Bourges 2028 opens its doors to middle school students: discovering cultural careers from Year 10

This week, the Bourges 2028 offices welcomed a group of Year 10 students from the City of Bourges as part of their work experience week. A visit unlike any other, designed as a first immersion into the world of a European Capital of Culture.
Beyond discovering our offices and meeting the team, the aim was to help them understand what a European Capital of Culture (ECoC) is, its ambition for a territory, and above all, the many professions that make such a collective adventure possible.

What does a European Capital of Culture actually mean?
Throughout the morning, the students attended a presentation of Bourges 2028: its project, its values, its commitments to inclusion and transition, as well as its organisation. Because behind an artistic programme lies a real human framework.
Artistic direction, production, project coordination, communication, partnerships, administration, technical operations, logistics, accessibility… so many roles, often little known, that contribute to bringing culture to life every day.
For many students, this encounter was an opportunity to discover that careers in culture are not limited to being an artist or musician. They are diverse, cross-disciplinary, and require a wide range of skills: creativity, project management, communication, organisation, innovation, and civic engagement.

Making an ECoC an opportunity for learning and transmission
Welcoming these students is also a way of affirming a strong belief: Bourges 2028 is not only being prepared for 2028 — it is being built today, with and for the young people of the region.
The European Capital of Culture represents an exceptional opportunity to spark vocations, broaden professional horizons, and show that the arts and culture form a real sector of activity — structured, dynamic, and accessible.
By opening its doors to Year 10 students, Bourges 2028 contributes to a form of informal education: providing keys to understanding, making often invisible professions visible, and helping young people envision themselves within them.

Preparing the cultural future of the region
A European Capital of Culture is not just a programme of events. It is a territorial project that leaves lasting traces: developed skills, strengthened networks, and expanded cultural practices.
By raising awareness among younger generations about the wide range of careers involved in a major European cultural project, Bourges 2028 is helping to prepare the future — that of tomorrow’s cultural professionals, technicians, communicators, mediators… and, more broadly, engaged citizens.