RESIDENTS' ATTITUDE TO THE PISEN - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2015 PROJECT

Projects of the European Capital of Culture initiative have different impacts; cultural, economic and social are the most frequently emphasized. This paper will focus on the Pilsen -European Capital of Culture 2015 project and its perception by inhabitants of the region. The aim of this article is to present the results of extensive empirical research identifying opinions of the population of Pilsen Region (especially Pilsen itself) and determine their participation, attitude and awareness of the Pilsen project. Surveys were conducted continuously since 2012, but this paper will present in particular the results of the last survey (2016). At first, a brief research and evaluation of surveys conducted on this topic for the previous ECoCs is presented. Then the methodology of the survey and its results are introduced and at last a summary of the most important findings is presented. The results show that the residents ' opinions on the project were mostly positive and the organizers were able to prepare for them an interesting year full of cultural experiences.