EC wished success to Plovdiv and Matera - European Capitals of Culture for 2019

From 1 January 2019, for one year, Plovdiv (Bulgaria) and Matera (Italy) will have the title "European Capital of Culture", the European Commission said on 3^rd of January.

The European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracić, said:

"Plovdiv and Matera programmes show how these cities see their future and the future of Europe, while celebrating their extraordinary centuries-old legacy.

The European Capital of Culture initiative unites people and emphasizes the role of culture in building a European identity. The two cities will help secure the long-term impact of last year's successful European Year of Cultural Heritage initiative, which showed how culture can transform our cities and regions. I wish Plovdiv and Matera a lot of success next year. "

Plovdiv is the first Bulgarian city to be selected European Capital of Culture. With a full programme entitled "Together", 2019 will bring new opportunities for the region and international visibility for the city. More than 300 projects were organised in Plovdiv, in the southern central region of Bulgaria, as well as in Varna, Sofia and Veliko Turnovo, including local festivals and projects on topics related to the characteristics of Plovdiv, its history, cultural heritage, and with the challenges the city faces.

Visitors to the city will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of events - from various exhibitions through which they can get acquainted with the Cyrillic alphabet, to joint theatre productions with other countries in the Western Balkans and Roma and Turkish communities.

Opening celebrations will be held from 11 to 13 January and will include a number of outdoor and indoor events including a music and dance performance and a light show on the evening of January 12. Commissioner for digital economy and digital society, Mariya Gabriel, will attend the official ceremony on 12 January.

The Matera programme was organised under the heading "The Open Future", with a focus on social and cultural inclusion and joint innovations. Major events include "Ars Excavandi" - a contemporary insight into the history and culture of underground architecture, Renaissance: A New Reading - a journey through the artistic past of Basilica and Apulia, and Poetry of the Numbers - an exhibition devoted to the central role of mathematics in the work of artists over the centuries.

Also, Matera will organise the first open performance of the opera "Rural Honour" in collaboration with the San Carlo Theatre, as well as 27 projects developed with local creative communities and partners from Europe. The opening ceremonies will be held on January 19 and 20 and will include 2,000 musicians from all the villages in the Basilica region and many other parts of Europe. Commissioner Navaric will attend the official ceremony on January 19th.

The European Capital of Culture initiative was set up in 1985 by Melina Mercury, the then Greek Minister of Culture. Meanwhile, it has become one of the brightest cultural initiatives in Europe. Cities are selected on the basis of a cultural programme that must have a strong European dimension, stimulate the participation and active engagement of the residents of the selected city and contribute to the long-term development of the city and the region.

The title "European Capital of Culture" is also an excellent opportunity for cities to change their image, to be seen on the world map, to attract more tourists and to rethink their development through the prism of culture. This title has a long-term impact not only in terms of culture but also in social and economic terms both for the city and for the region in which it is located.

In 2018, Valletta in Malta and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands were European Capitals of Culture. After Plovdiv and Matera in 2019, the next European Capitals of Culture will be in Rijeka (Croatia) and Galway (Ireland) in 2020, Timisoara (Romania), Elevsina (Greece) and Novi Sad (Serbia, candidate country) 2021, Ash (Luxembourg) and Kaunas (Lithuania) in 2022 and Vesprom in Hungary (recommended) in 2023.

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