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What does the title of the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2016 mean for Wroclaw?

Wroclaw is the first Polish city to be honoured with this title. The ECoC is one of the most important programs of the EU and European Com-mission – initiated in 1985 by Melina Mercouri, the Culture Minister of Greece –. ECoC promotes mutual understanding, rapprochement and intercultural dialogue amongst Europeans. The ECoC cities are going to be the focus of European attention for the entire calendar.

Wroclaw took part in the 2016 ECoC competition as it has a story to tell… a remarkable story. Our city has been building a new identity for 70 years, developing and enjoying newfound diversity and multicul-turalism. Wroclaw is ‘the Meeting Place’, a place of cultural events. Open to new ideas, this is a modern and youthful city with aspirations to grow and traditions to uphold. Therefore, we decided to present ourselves to the rest of the world to show our contribution to the development of both Poland and Europe. We want to tell the world about our past and present, and to build our future while developing the most beautiful, important and unique aspects of our daily life.

The celebration will bring together both Wroclaw’s residents and visitors from around Europe. This is a great opportunity to present Wroclaw’s uniqueness and to show Lower Silesia and Poland as a place of important, cultural events — says Rafał Dutkiewicz, the mayor of Wroclaw — ECoC 2016 will not only include the truly spectacular, but also numerous smaller events. However, the most important challenge we face is to increase the cultural participation of Wroclaw’s citizens.

Grzegorz_Gołębiowski

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Community and educational projects with 1000 artistic events

General program of ECoC Wroclaw 2016

The ECoC 2016 program and Wroclaw Development Strategy was prepared by a team of experts, managers, and artists of the ECoC 2016 Office. The events are put together by the curators of individual sections (architecture, film, literature, music, visual arts, theatre, per-formance, opera) who share the common vision of a city vibrating with culture.

ECoC WRO 2016, culminating in 2016, not only comprises approximately 400 projects totalling nearly 1000 artistic events (festivals, concerts, performances, screenings, happenings and events in urban spaces), but also provides community, cultural and educational programs intended primarily for residents of Wroclaw and Lower Silesia. Especially valuable are the initiatives of the citizens themselves, who have participated in ECoC under the very popular microGRANTS program, as well as the ‘Bridges’ project, which we will all enjoy as soon as tomorrow, 20 June, at 27 of Wroclaw’s bridges. In each city, even in Wroclaw, there are people who are excluded from participating in culture due to a variety of reasons, including personal choice. These people – the disabled, poor families, troubled teens – are offered the lasting transformation of 2016, says Jaroslaw Fret, the chairman of the ECoC WRO 2016 Board of Curators and also producer of programs such as ‘Ministry of Culture’. The ECoC program will include several dozen similar social initiatives.

B. Pigón

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Four stages of the ECoC WRO 2016

According to the ECoC organization team, next year Wroclaw will not only become a cultural centre, but also a meeting place under the four ECoC ‘stages’ with programs prepared for Wroclaw, Lower Silesia, Poland, and Europe and the rest of the world. Wroclaw wants to create a common cultural territory, enabling the exchange of experiences and good practices. With a network of international collaboration, 2016´s offerings including projects of a scale unprecedented in Poland which are expected to transform the city with a scope not limited to cultural expansion.

1. Wroclaw Stage

ECoC focuses on the development of an empa-thetic and respectful dialogue between the city and its inhabitants, as well as the development of local communities, the facilitation of cultural access and an increase in cultural participation. Most ECoC events will take place in Wroclaw.

The Wroclaw Stage will include such projects as microGRANTS ECoC 2016; Volunteer 2016; Ministry of Culture; Excluded from culture; Education against exclusion; Parks of ECoC Wroclaw 2016; Young Citizens of Culture; Music of Wroclaw Youth; Social Academy of Culture; ECoC Forum; ECoC Wroclaw 2016 Academy; Cultural Leader Academy; Audience Development; World Youth Day; Olympiad of Creativity; Barbara – ECoC WRO 2016 information point; Coppersmith Workshop; and Moving Labo-ratory-Bazaar Breaking Muse – Wroclaw2016TV.

2. Lower Silesia Stage

Wroclaw 2016, acting as ambassador, wishes to promote regional participation in the project. In the ECoC program, Lower Silesia represents a cultural and historical richness.

The Lower Silesia Stage will include such pro-jects as the ECoC Platform +; the ART-BUS; Paperclip. 2016 and the later free ideas; Non-Congress of Culture Animators; SLOT ART Festival; Silesia Art_Biennale; Art Festival; Culture of Small and Medium-size Towns; dolnoslaskosc.pl Portal; Reading of the Town and the exhibition 7 Wonders of Lower Silesia.

FOTO: Maciej Kulczyński

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4. European and World Stage

ECoC Wroclaw 2016 will be a stage for international cooperation between artists and creators of culture. It will highlight the unique role the city plays in European and world culture. It will show the city s variety and richness, presenting the most interesting events featuring the multi-dimensional unique qualities of Polish culture.

The ‚European and World Stage’ will present projects like the Right to Culture; the Artistic Residence A-and-R Wro Program; the Cyber-Academy; the Wroclaw-Lviv/Lviv Month; Milton Greene Photo Exhibition; Lux in Oriente – Lux Ex Oriente; Poland and Papal Capital – 1050 years of History; the Unification – Bolesław Kominek.

3. Polish Stage

The ECoC competition initiated a positive dialogue on culture, local government responsibility, and the future of towns and their inhabitants. 2016 will be the time to sum-marize this discussion, and will make Wroclaw 2016 a platform for collaborative artistic acti-vities, bringing together the best ideas and cultural practices from around the country.

The Polish Stage includes such projects as ‘Wroclaw – City/Laboratory of the Future’; the Eco Expanded City 2016 Exhibition; the Coalition of Cities 2016 project; the ‚Church: Beauty and kitsch’ project.

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Objective: diversity

From Architecture to Theatre – the program of the ECoC WRO 2016 curators

Eight different opinions, eight unique perspectives, and eight areas of culture will create an archipelago of art, behind which lie the personalities and passion that defines Wroclaw. Each of the eight curators share their experience, commitment and passion for the exceptional projects under ECoC Wroclaw 2016.

FOTOS: Tomasz Woźny

OPERA Ewa Michnik

ARCHITECTURE Zbigniew Maćków

FILM Roman Gutek

LITERATURE Irek Grin

MUSIC Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny

PERFORMANCE Chris Baldwin

VISUAL ARTS Michał Bieniek

THEATRE Jarosław Fret

14 15 FOTO: M. Jędrzejczak

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„Spaces for Beauty, Spaces for People”: the basic premise behind Wroclaw as the European Capital of Culture 2016 for architectural projects remains the same, — explains Zbigniew Maćków. — The time for architecture is coming. We slowly learn how to take advantage of the city and how to become conscious and active citizens – what and where to eat, read, wear, watch and visit. We can deliberate about the quality of coffee in nearby cafés despite them not necessarily having a fantastic appearance or being surrounded by breath-taking public spaces. We want to change, encourage and widen the consciousness. We want to invite everyone to recognize and appreciate our architecture — adds the ECoC WRO 2016 curator for architecture.

ARCHITECTURE

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Housing European Capital of Culture New Żerniki

Nowe Żerniki Housing as the Housing of ECoC. Wroclaw City Council and certain architects initiated this unique project, a housing estate created for the needs of modern man. They adopted the workshop method enabling the analysis, discussion and utilization of participants’ experiences. The workshops, over several years, were supplemented by tutorials of different disciplines, including consultations with nearby residents. It was assumed the completed housing project would be equipped with a set of services to meet the needs of residents – to begin with, trade and service facilities, followed by common spaces, private spaces, and to follow, schools and cultural centres. The project is to become the model for housing estates, meeting modern demands and making residents’ lives easier.

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Twentieth Century Wroclaw Architecture

The first complex presentation of twentieth century Wroclaw architecture. The premise of the exhibition is an analytical look at the development of the city as a whole, with no boundary between German and Polish influences, rejecting the traditional chronology and typology often dominating in this kind of exposition. One of the numerous offerings will concentrate on specific urban and architectural phenomena, as well as the social qualities of city space.

December 2016 – March 2017

Constructing Europe. The 25 years Mies van der Rohe Award and Mies van der Rohe Award 2015

The first exhibition summarizes the 25 year history of the most important Architectural Award, which since 1988, has been awarded by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation. The second exhibition presents the results of the latest competition. The objective of the award is to promote the greatest endeavours in architecture and bring to the public’s attention to the substantial contribution of European architects, specially with the populari-zation of new ideas and technologies.

January 2016 – March 2016

Examples of ECoC WRO 2016 architectural program: Capital A_Space for Beauty: Nature – Community – Architecture; Gallery Man; Lviv 24 June 1937; Acupuncture of the City; Way into the Future. The Werkbund Housing Estate 1927–1932; ‚Town, Architecture, Modernism, before and after’. Wroclaw Architecture XX.XXI; DoFA’16

– The Lower Silesia Festival of Architecture; WuWA. Wohnung und Werkraum Ausstellung, Patchwork. Jadwiga Grabowska’s Work, The life of the TownProject.

The model house No. 35, housing WUWA,Wroclaw 1929, proj. H. LauterbachFOTO: Muzeum Architektury we Wrocławiu: IIIb 1032-2

2. House No. 2, a settlement WUWA, proj. P. Heim FOTO: Maciej Lulko3. The concept of rebuilding the center of Wroclaw, competition project, 1971 FOTO: Muzeum Architektury we Wrocławiu: IIIb 1032-24. High-rise residential pl. Grunwald in Wroclaw, proj., J. Grabowska-Hawrylak FOTO: Stanisław Klimek

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Cinema is everything to me. It brings good to my life, makes me calm, and enables me to visit places. It made me aware of values, but also frustrations. Cinema made me dance, sing and sent shivers down my spine. I subscribe to Mark Cousins’ wording in The Story of Film — says Roman Gutek. — I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to share with others what is closest to me, my cinema discoveries. I know my choices shape tastes and inspire others. I also know it demands commitment — the ECoC WRO 2016 Film curator adds.

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The European Film Awards

This award is one of most important cultural awards of our continent, awar-ded to the most outstanding European film makers. The first Polish winner of the award was Krzysztof Kieślowski in 1988. It also summarizes the cinematic achievements of the year, with participation of the greatest European film directors, popular actors and successful producers. For a few days, the eyes of the European film industry will be focused on Wroclaw. The event will be accompanied by free concerts and presentations of the nominated films and the former winners.

10 December 2016

The Film Education Program

This program is expected to shape future audiences and encourage them to search for alternatives to Hollywood films. The objective of the program is not only to gain knowledge of the history and theory of cinema, but primarily, is a preparation for more difficult kinds of film appreciation. The program will include events designed for different age groups – from film lecturing for pupils to Film Academies for students and adults.

2015-2016

Puccini’s Manon Lescaut

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T Mobile New Horizons International Film Festival21-31.07.2016

Adapter – Cinema without limits

This project is designed to bring the cinema to the blind and the deaf. It will include several elements, starting with a free VOD portal for the blind and deaf – the first cinema on the Web for such people. By 2016, it will have about 100 films with audio-description and subtitles for the hard-of-hearing. The Adapter program in New Horizons Cinema will adapt popular films for the needs of the handicapped. The project will also include educational activities.

2015–2016Among the ECoC WRO 2016 film projects are: ‘Wroclaw Frames’; a spe-cial edition of the T-Mobile New Horizon International Film Festival; the American Film Festival; the ‚Film Operas’ project prepared by famous European film directors; the competition 48 Hour Film Project: Wroc-law; The Wroclaw Educational Project for filmmakers ‘Wroclaw Dawn to Dusk’; the Bike Days Film Festival; and the Children Cinema Festival.

1. I want to talk to Andrzej Chyra — meeting 15. MFF T-Mobile New Horizons in Barbara FOTO: Miłosz Poloch2. Bike Days Festival of Cycling FOTO: Filip Basara3. Projection Wild history at the Market Squareat the 15th International Film Festival T-Mobile New HorizonsFOTO: Miłosz Poloch

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In the beginning was the word, even though there was no reception [mobile telephony]. There was no Internet nor the new canon of social communication related to it. I deeply believe that the word came to life and it still shapes and transforms our reality. It orders, tries to master and gives meaning — says Irek Grin. — We have to bring together people addicted to reading, people burdened and marked by the word, with those who need to be taught to read. We need to explain to young people that they will age quicker if they do not learn to read. We need to share the joy of interacting with literature with those excluded from its world. We need to explain to those indifferent to literature that such indifference is a crime against humanity.

LITERATURE

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UNESCO World Book Capital City 2016

Thanks to this extremely prestigious title, Wroclaw joins cities such as Madrid, Bangkok, Amsterdam and Buenos Aires to have this honor. Starting its year on April 23 2016, as the UNESCO World Book Capital City, this title will increase the international scale of our operations. It will enrich the dialogue about diversity and identity, as well as extend the festival of books in Wroclaw through April 2017. Within the framework of the festival emerges the idea of ‘meeting’, so the importance for literature and reading will resound simultaneously in all languages of the world.

23 april 2016 – 22 april 2017

Bibliopolis. City-Library

The purpose of this program is to introduce books into public space and to transform the city into a huge library in which the word will be ubiquitous every day, and reading will be fashionable. This project involves a range of small- and large-scale events organized by cultural institutions and non-governmental organizations and will also engage citizens. During the year 2016, drivers will stick fragments of poems printed on magnetic labels onto their cars. Within the project we will change the city, we will read together in homes and in public spaces, engraving literature on anything we can, meeting with one another during family literary picnics, displaying literature on walls and in windows, exchanging books, picking fruits made of paper inscribed with poems, and printing poetry on ATM cash-withdrawal receipts.

1.01.2016 – 22.04.2017

Among the ECoC WRO 2016 projects regarding literature and reading are: ‘Literary elections’; Wroclaw Literary Portal; Multimedia literature exhibitions; Writing Forum for Children and Youth; the ‘Make your own book’ project; a series of publications regarding the European Capital of Culture; special editions of SILESIUS International Poetry Festival; ANGELUS Central European Literary Prize; European Literature Night; International Short Story Festival; Wroclaw Good Book Expo; Book Expo for Children and Youth; opening of the ‘Pan Tadeusz’ Museum; ‘Dobre Strony’ Book Expo for Children and Youth; ‘Book on the fork’; World Congress of Translators of Polish Literature; International Authors’ Meetings Month; National Rally of the Members of Book Discussion Clubs; Polcon National Fantasy Lovers’ Convention; the ‘Reading in the dark’ project; the ‘Call a poem’ project; and Literature Academy.

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Literatura y Lectura

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3.2.1. European Literature Night | WRO Art Centre, 7 Widok Street Excerpt from the novel “The Last Word” by Hanif Kureishi- read by Łukasz Garlicki. Photos: Augustyn Bardian.2. MOSTY Project „Tonący książki się chwyta” | Uniwersytecki Bridge (BRIDGE BUILDERS „Drowning man clutches at a book” 20,000 books were arranged on Uniwersytecki Bridge. The happening alludes to the 1997 flood in Wrocław and saving the collections of the University Library. Photos: Marcin Biodrowski.3. European Literature Night 2015 | Awangarda BWA Wrocław Gallery, 32 Wita Stwosza Street Crowds during the reading of an excerpt from Michel Houellebecq’s novel „Submission”. Read by Jacek Braciak Photos:. Augustyn Bardian.

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We live in times which provide us with various choices which constitute our unlimited freedom. How and what do we wish to create? What do we wish to listen to? Two questions and millions of answers. Many of them lead us to what is available more easily, achievable more quickly, more pleasant and easier to receive. And music as a cultural space, as one of its dimensions is not supposed to provide illusory entertainment and simple pleasure. Music should develop us, challenge us, cleanse and touch what hurts, what is real and important. Music is essential to express oneself, whether we create it, perform it or simply listen to it — says Agnieszka Fran-ków-Żelazny. — Music played in public places, in a city, not only allows us to express ourselves, but most of all to share the experience. It is nearly a metaphysical experience which engages and unites all the participants of a concert. Every one of them interprets music in their own way – it is an intimate relation, — says the curator of ECoC WRO 2016 regarding music.

MUSIC

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Singing Europe

The main idea of the project is the meeting of dozens of European choirs and the presentation of wonderful pieces of opera music, oratory and a cappella pro-grams, working with experienced, well known artists. The participants will be young, amateur singers as well as stars of the world music scene - altogether, several thousand people. The joint concerts and meetings make possible the interchange of expe-rience, and getting to know each other’s culture.

23.07.2016 30.07.2016 6.08.2016

Among the musical projects of ECoC WRO 2016 are: the Mercouri/Xenakis Festival; Wroclaw Tamborrada; Carnaval Cubano; the European Festivals Association Con-ference; special editions of festivals such as Thanks Jimi Festival, Leo Festival, the 51st Wratislavia Cantans Musica Polonica Nova International Festival, the GITARA+ Wroclaw Guitar Festival and Competition, the CLARIMANIA International Clarinet Festival, and the VRATISLAVIA SACRA International Choir Festival; the 3rd of May rock picnic; Yiddish and Ladino projects; ‘North and South – Wroclaw, the city of meetings!’; ‘Sing to me, mum, sing to me, dad’; the European Forum of Music; the ART of IMPROVISATION Creative Festival; EKLEKTIK SESSION 2016; Underwater WROCLAW 2016; Chór Komentujących Wrocławian (the Commenters Choir of Wroc-law); the Wrock for Freedom Festival related to the opening of the Zajezdnia History Centre; Art Meetings 2016; a series of concerts ‘1000 years of music in Wroclaw’; and a series of concerts by international superstars at the National Forum of Music.

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1. 1. Lee Konitz on 51. Jazz on the OdrąFOTO: Sławek Przerwa2. The concert at the Stadium Wroclaw -The first edition of the ECOC program Wrocław 2016 FOTO: Bartek Janiczek

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World Jazz Day

This project presents special role European musicians play in the history of Jazz and exploring their contribu-tions to its evolution and stylistic diversity. It includes permeating entire city with Jazz music from morning to night, and especially the following venues: Centennial Hall with the Pergola, the Four Domes Pavilion, the National Forum of Music and the District of Four Denominations. Urszula Dudziak, awarded with the title UNESCO Artist for Peace, will be the special guest.

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I perceive opera as the fullest synthesis of various arts. This abundance of possibilities affords the chance for amazing artistic expression in many areas, especially in singing, dancing, music, acting, poetry, litera-ture, visual arts, painting, architecture, costume design, light directing, and film — says Ewa Michnik. — Opera music has a huge impact on the audience regardless of whether we take them back to ancient times, or make them identify with what is going on currently. We introduce them to a fantastic, unknown and new world. A performance prepared at a brilliant artistic level will always move the audience, providing them with not only an emotional experience, but also forcing them to think, and seek their own individual references — says the curator regarding opera.

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Spanish night with Carmen — Zarzuela Show. Wroclaw Opera Show

A huge opera show based on Spanish musical traditions will be performed for an international audience of thousands. Spanish night with Carmen – Zarzuela Show is a spectacle according to the concept of Ewa Michnik. Directed by Waldemara Zawodzińskiego (well-known to Wroclaw audiences thanks to his implementation of numerous perfor-mances on the stage of the Wroclaw Opera and opera super productions at the Centennial Hall) and Ignacio García (a Spanish director specializing in zarzuela spectacles) with great success throughout Europe. The show is based on fragments of Carmen, the opera by George Bizet, the action of which takes place in Seville, Spain. The presentation of the most beautiful zarzuelas will constitute the climax of the show. During the performance there will also be film projections presenting the most beautiful regions and cultural monuments of Spain. On the stage of the stadium a group of five hundred artists will perform: the orchestra, ballet, choir and soloists of the Wroclaw Opera, as well as singing and dancing bands from Wroclaw and Lower Silesia. The bands will be chosen by competitions organized by the Opera, which will constitute the end of two-year zarzuela workshops, hosted by dancing and singing instructors from Spain. Among the artists there will also be Spa-nish bands and artists from Madrid and San Sebastian.

18.06.2016 The performance Carmen at the Wrocław Opera

3534FOTO: Dunvael Photography

36 37 FOTO: Marcin BiodrowskiFOTO: Marcin Biodrowski

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The art of performance is much more than creating words within a defined space and time. It is an idea which goes beyond the dimensions of reality, even though it is placed in a certain location and lasts for a given moment. It comprises of stories, phenomena and human relationships focused in the unique here and now — says Chris Baldwin. — My purpose is to create dialogue: a dialogue between the past and the future of Wroclaw, a dialogue in the heart of the multicultural city, hosted by artistic diasporas directly related to its history, where Polish, Ukrainian, Israeli, German and Czech elements are mixed with one another — explains the curator of performance.

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Flow Quartet: Bridges, Awakening, Flow and Heaven

Four exceptional projects constitute an important part of the celebrations in 2016: Bridges, Awakening, Flow and Heaven. They are the largest artistic events of the year, presenting the history of Wroclaw and exploring the city from the perspective of modern Europe. It is not possible to tell the story of Wroclaw without its associated diasporas, therefore Flow Quartet, directed by Chris Baldwin, will allow the city to tell its story with numerous voices to the residents of Wroclaw, to Poland, to Europe and to the whole world.

June 20, 2015 — Bridges January 17, 2016 — Awakening: the opening ceremony of the celebrations of the European Capital of Culture in Wroclaw June 11 2016 — Flow: an event presenting the history of building, demolishing and reconstructing the city in the 20th century December 17, 2016 — Heaven: the closing ceremony of the celebrations of the European Capital of Culture in the Centennial Hall.

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1. Bridges. FOTO: Marcin Biodrowski2. Preparations for the Opening Weekend of the European Capital of Culture PHOTO: BTW photographers

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42 43 FOTO: Michal Mazurkiewicz

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People, places and artistic conceptions included in a certain narration – this is, in a nutshell, the essence of the visual arts program. Each of the elements is important, but what is most important is that it occurs when attention is focused on the recipient, or on the interaction between the recipient and the artistic activity — says Michał Bieniek. — Modern art has received the label of being hermetic, of being closed to the recipient, of using images incomprehensible to a wider audience – it is often true. On the other hand, visual artists frequently have a real impact on the public sphere. Their interventions, conducted on the microscale of districts, streets and backyards, are often tangible and close to everyday life. It happens sometimes that artistic activities become a permanent part of the public space, creating the image of the entire city, and becoming landmarks on the map, as well as tourist attractions — explains the curator of Visual Arts.

VISUAL ARTS

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Wrocław — entry from the yard

The project involves the implementation of several dozen artistic interventions in neglected parts of Wroclaw, especially in backyards. Artists, operating within a given space will cooperate with the residents in order to ensure that the solutions developed are the result of mutual sentiments and needs of citizens. Artistic interventions aim at raising the awareness of the residents regarding their own driving force — the fact that they can actually influence their own surroundings. Within the project Wrocław — entry from the yard it is important to implement changes in the appearance and infrastructure of back yards; however, the most important changes should take place in people.

2015–2016

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1.1. Hedgehog by Iza Rutkowska from the project Wroclaw - Entry from the yard. PHOTO: Alicja Kielan2. 5. edition of Tiff Festival „Polska Now” | Miejsce przy Miejscu Gallery, 12 Strzelecki Square Marlena Jabłońska’ debut in the photographic exhibition „Nierozpoznane przybycie” („Unrecognised arrival”) Photo: Sandra Franco.

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2.Examples of the ECoC WRO 2016 visual arts program: Bask – open lab of Basque culture; interactive project, Blind: Wiki for the com-munities of blind and visually impaired people in Wroclaw; the exhibition Eduardo Chillida. Sounds; the project Ganymed Goes Europe; Görlitzer ART; I am myself; Let’s meet – Wroclaw 2016; Komiksofon; Geppert Competition; Majaki; Art and photography in Lviv from 1914; OUT OF OSTRALE Festival; Photography Never Dies; SURVIVAL Art Revision; the exhibition Resolutions. Designing changes; Stanisław Dróżdż. Paths of text; Szkło Około; MyMyMy; Play with Glass – European Glass Festival; Art is looking for IQ. Artists of Wrocław; Think Tank lab Triennale; TIFF Festival; Wacław Szpakowski Rhythmic lines; and the exhibition Europe of Wroclaw.

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For me, theatre remains the basic and fundamental expression. A dogma and a confession of faith. Faith in theatre as a medium, as well as faith in the mediation of theatre. Faith in theatre as a place of human transforma-tion and consequently social transformation. Faith in theatre as a liturgy of memory. Faith in theatre creating a stage for human experience — says Jarosław Fret. — I believe in theatre which is a common place, uniting the perception of the residents. I believe that questions about a European, multicultural identity, about tolerance, about a common and balanced vision of an open society are asked from theatre stages. I believe in theatre, which describing a person who acts, recreates them over and over again. In this interpretation it remains the foundation of understanding ourselves and the foundation of democracy. Therefore, the motto of the theatre program of the European Capital of Culture, as well as the motto of the Theatre Olympics are the words of Jerzy Grotowski: ‘The world should be a place of truth’ — says the curator of ECoC Wroclaw 2016.

THEATRE

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Theatre Olympics

It is an international theatre festival which, since 1993, has been presenting the achievements of the most outstanding theatre artists from around the world. The initiators of the Olympics are Theodoros Terzopoulos and Melina Mercouri (the initiator of the competition for the European Capital of Culture). Each day will be dedicated to one artist. Among the invited artists there are the following people: Tadashi Suzuki, Theodoros Terzopoulos, Robert Wilson, Eugenio Barba, Peter Brook, and Romeo Castellucci, who will present established shows, as well as premieres and co-productions prepared for the occasion of ECoC WRO 2016. Apart from the master program the Olympics will consist of five threads: Festival ‘Dziady. Recycling’; the Lower Silesian Theatre Platform; More than theatre – presentations; Eastern Line – presen-tations of a young independent theatre from Central and Eastern Europe; Polish Theatre Showcase – an overview of spectacles created in repertoire theatres in the last season.

October – November 2016

The voice of the excluded

The idea of the project involves the cooperation of socially excluded groups with professional artists in creating theatre and musical spectacles. A different group is invited to participate in each of the spectacles – among others, the residents of nursing homes, prisoners, people with mental disorders, and ethnic minorities. Professional artists, celebrities from the world of opera and theatre, such as Wojciech Malajkat, Mela Koteluk, Zbigniew Zamachowski and Agata Trzebuchowska will work and perform together with the amateurs.

July 2015 – July 2016

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1. Prometheus Bound, dir. T. Terzopoulos, Teatr Attis en Atenas. FOTO: Johanna Weber2. The Invisible Boy, dir. W. Szczawinska. FOTO: Bartek Warzecha 3. Festival Circulations. FOTO: Grzegorz Podbiegłowski 4. Hantio - Jacka Zawadzkiego. FOTO: Jacek Świątek

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Examples of theatre events within ECoC WRO 2016: The European Theatre Perspectives Conference; Wroclaw Pantomime Theatre Projects; special editions of Wroclaw Meetings of One Actor Theatres; Stage Song Festival; The best comedy. The festival of festivals; WROCEK Cabaret International Festival; Wroclaw sea of stories and Haemophilia; Alternative Theatre Academy; Theatre in the Yards; Overview of the New Theatre for Children; International Festival of the Theatre for Children; Circus without Violence; Nadmarionet Circus; BodyCon-stitution; CYRKULACJE Festival; Making Tomorrow’s Theatre; International Meetings of Theatre Schools Puppetry Faculties; Odin Teatret Manor House; Unfinished house; a series of publications: Polish Theatre Perspectives; and More than theatre.

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Teatro

FOTO: Karolina Kosowicz (missmedula.com)

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Opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture in Wrocław Spirit of Wrocław

Constructing Europe. 25 years of Mies van der Rohe Award Exhibition

Sonoridades Edaurdo Chillida Exhibition

Reconciliation Bolesław Kominek Exhibition

7 Wonders of Dolny Slask Exhibition

Film Music — Concert of Ennio Morricone

Interntional Jazz Day/ Jazz on the Odra festival

UNESCO World Book Capital Wrocław 2016/ The Grand Opening of the Pan Tadeusz Museum

Thanks Jimi Festival guitar Guinness Record

Flow

The Spanish Nights with Carmen — zarzuela show. A performance by Wroclaw Opera

Concert of David Gilmour and Leszkiem Możdżerem

T-Mobile New Horizons International Film Festival

Singing Europe

51st International Festival Wratislavia Cantans

Opera Film: Lost Highway

International Theatre Olympics

European Film Awards

Sky Web — Closing Ceremony of the European Capitol of Culture in Wrocław

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July 21-31

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December 10

December 17

Calendar 2016

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ESK Wrocław 2016 to culminate in:

1000happenings

533informal groups

8years of development

400projects

8curators

250involved organisations,

and partners

Information about ECoC Wroclaw 2016:

www.wroclaw2016.pl You can read more about our projects and the program details in the book Spaces for Beauty: Designed available at www.wroclaw2016.pl/programmebook/wroclaw2016 @wro2016 @wroclaw2016 ESK TV: youtube.com/Wroclaw2016tv The official hashtag: #wro2016 Radio Wrocław Kultura, www.radiokultura.prw.pl, from Monday to Friday at 5.15 pmSearch for: Wrocław 2016 and Wroclaw Quest in Google Play and App Store