2015 – Plzeň

2. 1. 2015

$\"\"$

Pilsen 2015 is an initiative which is supposed to bring the culture of the city to life. As the organisers emphasise on their website, \“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\“. Pilsen 2015 is comprised of various projects held in a number of places across Pilsen, such as the Meeting Point, the Peklo Culture House, wo-co husovka, DEPO 2015 – creative zone, Pap-rna, The New Theatre, and the Nečtiny Chapel. All these initiatives are focused on a different cultural sector, but they have a common goal – to bring out the best in European and Czech cultural life.

The Meeting Point, serving the public since September 2014, is the place where one can acquire information about the Pilsen 2015 events, buy tickets and try traditional Czech cuisine. It is also the space for press conferences and the broadcasting studio for Czech Radio. Located on Republic Square, one of the country’s biggest squares, it is the perfect headquarters of the project.

The Peklo Culture House is a place for lectures, seminars, courses and theatre plays. The biggest hall of the building where major events will take place is on the Czech heritage list. The name of the space (Peklo, Czech for \“Hell\“) comes from the smoke that many years ago, used to rise from the chimneys of the building, creating a spooky mysterious atmosphere.

Wo-co husovka is simply a networking office for the people in the creative industry. Created in the spirit of togetherness, its mission is to promote the idea that creative professionals are not alone; they can collaborate and learn from one another. In the space, various workshops, discussions and meetings will be held.

DEPO 2015 – creative zone is located in the unique space of the former public transport hall where buses, trolleybuses and trams used to be kept. Similarly to wo-co husovka, the hall will work as the meeting point for creatives from all around, and will also be used for exhibitions, artists‘ studios, pop-up shops, refreshment stalls and cultural events. Interestingly, the creative zone will remain in the public transport hall even after the end of 2015, serving as an artist residency space OPEN A.i.R., the Everfund portal, the coworking centre Wo–co and a creative incubator.

Another brand new venue on the cultural map of Pilsen is Pap-rna, a paper mill chimney on the Radbuza River. Pap-rna will be the space for the audience of Pilsen 2015 to enjoy concerts and dance performances. In the mill, it will also be possible for musicians and dancers to rehearse.

The New Theatre, as the name suggests, is a recent building constructed especially for the purpose of the Pilsen 2015 project. The goal of The New Theatre is to promote various theatrical genres not only nationally, within the borders of the Czech Republic, but also among foreigners who will visit Pilsen in 2015.

The Nečtiny Chapel which, suprisingly, is famous for hosting the most prominent European performers of pantomime and physical theatre, has had some problems lately. Because of a lack of money, the activities in the chapel have been reduced to zero. However, thanks to Pilsen 2015, the space will be up and working again, offering workshops, a residential place for artists and events of the 9 Weeks of Baroque festival.

More about Pilsen 2015: http://www.plzen2015.cz/en

Otvorenie 17.1.1015

Predstavenie Plzne ako kultúrnej metropoly Európy si zakladalo na lokálnom kontexte. Jedným z najvýznamnejších rodákov bol nepochybne Jiří Trnka, ktorého novootvorená výstava uviedla divákov do fantastického snového sveta (nielen) animovaných postavičiek.

$\"\"$

Režisér otváracieho ceremoniálu Petr Forman dal vyniknúť \“kejklířskému kumštu\“ všetkých druhov. Ostatne, tento žáner asi pouličnému podujatiu takéhoto rozmeru v zimnom počasí svedčí asi najviac. Prechádzka mestom príjemne zahriala, davom sa dalo hladko prechádzať.

$\"\"$