Concept of European Capital of Culture: the dream for Leuven & Beyond
Becoming European Capital of Culture will among other things significantly enhance the region’s cultural life. At the same time, it’s a huge opportunity to change things together. We face many challenges. How do we do that? With the power our imagination. Culture can make the impossible possible. Our concept consists of several parts.
LOV 2030: our name
LOV is the name of Leuven’s candidacy for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2030.
Older Leuveners pronounce the name of their city as leive [lɛivɘ], which sounds like leven or ‘life’, while young Leuveners say ‘luive’ [lɜvɘ], which sounds like the English ‘love’. Life and love, both contained in the name of our city.
We add the number 2030 - the year we will become the cultural capital - to the name and so we become LOV 2030.
Radically new connections: our mission
We call our candidacy LOV for a reason, for love is essential to fulfilling our mission – striving together for a better future for Leuven and the entire region. We do that by making radically new connections. LOV is not only our name but also our mindset.
LOV means looking for what we don't see, for our blind spots, so that we can break through the bubbles we live in. To do that we use our imagination, because art, culture and heritage can make the impossible possible.
LOV stands for radical coexistence, for embracing friction and uncertainties. LOV connects rich and poor, highly and poorly educated, city and countryside. It combines culture and heritage with education, innovation, and sustainability and bridges gaps that we may not even be aware of yet.
LOV mindset: a mindset
Together with the Dreamers, the team worked on a LOV mindset. How can we can connect in a radical and new way?
The Leuven columnist An Olaerts wrote an inspiring text. The programme and all the projects and initiatives we’ll be organizing will use this as a guideline.
Human Nature: the project's central theme
Human Nature is the central theme of the 2030 project.
- What does it mean to be human? With humanity’s good and bad sides and the tension between humans and nature.
- As humans how do we deal with nature and what’s our impact on the world?
We look at the future and consider the solutions that coming generations will need. - How can we and nature live together better?
We look for the things that connect us and at the challenges that face us, such as polarization, threatens to our democratic values, or climate change.
We want to find a way of living in harmony with nature and other ecosystems in a manner that’s fair and sustainable. We do that by searching for radically new connections.
Leuven & Beyond: city and region together
Leuven works with 22 East Brabant towns and municipalities as one single region. We’re reaching out to Europe and far beyond. Leuven has more than 100,000 inhabitants and 60,000 students, and over 500,000 people live in our region.
So far, the municipalities of Aarschot, Begijnendijk, Bekkevoort, Bierbeek, Boortmeerbeek, Boutersem, Diest, Geetbets, Haacht, Holsbeek, Keerbergen, Kortenaken, Linter, Lubbeek, Oud-Heverlee, Overijse, Rotselaar, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Tervuren, Tielt-Winge, Tienen and Tremelo have all committed to the project and we’re at the discussion stage with still others.
Do you have a question?
Contact us. We are happy to help you.
