CI situation

The natural environment of the Danube bend (Dunakanyar) and Pilis region was always attractive for the artistsand the representatives of the creative business, who choose the region eitherfor regeneration or even for living. As a consequence there are severalcreative people settled down in the region and so the different art types has along tradition mostly in Szentendre, which is the centre of the region or inthe quiet mountains or riverside settlements.

The different art types has along tradition in the region, so even in the past or today there are plenty ofartists work here including several well-known painter, applied artists or evenwriter, musicians and composers as well. Beyond the classic artists there areseveral representatives of the traditional Hungarian folk culture live here,such as folk artists, ceramists, puppet makers, handicrafts, folk dancers andfolk musicians.

The arts and artists have meetingpoints, galleries, whole art centres, and other visited common locations,cultural centres but a whole network, an organised network system is missingfor these creative people in the region or even any centre which would servethe artists with different services.

The nearby capital, Budapestprepared an agglomeration zone from this region which has an advantage thatseveral creative artists and people who work in the capital and has a biginfluence such as enterpreneurs, journalist, creative experts settled in theDanube bend. Therefore the sufficient theoretical capital and innovative mindcan be found at our region which are neccessary for the development of thecreative sector. The objective therefore is that we should launch theseinnovative power and to make these people to cooperate with each other in orderto implement accepted projects. This will have a result that the people andorganisations that live here but work in Budapest will have more activities inthis region which will develop the region as well.

 
Municipalities Association of the Danube and Pilos

Our region consists of 13settlements and all of them are situated in the natural environment of thewonderful Danube bend, which is also a common connection between them. Theother important common cooperational power is that all of them are close to thecapital, which means from one hand that these cities can be regarded as„sleeping cities” as many people from here work, study in Budapest and on theother hand many people move to this region from Budapest so the population ofthis region is increasing.

The region has a unique wonderfulnatural environment, which consists of 3 bigger regions: first the beautifulDanube bend, second the Pilis-mountains with its exiting, natural forests andthe third is the wonderful Szentendre-island with its unique clean drinkingwater and natural features.

Besides that the Danube bend isnot only unique with its natural features but also with its cultural andnational diversity as plenty nations moved here in the past so besidesHungarian the Slovakian, German and Serbian population and culture is alsosignificant. This diversity contributed to the boom of the arts and culturalactivities as well as the open attitude of the people who live here.

In the CITIES project the regionsformed a common association (Dunakanyari és Pilisi Önkormányzatok TöbbcélúKistérségi Társulása = DPÖTKT, Dunakanyar and Pilis Municipalities Multi-purposedSmall Regional Association) The 13 settlement formed a common budgetassociation unit which has the right to deal with the questions and activitieswhich concern the whole region. By realising the project potentials the councilof the regional settlements, the Association is taking part in the project inits own name. The Associtation includes two important units: first is theCouncil which includes the mayors of the settlements and makes the decisionswhereas the other is the project office which operates as the workingorganisation of the Council and so prepares and undertakes the decisions andresponsible for the implementation of the whole project.

The Association deals withregional development and undertakes different public services such as insideaudit, public administrational informatics development, bee reduction, bicycleroad planning, social and public education activities, and in addition itorganizes cultural activities, events and prepares applications for others andfor itself such as this project itself.

We have two webpages, one is the official: www.dptkt.hu, one is cultural: www.dunakanyar.org

The contact people of the Association are:

Dr. Balázs Török, officemanager, torok.balazs@dunakanyar-pilis.hu

Katalin Antal, cultural manager, antal.katalin@dunakanyar-pilis.hu

  
Upcoming Events

Besides this last year a new program was launched which is a regional cultural-sport festival the  Danube Bend Acquavity Festival, what we are organising again at the end of the summer of 2009. This time the inhabitants of the region form groups and so participating in the competition down along the Danube River while every settlement in their way downstairs welcomes them and prepares different tasks for them. During this time in Szentendre a whole day cultural and healthy lifestyle promoting programs take place and at night there is a common fiesta.