Discover Southern Estonia

In the autumn of 2020, the councils of 19 Southern Estonian municipalities from Põlva, Tartu, Valga and Võru counties and the city of Viljandi voted on the Tartu 2024 cooperation agreement. The goal of the cooperation agreement is to kick-start the in-depth preparation and implementation of the European Capital of Culture in the South Estonian region. The cooperation agreement contains the principles of ECoC programme creation, marketing and financing for the years 2021-2025.

Action plans, signed between the foundation and each individual municipality, will be added to the cooperation agreement every year. In addition, at the end of every year, Tartu 2024 foundation will compile a report about the implementation of said action plan and present it to every municipality separately. First action plans will be written for the year 2021 and the first reports will be compiled in the beginning of 2022.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE COOPERATION AGREEMENT

• The Tartu 2024 foundation, established by the city of Tartu, and the municipalities will confirm in the cooperation agreement that the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 will be carried out in comprehensive collaboration between the parties. Both sides will agree to jointly strive towards the goal of holding unique events in every municipality during the title year.
• Furthermore, the cooperation agreement outlines the multi-level collaboration between the foundation and municipalities. All municipality leaders are members of Tartu 2024 Municipality Leaders Forum, which will convene at least twice a year to discuss important issues. The Forum will also nominate a representative of Southern Estonian municipality leaders to the foundation council.
• To ensure a smooth preparation process, every municipality has designated an individual who will be their contact person with the foundation. Information will be spread and agreements prepared through the chosen person. 
• All the civil servants in the cultural sphere of all the municipalities that have joined the agreement will be included in the ECoC cultural professionals network. All the civil servants in the public relations sphere will be added into the ECoC communications network.
  
• The Tartu 2024 foundation will also work closely with Southern Estonian regional development organisations. The cultural managers of regional development organisations that are included in the cooperation agreement and a representative named by Viljandi City Council will make up the regional expert commission, which will help to prepare the European Capital of Culture programme’s regional section by advising the foundation.
  
• Moreover, the cooperation agreement defines financing principles, which have been calculated by taking into account the population of each municipality, while keeping in mind that the contribution from other public and private sector organisations should be larger than the investment of each specific municipality.

CONCLUDING THE COOPERATION AGREEMENT

In autumn of 2020, the city of Viljandi and the municipalities in Põlva, Tartu, Valga and Võru counties discussed concluding the cooperation agreement in their respective councils.

• The first to vote were Luunja, Nõo and Tartu municipality councils, who did so on the 27th of August.
• 8.09 Kastre municipality council, 9.09 Võru municipality council, 15.09 Antsla municipality council, 17.09 Kanepi municipality council, 22.09 Kambja municipality council, 23.09 Räpina municipality council, 24.09 Põlva municipality council, 24.09 Setomaa municipality council, 24.09 Viljandi city council, 28.09 Elva municipality council, 7.10 Peipsiääre municipality council, 14.10 Võru city council, 27.10 Rõuge municipality council, 30.10 Valga municipality council, 19.01 Tõrva municipality council, 21.01 Otepää municipality council.

PREPARING THE COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Southern Estonia has moved towards becoming the European Capital of Culture by collectively deliberating every step of the way. Already in January of 2018, when the leaders of municipalities met in Tartu, it was determined that we would apply for the 2024 ECoC title together. A year later, in the final round of the selection phase, the leaders of the 19 municipalities and city of Tartu met at the top of the Suur Munamägi tower to sign a goodwill cooperation agreement, which affirmed our shared objectives.


The preparation for the long-term cooperation agreement began in August of 2019, after an international independent expert committee declared Tartu, along with Southern Estonia, as the European Capital of Culture in 2024.

The Tartu 2024 foundation, created by the city of Tartu, coordinates the preparations for and the implementation of the European Capital of Culture. The foundation adheres to the bid-book and the creative concept titled Arts of Survival in its work on the official programme, marketing and in other areas.