Six candidates are applying for the head of the EHMK in Plzeň

Plzeň - Six candidates have so far registered for the selection process for a new director of the European Capital of Culture (EHMK) project 2015. The deadline was on Wednesday. The new head of the non-profit organization Plzeň 2015 should be known by June 25. The selection committee comprises members of the board of the Plzeň 2015 organization and three invited experts, spokesperson for the city hall Zdeňka Kubalová said today to ČTK.
    "As of today at 16:00, we have recorded six applications. A meeting of the administrative group will take place on Monday to review the required documentation. Since this is a two-round selection process, the first meeting of the committee will be at the beginning and the second at the end of June," said the Mayor and chairman of the board of Plzeň 2015 Martin Baxa (ODS).
    The selection process was announced at the end of March. The new head of Plzeň 2015 is expected to start in July. He is expected to lead the EHMK project into the key year 2015. He will develop and coordinate the program and key projects, engage sponsors, create a communication strategy, and a concept for tourism. The project was previously led by Tomáš Froyda, who chose to lead the Alfa Theatre. Before him, the EMHK was managed by Milan Svoboda. Currently, the management is entrusted to Erich Beneš, director of the Department of Coordination of European Projects for the city of Plzeň. He has been appointed until the end of June, which could be extended by weeks until the new director takes over.
    Two European experts, who recently evaluated the state of EHMK preparations for the city hall, pointed out the weak efficiency of teamwork, poor communication with the public, and an unclear program. At the same time, they suggested several necessary measures. They recommended announcing an open international selection process for the new director.
    According to Baxa, the city has secured 16.5 million euros (over 420 million CZK) for the 2015 program, which is about a third less than needed. This mainly consists of city and state resources from the Ministry of Culture. An additional approximately 40 million CZK could be obtained from the Plzeň Region and from the European cross-border program Objective 3. A roughly similar amount is expected to come from the EU next year as the Melina Mercouri Prize.
    "We have dozens of specific projects that are being worked on. However, they need to be structured in a way that respects the application. We have some proposal, but we expect more," Baxa stated. Before the summer holidays, he will meet with companies and entrepreneurs, potential sponsors, to present the main points of the program in a more concrete form.