Maribor ready for the European Capital of Culture 2012

Maribor, in cooperation with partner towns, is on full alert to take over the title of European Capital of Culture 2012. MARIBOR 2012 will include over 1000 events throughout the year to satisfy everyone’s various tastes and preferences. Most of the events will be not more than an hour’s drive away. The lively opening weekend is set for 14 to 15 January 2012.

The basic starting point, summed up in the slogan: `Pure Energy!` is grounded in an understanding of culture as creative energy and its ecologically and socially responsible attitude toward the world. Maribor will share the title with five partner towns in the region: Murska Sobota, Novo Mesto, Ptuj, Velenje and Slovenj Gradec. Every participating town contributes its very special character to the project.

"The European Capital of Culture brand signifies the capital of culture and its partner cities, but also the entire country. It is clear that neither Maribor nor the other culture capital cities are immediately recognizable to the wider European public. This does not strike me as a detriment; quite the opposite; I see this as the project´s advantage, because we need not fear stereotypes. It is also a challenge to us to open Maribor, the region, and the country to all the possible opportunities through an entire year of activities", said Dr. Suzana Žilič Fišer, the general director of the public institute Maribor 2012 – European Capital of Culture.

The opening week (14th to 15th January 2012) will be an outstanding overture to the European culture year. It will include numerous concerts, performances and events on several locations around town. The key element of the opening ceremony will be a performance of the opera Black Masks by Slovene expressionist Marij Kogoj. Besides the opera production, the ECOC’s opening will also manifest itself in numerous installations, performances and concerts on many stages, which will turn the whole town into a spectacle. On opening day, Maribor will once more be wrapped by the holographic town hall. The laser projection will reconstruct the medieval town walls in an innovative and modern way.

Throughout the year visitors of all ages and interests will have the opportunity to experience and see content from various genres as well as numerous extraordinary authors from Slovenia and abroad – we present to you the key highlights for diverse tastes, while the programme, its contents and schedule is available here:

- CHILDREN/YOUTH CAPITAL: art camp • international lent festival • international puppet festival • lila prap’s puppet intervention • the pippi longstocking festival • kurentovanje (art and heritage festival) • aye festival • mladibor • magdalena • rock otočec • kunigunda

- FOR LITERATURE LOVERS: european poetry tournament • twelve • reading in the park • regional book fair and european translation week • medieval manuscripts and renaissance printing • days of poetry and wine • tour of writers from china • literature on the street

- FOR LOVERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND FINE ARTS: cultural embassies • tracing an outline: drawing from the tate collection • rebecca horn exhibition • laibach kunst • art stays • marko jakše • oof, industry • show your hope • art in nature • soft control • fotopub • from page to space • Guest Room

- FOR MUSIC LOVERS AND OTHER ENTERAINMENT: etnika festival • maribum • romano čhon • maribor club 2012 • jazz in maribor • med – international electronic music festival • piše se leto 2012 • music • wine and fashion festival • rock otočec • lent festival • max klub jazz festival • barrel organ festival • slovenj gradec summer festival • kunigunda festival • jazzinty

- FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC AFICIONADOS: maribor festival • international choral music day • maribor - international orchestra 2012 • ossipov balalaika orchestra • zagreb philharmonic orchestra and ivo pogorelić • the spectrum of sounds • euphony • reviving the sounds of the past • folk dance greetings from maribor • arsana festival • lent festival • international children’s folk dance

- FOR THEATREGOERS: black masks opera • faust • simon, the gangster of artr • war and peace • the man with the bombs • gardenia • cabaret new burlesque • the way of the rider (the academy of equestrian arts in versailles) • le cirque invisible • obludarium • maribor theatre festival – bridges • placebo • nagib • fronta • funeral fashion show • live squares and courtyards of maribor

The events and news within the framework of the European Capital of Culture Maribor 2012 can be monitored through the official website of the project.

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