Plzeň – Evropské hlavní město kultury 2015
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Pilsen European Capital of Culture
Dear visitors, Pilsen is inviting you to enjoy over 600 events in 2015. Theatre, concerts, exhibitions, public space happenings, artistic interventions. But there is one important thing here: as people say, “there is more to culture”. The European Capital of Culture project is more than a festival, more than a presentation of artists, more than a one-off revival of the city, more than an advertising space for sponsors. It is a project which has the power to change how Pilsen is perceived and how the role of culture is perceived, and to become a milestone in the evolution of the city. The year-long programme of the European Capital of Culture creates the scope for supporting Pilsen as a new international cultural centre. The world will see, hear and taste the beauty of its unique mix of tradition and innovation. The lively reminder of iconic personalities connected to the cultural and creative life in Pilsen combined with innovative and original ideas of artists and organisers from all over Europe creates a unique mix of big and small events, cultural events for the general public as well as experts, one-off experiences as well as long-term development projects. This transformation of Pilsen, its citizens, administrators and partners on all levels has been developing since the first impulse of the candidacy. During this process, people have come to realise that culture is an everyday part of human life and a society-wide theme. What else would cause us to every day discuss the importance of investment in culture and cultural infrastructure? What else would cause us to every day search for arguments for balancing high quality culture with supporting talents and community art? What else would cause us to construct a new building for the Faculty of Design and Art, or the New Theatre? What else would cause the municipal council and its officers to every day debate and decide about culture and art, about the European idea? This is the great effect of the European Capital of Culture project. It has made culture one of the main social topics. The European Capital of Culture is a great opportunity to discover what culture means and brings, and whom it addresses and engages. There will not be a better chance for a long time to show that culture is an everyday part of the lives of all the people we see around us. That it significantly increases the quality of life of the whole of society through its ability to answer peoples’ questions in different ways than by tables, numbers, diagrams and schedules. The year 2015 in Pilsen will show how opera can move people to tears, how an exhibition can teach people to tolerate other cultures, how art in the public space discovers new contexts in old places, and what emotions you will experience during European Neighbours’ Day. Pilsen 2015 and our partner projects also show that there is a bit of the artist and creative personality in every one of us – whether you are organising a small festival using the Everfund platform, a handy designer making your first prototype at DEPO2015, a busker playing in Kopeckého sady, one of more than 300 students of Arts Management courses gaining experience for developing your own projects, a group of grammar school students taking part in the opening ceremony, or a curious visitor to the city who is captivated by a guided tour with the Hidden City mobile application. Just as Pilsen has been transformed over the last twenty years, from the greyness of totalitarianism into a truly normal European city full of colours, it is high time for people to go through the same change as well. The Pilsen 2015 programme shows what a journey we have made from totalitarianism to creativity, and the way we can go further. If our identity is formed by individual historical moments, we can now experience one such moment that will enable us to experiment with new contexts and to prepare for the future, to open up, to discover and, once more, to define it. The European Capital of Culture is an opportunity for all artists, organisers and spectators to invite and host European artists and audiences, to debate European topics, to add our perspective and to inspire Europe with our abilities and originality. I hope that we will capitalise on this opportunity with joy and pride, in the process entertaining ourselves, audiences and participants, and that we can create a legacy for the future that will be worth developing further. Jiří Sulženko, Programme Director of Pilsen – European Capital of Culture 2015
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