New Patrons: 8 citizen-led projects shaping Bourges 2028

On Saturday, February 7 in Bourges, we unveiled the winning projects that will be at the heart of 2028.

Eight artistic commissions, imagined by residents of the Centre-Val de Loire region, have been selected as part of the New Patrons call for proposals, led in partnership with the New Patrons Society, with the support of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation and Bourges 2028.

For Bourges 2028, these projects represent the beating heart of the European Capital of Culture:
– placing citizens at the centre,
– engaging territories over the long term,
– embedding artistic creation within everyday uses, real needs, and contemporary challenges.

Solidarity, memory, ecology, mental health, heritage, intergenerational connections… these are just some of the issues addressed by these commissions, shaping a form of culture rooted in daily life.

Each group of patrons will be supported by accredited mediators, who will help define the commissions, shape the scope of the artworks, and ultimately commission an artist.
The creative process will begin in 2027, with projects coming to life across the region by 2028.

Through these commissions, Bourges 2028 affirms a clear direction: that of a European Capital of Culture built with its residents, unfolding across the region, and using artistic creation as a lasting driver of collective transformation.

The selected projects:

– “Les Souâtons” third place, Eure-et-Loir
– Le Chemin de Bascoulard, Asnières-lès-Bourges, Cher
– Youth Municipal Council, Landes-le-Gaulois, Loir-et-Cher
– L’ENTRAIDE, Lunay, Loir-et-Cher
– Collectif du Parlement de Creuse, Indre
– Faye en commun, Indre-et-Loire
– The Art of Destigmatising, multiple sites in the Cher
– Carnaval Bourges Nord, Cher