital of Culture 2028 bid
Astronaut Thomas Pesquet, the second favorite personality of the French, is the sponsor of the Rouen Seine Normande 2028 candidacy for the title of European Capital of Culture.
Thomas Pesquet grew up between Dieppe and Rouen where he did part of his studies. At 44, the astronaut is the second favorite personality of the French according to a poll published in the Journal du Dimanche of January 1, 2023. Faithful to his region of origin, Thomas Pesquet is the godfather of Rouen’s candidacy for the title of Capital European culture. “ I am very happy to be the sponsor of Rouen’s candidacy as European Capital of Culture 2028, explains Thomas Pesquet. It’s my territory, it’s where I have my roots, it’s the territory that gave me wings. It is a melting pot, it is a territory where people gather. The rural character, the culture, the scientific, technical, sometimes industrial character: all of that blends harmoniously and that’s what we want to designate. And he continues: We have technical and scientific challenges in front of us which are global, and the first step is to understand them, to explain them, to share them, to study them. It is from this sharing that we will succeed in solving them for ourselves and for future generations. »
The Rouen Seine Normande 2028 candidacy is thought of as a tool for dialogue, for sharing knowledge and know-how, including scientific culture, an area in which the sponsorship of Thomas Pesquet takes on its full meaning.
The astronaut notably declared in a conversation with the President of the Republic in 2021: “ Through the window of the Space Station, we clearly see the fragility of the Earth, an oasis with limited resources, and the beneficial effects of human activities, river pollution, air pollution. A fragility that particularly affects the Norman Seine and its development in the coming years and which is at the heart of the project to apply for the title of European Capital of Culture 2028.
THE ROUEN SEINE NORMANDE 2028 CANDIDACY
The territory of the Rouen Seine Normande 2028 candidacy starts from the city of Rouen and its Metropolis and extends along the Normandy Seine valley, from Giverny to Le Havre, as far as Honfleur. The local authorities have expressed their deep desire to work together, with residents, artists, businesses, associations and all cultural actors to transform the territory thanks to the lever provided by the European Capital of Culture label.
Reminder of the timetable for the application in France:
January 2, 2023 : submission of the application file
2023 : Pre-selection of applications then designation of the city selected at the end of the year
2024-2028 : Mobilization and production phase of the project
2028 : Rouen Seine Normande becomes European Capital of Culture
BECOME EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE IN 2028
Each year, the European Commission meets in honor of two or three European cities by awarding the title of European Capital of Culture. The selected cities can thus, for a year, promote their heritage and their cultural dynamism through numerous events. Becoming European Capital of Culture is a collective and civic project whose ambition is to sustainably transform the territory and its image through culture. The label is mainly granted to so-called “resilient” cities, knowing how to rely on their weaknesses and their crises to set ambitious objectives for the transformation of the territory in the long term by using culture as a lever.
Since the origins of the program in 1985, more than 60 cities have already received this label, including four French cities: Paris (1989), Avignon (2000), Lille (2004) and Marseille (2013). In 2028, a new French city will be selected, alongside a Czech city (Broumov or Ceské-Budejovice) and a city from a non-member country (Budva in Montenegro or Skopje in North Macedonia).