[OOC Discussion] 1st SLU City of Culture

[Chameliya]

An Initiative of the Ministry of Domestic Affairs

Culture is all around us.  In art, in science, in sport.  It has the power to inspire and move.  For these reasons, the Ministry of Domestic Affairs of the Social Liberal Union has decided to create an SLU City of Culture competition to recognise the contributions of cities in the SLU to culture.

The competition is open to all cities of member nations.  The winner will win the title of '1st SLU City of Culture' and the honour of organising the next competition (to be held by the 28 February 2015).  Although there is no financial prize, there are very real benefits to winning such a prestigious title.  The title opens up increased tourism opportunities and can also be the launchpad to further investment in culture.

How it works

Nominations

Each member nation of the SLU is invited to nominate one city to run for the competition.  Puppet nations may also nominate a city but puppetry must be confirmed.  Failure to do so may result in DISQUALIFICATION.  Nominations must be supported by the local authority of the city and the national government of that nation.  Nominations may be made until 2000 UTC Wednesday 27 August.  Any nomination after this time will not be counted.

Bid presentations

Bid presentations may be made from 2000 UTC Wednesday 27 August.  Submitting a bid before this time may result in DISQUALIFICATION.  Bids must be posted in the SLU City of Culture Competition sub-board found in the Role-play General Discussion board.  Discussion of bids is encouraged and can continue into voting period.  Bids submitted after voting has begun will be DISQUALIFIED.

Voting

Voting begins 2000 UTC Wednesday 10 September and continues until 2000 UTC Saturday 20 September.  All nations with a city remaining in the competition is eligible to vote.  Voting is done by ranking the candidate cities from first to last.  Points will be distributed to candidates based on their ranking in votes.  Nations cannot vote for their own city but can vote for their puppet's city.  Failure to vote will result in DISQUALIFICATION.  Votes may be sent by private message or telegram to the Jasminia Islands.

PLEASE NOTE I might not always be around to declare when each period opens or closes so if you are unsure about timings, please consult the countdown clocks linked to above.

Schedule

Wednesday 13 August - Wednesday 27 August
Nomination period

Wednesday 27 August - Wednesday 10 September
Bid presentation period

Wednesday 10 September - Saturday 20 September
Voting period

Sunday 21 September
Results declaration

Application

[b]APPLICATION FOR SLU CITY OF CULTURE[/b]

- Name of Nation:
- Name of City:
- Local Authority of City:
- Mayor or Leader of Local Authority:

[b]Basic City Information[/b]

- Population:
- Brief Statement - Why this City should be SLU City of Culture:

[b]Bid support[/b]

- Support from Local Authority?:
- Support from National Government?:

[Chameliya]

LIST OF CONFIRMED CANDIDATE CITIES:

- Anc-Myrloch, Avaerilon [bid]
- Exadian, Feebland
- Ruthin, Northern Inertia
- Porthca, Tyrova [bid]
- Minorsi, Zunkwentania

[Avaerilon]

Dear friend,

I have the honour and pleasure of presenting the application for the city of Anc-Myrloch to compete to become the first SLU City of Culture.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in creating this bold event, and wish all other candidates the very best of luck.

Best wishes,



APPLICATION FOR SLU CITY OF CULTURE

- Name of Nation: Y Regnil Magnaddog Avaerilon (The Magnificent Kingdom of Avaerilon)
- Name of City: Anc-Myrloch
- Local Authority of City: Yr Elredarn Gēras Anc-Myrloch (The City Council of Anc-Myloch)
- Mayor or Leader of Local Authority: Caraglon (Mayor) Crodossed Mabrenaeren

Basic City Information

- Population: 812,352 (2010 census)
- Brief Statement - Why this City should be SLU City of Culture: Anc-Myrloch, the regional capital of both the region Ancqyrm and the Kingdom of Fereldan, is rightly-regarded by many Avaerilonians to be their nation's true cultural capital. Boasting thousands of theatres, cinemas, opera houses, galleries, concert venues and museums, some dating back over three thousand years, it is a world-leading and much-envied centre of the arts. Not only that, Anc-Myrloch is a reflection of the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society that Avaerilon is, and is home to people of many different races, languages and cultures, yet still has its own strong and unique identity all its residents gladly share in. From regal palaces and palladian bridges to narrow streets and a lively waterfront, Anc-Myrloch is a jewel in the crown of Avaerilon.

Bid support

- Support from Local Authority?: Yes
- Support from National Government?: Yes

[Northern Inertia]

To whom it may concern,

the City Board of Ruthin, along with the Provincial Council of New Cambria and the Ministry of Culture of the Democratic Republic of Northern Inertia, is happy to announce the candidacy of the city of Ruthin for SLU city of culture. Please find the application attached.

Best wishes,
Ryan Taylor
Chairman, City Board of Ruthin

APPLICATION FOR SLU CITY OF CULTURE

- Name of Nation: The Democratic Republic of Northern Inertia
- Name of City: Ruthin
- Local Authority of City: City Board of Ruthin
- Mayor or Leader of Local Authority: Chairman of the City Board Ryan Taylor

Basic City Information

- Population: 512 000
- Brief Statement - Why this City should be SLU City of Culture: Ruthin, one of the oldest settlements in Northern Inertia, is a historically important trading hub known for its beautiful city centre with landmarks dating back all the way to the 15th century. Perhaps foremost among these is the widely admired Ruthin castle, built to strengthen the defence of the Inertian east coast during the 1490s. Today, the castle hosts a yearly month-long theatre festival in early autumn, the pinnacle of a lively culture scene. In addition to a recently completed concert hall, the largest in the country, the city has several theatres, an opera house and a seafront promenade showcasing the finest of Inertian cuisine. The pop culture scene is vibrant, crowned by the popular Rock Ruthin event each May. Ruthin is a city that lives and breathes culture, and is the most popular tourist destination in the country, even surpassing the capital Enniskean, a good 200 kilometres to the north.

Bid support

- Support from Local Authority?: Yes
- Support from National Government?: Yes

[The Commonwealth of Feebland]

APPLICATION FOR SLU CITY OF CULTURE

- Name of Nation: Feebland
- Name of City: Exadian
- Local Authority of City: Exadian City Council
- Mayor or Leader of Local Authority: Frans Kaasman, Mayor of Exadian

Basic City Information

- Population: 94,000
- Brief Statement - Why this City should be SLU City of Culture: Exadian is one of the oldest cities in Feebland. Founded in the year 781, it is a fortified city, built along the river Exad in the Feebland Highlands. Exadian is the judicial capital of Feebland. Culture wise, Exadian boasts numerous festivals, including the Cheese Fest, Pancake Fest, and the Exad River Sailing Race. Most of the city's architecture dates from the 1500's, as in 1499, Exadian had burned down in a fire caused by a pancake restaurant bursting into flame. Arson by the owner of another pancake restaurant was suspected. The Great Exadian Opera House, built in 1815 and renovated in 1981, was the site of numerous premieres of Feeblish operas by great composers such as Groeneman and Wiedeller. All in all, Exadian is a city which is alive with culture stemming from the long and cultured history of Feebland itself.

Bid support

- Support from Local Authority?: Yes
- Support from National Government?: Yes

[Deleted]

Dear fellow delegates,
It is my pleasure to announce Minorsi as our candidate to the SLU City of Culture competition. Please find the appropriate form attached.

APPLICATION FOR SLU CITY OF CULTURE

- Name of Nation: The Democratic Republic of Zunkwentania
- Name of City: Minorsi
- Local Authority of City: The City Council of Minorsi
- Mayor or Leader of Local Authority: Ali Arsi, Mayor of The City of Minorsi

Basic City Information

- Population: 412,632 (As of the 2013 census)
- Brief Statement - Why this City should be SLU City of Culture: Minorsi has historically been the intellectual capital of Zunkwentania. Founded in 1854, it has attracted many notable thinkers and creators, due to its lack of natural resources, which meant that back when the 5 kingdoms where battling, it would not become a warzone. Most notably in modern times, Minorsi has become the home of Zunkwentanian academia. As a result, many major tech corporations have set up their headquarters in Minorsi. In terms of culture, the City of Minorsi has The Grand Library, a collection of academic texts collected from archaeological finds and generous donations. It keeps the physical copies of the texts and digitizes them and makes them available on its website. In terms of the arts, Minorsi happens to have many musicians, from techno bands to reggae to the Minorsi Orchestra, which plays in the Kompagne Theater. Minorsi also produces many stage productions and independent cinema. As for the culinary aspects, Minorsi has many cafés and restaurants, serving everything from pancakes to Zunkwentanian-Feeblish fusion cuisine. All in all, Minorsi is a city built on academia, thriving on innovation, and representing the thoroughly fascinating intellectual and creative facets of Zunkwentania.

Bid support

- Support from Local Authority?: Yes
- Support from National Government?: Yes

[Deleted]

To our fellow Social Liberal Union citizens,

I, Minister of Culture of Tyrova, along with the Chairperson of the Board Darius Escobar and the City Board of Porthca, the Commune Authority of Porthca, and the parliament of the Socialist Republic of Sebajano, are pleased to announce the candidacy for the city of Porthca in the SLU City of Culture.

Kind Regards,
Fernando Mofall
Minister of Culture, United Socialist Republics of Tyrova

APPLICATION FOR SLU CITY OF CULTURE

- Name of Nation: United Socialist Republics of Tyrova
- Name of City: Porthca (Montanae in Tyrovan)
- Local Authority of City: City Board of Porthca
- Mayor or Leader of Local Authority: Chairperson of the Board Darius Escobar

Basic City Information

- Population: 11,900,000 (2013 Census)
- Brief Statement - Why this City should be SLU City of Culture: The fourth largest city in Tyrova, and one of the oldest settlements, Porthca is a historically valued city containing much culture and charm from over the years. First a native Salero tribe fading post, then a Roman fishing village, and then the capital of Tyrova from 1539 to 1912, Porthca contains snippets of Tyrova's history that can be found anywhere. Enclaves within the town are clearly defined by their sights and sounds. Flags from multiple countries flap in the wind as native music plays quietly. Sign posts change languages every couple of blocks. This melange of culture has also heavily impacted on cuisine. The primarily Mediterranean cuisine of the original Tyrovans has now been influenced by the delicate French, the spicy Spanish, and the traditional and simple English cuisines, giving a wide variety of fusion foods that are different at every restaurant. The low-rise buildings and abundance of parks lead to many free concerts being held under the light pollution-free night sky. Porthca hosts the most museums, the most art galleries, the most parks, and the met swimming pools per capita in the country. The architecture is reminiscent of Tyrova's origins, with many Classical and Neoclassical buildings dotting the city centre. While St. James may be the brains of the country, Porthca will always remain the heart.

Bid support

- Support from Local Authority?: Yes
- Support from National Government?: Yes

[Chameliya]

Sign-Ups are now CLOSED. The list of confirmed candidate cities is below:

- Anc-Myrloch, Avaerilon
- Exadian, Feebland
- Ruthin, Northern Inertia
- Porthca, Tyrova
- Minorsi, Zunkwentania

The candidate cities are requested to create threads to present their bids.

This thread has been opened for out of character discussion.

[Avaerilon]

Excellent! Great job on this, Jasminia :) I'll put my thread up either later on today or tomorrow :D

[Northern Inertia]

My thread will be up either late on Sunday or early next week - will be working/travelling until then. Nice to see so many excellent candidates taking part!

[Chameliya]

I look forward to seeing them :)

[Deleted]

I'm going to get my thread up by the 4th.

[Avaerilon]

Er, there's a pretty big typo in the information provided in the voting section; surely it would be wrong to go back in tie to vote...? ;)

[Chameliya]

Fixed :)

And may I also mention how much I enjoyed your bid? ;)

[Deleted]

Ava, I think I just got a 12 page assignment before school even started xD

[Avaerilon]

xD

[Avaerilon]

So, where are your proper bids, people? I want to know about your cities, dammit :P

[Chameliya]

Okay, so voting should have started by now, but seeing as only two bids have been submitted, the voting system I'd devised is not going to work as it needs at least three people. So, we have two choices; declare both Anc-Myrloch and Porthca as SLU City of Culture or extend the window to submit bids. What do you guys think?

[Avaerilon]

I think we could extend the bidding window, but if you think it's best there's nothing wrong with being a proud sharer of a title :D

[Deleted]

I concur with Avaerilon. I'm happy either way to extend the time or share the title. Another option could be to let non-bidders vote; just an idea.

[Chameliya]

Okay, I think what I'll do is extend the time for bids to next Friday and then open it up for everyone to vote.

[Avaerilon]

That sounds good! Come on, don't let me and Tyrova have all the fun...

[Northern Inertia]

Sadly I'll have to shamefully withdraw Ruthin's bid. A lot of unplanned travelling and work has kept me extremely busy over the last few weeks, and this is set to continue at least until next week, so unfortunately there is no way I can make a reasonable bid in time for the graciously extended dealine. My sincere apologies - I know no excuses justify abandoning a bid like this.

[Avaerilon]

Hey, it's hardly your fault- and anyway, real life commitments have to come first. Hope all the work and travelling is ok :)

[Avaerilon]

Any update on what's happening?

[Chameliya]

SLU CITY OF CULTURE 2014
VOTING NOW OPEN!

All nations are invited to vote to decide which city shall be bestowed the honour of being the 1st SLU City of Culture. Two fine cities are still in the running to win this prestigious title and commence celebrations dedicated to learning and the arts!

The two cities in question are:

Anc-Myrloch, Avaerilon (bid)
Porthca, Tyrova (bid)

To vote: Read the bids of the two candidate cities and the send a telegram with the name of the city that you want to win to The Jasminia Islands by next Sunday to have your say!

[Chameliya]

SLU CITY OF CULTURE
RESULTS

Voting has closed and the votes have been counted: 

Anc-Myrloch, Avaerilon: 2 

Porthca, Tyrova: 1 

Therefore, Anc-Myrloch, Avaerilon is the 1st SLU City of Culture!  Responsibility for the organisation of the next SLU City of Culture competition know passes on to the City Council of Anc-Myrloch (Yr Elredarn Gēras Anc-Myrloch).