The Invisible Islands: Palma City of Culture

The spoof news site, newsarse.com, once ran an item headlined "Liverpool as European City of Culture is not a joke, insists EU". A European Union spokesperson was forced to admit that he hadn't been to Liverpool, but that he had seen the promotional video and had been impressed by the "beaches, the mountains and the open-air amphitheatre". In EU circles there might be those who wonder if Palma's candidacy as Spain's 2016 city of culture isn't a mistake, as in the second C should stand for a different type of culture. Brussels need not worry though that this is the city of corruption, for who is this politician white knight, brandishing his sword of goodness? Why, it's José Ramón Bauzá, he of the Partido Popular, the one who is attempting the seemingly impossible - a list of election candidates not in some way implicated in scandal.

Sr. Bauzá's crusade has caused him the odd local difficulty, such as not being invited to the end of summer blowout in Sa Pobla, home town of Jaume Font, one of the more notable absentees from the list of electoral runners and riders. But he is deflecting the snub and in statesman-like fashion, one befitting a politician who can see himself in charge of the presidential drinks cabinet as from next spring, has announced his support for Palma's candidature.

There are thirteen Spanish cities heading for the first audition in front of a panel of cultural Cowells. Most of them you will have heard of, but Alcalá de Henares and Cuenca might be new to you. Being unknown is not a hindrance to becoming a city of culture. No one had ever heard of Pecs in Hungary, and when they had, mistook it for somewhere built on steroids. It's one of this year's culture cities and a fine one too, by all accounts.

The criteria for selection are suitably open to interpretation, a city is "not chosen solely for what it is, but mainly for what it plans to do for a year that has to be exceptional". A specific programme has yet to be put together, but the "philosophy" behind the Palma bid plays up to criteria of cultural diversity and links with European culture as well as the city's own culture. It goes rather further than just Palma. The slogan is "Palma de Mallorca y las Islas Invisibles". The campaign, or so it would seem, is one based on making "visible the invisible" Balearic islands. Or something like that. The islands, so goes the philosophy, are places of "poetry and creativity, of nature and humanity, of inter-religiosity, of spirituality and responsibility". Blimey, and there we were thinking it was just about grabbing a few more tourists.

Being a city of culture can bring benefits. The European Union identifies these as regeneration, giving new vitality to cultural life, raising international profile, enhancing image and, of course, boosting tourism. Palma doesn't necessarily need regeneration; it's not a Glasgow, a city that derived enormous benefit in transforming itself from the social and physical wreck that it once was. Nevertheless, the candidature should be adding impulse in getting a move on in finding some dosh for the faltering new Palacio de Congresos. But the city has been keen to up its profile. This is not the first attempt at putting itself more on the international map, as with the failure to attract the America's Cup. And then there is tourism. Liverpool, spoof or no spoof, doubled the number of visitors during its 2008 stint, and Palma has beaches and mountains as well.

Palma, despite or perhaps because of all the philosophy tosh, does tick most of the cultural city boxes. However, it faces stiff opposition from the likes of Oviedo, a city already associated with culture, being the venue for the annual Prince of Asturias awards, San Sebastian in the heart of Basque Country, a potential political winner in the making, and even Alcalá de Henares, with its historic centre and university a World Heritage Site.

It would be good for Palma to get the gig. Of course it would be. Having the right political support is important in getting through the selection process, so Bauzá's announcement is not just a touch of opportunism. If he can get politicians to behave themselves for once, his role might be absolutely vital.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.