The bidding process report was formally presented to the Municipal Council of Lemesos on Thursday, 2 April 2025.

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The report documents three years of cultural planning, community engagement, and artistic development projects in Lemesos. It covers the full arc of the candidacy: the projects and programmes carried out across the three years, the community consultations and participatory processes, the partnerships established at local and European level, the management of the Organisation, financial data, and the learnings gathered from the process as a whole.

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The Understory: A Vision for Lemesos

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At the heart of the bid was a cultural concept of deep resonance: The Understory. Borrowed from biology — where the term understory defines the layer of life that grows beneath the tall trees of a forest, sustaining a rich diversity in interdependence with them — the concept embraced Lemesos's entire candidacy. It proposed a city where less visible voices, communities and stories coexist and nourish the wider urban narrative; where culture is an engine of sustainable and inclusive development. 

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The bid book framed Lemesos as a city of two speeds — where rapid investment and construction unfold alongside the urgent need of workers, artists, migrants and residents for cultural and physical space. In a broader European context, The Understory was positioned as a response to growing pressures on democratic trust, cultural diversity, and artistic freedom across the continent.

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Three Years of Work, in Numbers

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Between 2023 and 2025, Lemesos 2030 carried out 187 participatory actions, engaging 2,491 people from diverse social and professional backgrounds through workshops, consultations and meetings. The candidacy also built an extensive network of partnerships: 130 local and 171 international bodies confirmed their participation in the bid book, contributing directly to the development of the artistic programme and the candidacy. Lemesos 2030 is deeply grateful to every individual, community, organisation and institution that gave their time, ideas and trust to this process.

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"This report is not a conclusion — it is a record and an indication of future opportunities", said Eleana Alexandrou, Artistic Director of Lemesos 2030. "Three years of work and planning, hundreds of conversations with citizens, artists, institutions and communities across Cyprus and Europe. That deserves to be seen, discussed, and built upon, creating success from second place.”

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The full report here:

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