Join the beat in five of the youngest cities in Europe
An exciting new briefing uncovers five of the youngest cities in Europe and highlights the impact their population is having on the culture and events scene in each area.
Birmingham, Copenhagen, Lille, Rotterdam and Stockholm all feature in Europe’s Youngest Cities: A New Beat Generation? compiled by Visit Birmingham. It examines how young inhabitants are leading the way in developing new underground arts, ground-breaking music and a spontaneous culture scene, highlighting that these five cities are home to a new breed of ‘beatniks’. It also showcases the best events and attractions for people to experience when visiting each city.
Emma Gray, Director of Marketing Services at Visit Birmingham, comments: “Today’s young artists represent a new breed of ‘Beat Generation’ for the 21st century, sharing the same desire as their predecessors for something new and innovative, which is driving the cultural offering of these cities forward. In our briefing , we provide a snapshot of the cultural scene in each of the five selected cities and hope to inspire people to visit and experience something a little different from the norm.”
Background to the youngest cities
Birmingham: The home of new music…
A burgeoning culture scene and growing creative sector in Birmingham provide a fertile environment for young people to nurture ambitions, share inspiration and drive change. A creative energy can be found in the art, dance, poetry and theatre imagined and produced here – not to forget the city’s thriving music industry. With breakthrough artists such as Laura Mvula, Peace and Swim Deep making a name for the city worldwide, Birmingham is arguably the home of new UK music and live performances can be experienced across the city.
Copenhagen: Inspiring the fashion of tomorrow…
Home to one of the world’s most eclectic restaurants, cutting-edge architecture and coveted design, the Mercer Quality of Living Report has ranked Copenhagen among the world’s best cities to live in a number of times. From cutting-edge fashion and a growing film industry to its unique brand of jazz music, Copenhagen has all the right ingredients to ‘wow’ visitors.
Lille: Inspiring tomorrow’s artists…
Having lovingly preserved much of the region’s heritage, the ornate architecture of the city provides a backdrop for a celebration of new talent. The city was transformed for the Capital of Culture competition in 2004 with over 2,000 events, public sculptures and centres for artistic creativity established throughout Lille – creating a cultural legacy for the city’s aspiring young minds. From great museums to new alternative art centres, Lille inspires creativity in its youth population with culture a living, breathing part of everyday life.
Rotterdam: The thriving festival city…
Rotterdam is internationally renowned for its modern architecture, wide range of museums, year-round festival calendar and vibrant clubbing culture. In 2010, the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) named Rotterdam the World Festival and Event City. From international film festivals and art collaborations to unique theatre performances, there is a whole host of energising experiences to fuel creative minds.
Stockholm: Home to a new generation of writers…
Stockholm is one of Europe’s most vibrant, contemporary and effortlessly cool cities. Home to scores of cutting-edge art galleries, vintage boutiques and retro record shops ‘SoFo’ is Stockholm’s bohemian quarter where creative minds meet to share inspiration and new ideas. It’s also the setting for one of the literary phenomenons of recent years, the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson – which is inspiring a new generation of writers and filmmakers who flock to the city.
Europe’s Young Cities: A New Beat Generation? is available online now at visitbirmingham.com