The Year of Crossroads of Cultures in Panevėžys
As it was already announced, in 11 monts of 2014 the inhabitants and the guests of the city will get a better acquaintance with the cultures of 20 countries: China, Japan, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Finland. This will be done by the help of literature, art, photography, theatre, films, music, folk dance, national cuisines, etc.
Various culture and educational institutions have proposed about 50 projects which could suit to the Lithuanian Cultural Capital of 2014.
"Among them new and traditional events, the ones which combine several arts. Schools provided interesting and original projects. It is important that the pulse of cultural capital would involve as many as possible people of different interests and the city would be visible with its cultural events on the national level. ",- says Loreta Krasauskienė, the Head of Culture and Art Department.
14 large events are foreseen in the preliminary programme of cultural capital. First, it is the Festival of Light and Fire in Laisvės Square(31 January ). For the first time the city will be presented a special 3D video project, reflecting the cultures of the city and the world. Illuminated installations, glittering ornaments will decorate the city centre. The fakirs will surprise with fire shows.
The plans of March cover the festival of intellectual film, a traditional festival "European Film Day and Night". There will be a possibility to enjoy European films awarded by the prizes of prestigious festivals and approved by the critics.
In April, an International Festival of Chamber Theatres will be proposed for the spectators. The groups from Lithuania, Latvia, Russia should take part in it.
For the first time the city will host an International Puppet Theatre Festival "The Fairy-Tales of H. K. Andersen" dedicated to the 209th birthday of the Great Teller. Theatre groups from Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, France, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia will be present. The spectator will have a possibility to learn about the interpretations of H. K. Andersen's fairy-tales of different countries.
In May, an International Folk Dance Festival "The World Folklore" will be organised. The folk dance groups from Georgia, Bulgaria, China, Turkey, Thailand, Azerbaijan , Israel, Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia and Lithuania plan to take part in it.
The whole summer will be dedicated to rich events of "Let's meet on Fridays" with the exquisite concerts of different genres.
In June, an International Theatre Festival "Bonjour, Maestro" to commemorate the late Theatre Director Juozas Miltinis is planned. The spirit of Paris, the city of dreams of the Maestro will settle in the city. The theatre representatives from Panevėžys will leave the stage for the colleagues from France, Norway and Latvia. Exhibitions, lectures will be organised, . Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre will invite to the evening where the people who used to work with J. Miltinis will remember him. Laisvės Square will be transformed into Montmartre with musicians, painters, bards, mimes, alive sculptures, jugglers of streets, traders, etc.
For the first time, in June Midsummer Festival will be held in the city. The most beautiful love songs will be performed in Skaistakalnis Park, dances, games, mystery of water and fire will be presented. The Festival of Wind Orchestras "Baltijos dūdos" and the International Folklore Festival "Aisūs kankleliai" will be a part of the celebration.
In July, the XXth International Ceramics Symposium will be organised. Creative evenings, the conference "The Tendencies of Art of Ceramics", one-day campaign "The Whole City Moulds" will invite the inhabitants and the guests of the city.
Summer events will be enriched by the XIIth International En Plein Air "Panevėžys 2014" to remember K. Naruševičius.
In August, an International Art Glass Symposium "GLASSJAZZ" will combine glass art and jazz music. Panevėžys is famous for glass makers for many years.In 2014 the city has intentions to unite Lithuanian and foreign artists for a common creative work. 20 glass artists from Lithuania, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Bulgaria, Poland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg , England, Ukraine, byelorussia will meet.
September is the month dedicated to the 511th birthday of the city. We shall celebrate it in a cultural way with a world famous star.
The last month of the year will be devoted to the XIIth International Festival "Panevėžio literatūrinė žiema"(literature festival). Over 70 poets from Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, France, Switzerland, Denmark will take part. Besides numerous readings of poetry and prose, openings of exhibitions, there will be a theatre impression "Žiemos žodžių miestas"(the City of Winter Words), shows of bards.
The events of Cultural Capital will be concluded by gala closing ceremony with Christmas Fair and ice sculptures.
The year of Cultural Capital will be full not only of large events but also a number of chamber events, concerts, educational programmes, exhibitions, meetings, discussions are planned in different places.