Cultureel programma Tsjechisch voorzitterschap gepresenteerd (en)
Today the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Alexandr Vondra, the Culture Minister, Václav Jehlicka, and the Deputy Foreign Minister, Helena Bambasová, presented the cultural programme of the Czech Presidency of the European Union.
The programme comprises over 600 events, about 100 taking place in the Czech Republic, 60 in Brussels and some 450 in the rest of Europe and around the world. Altogether 22.5 million CZK has been earmarked to finance events organised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs. The Czech Presidency will be accompanied by a cultural programme for the general public as well as prestigious events for delegates of the EU Member States and other guests from abroad.
The year 2009, during the first six months of which the Czech Republic is at the helm of the EU, will be marked by two important anniversaries that will be reflected also in the Presidency cultural repertoire. In 2009, twenty years will have gone by since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Besides, this year is the fifth anniversary of the greatest enlargement in EU history. 2009 is also the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. Last but not least, the cultural programme reflects the Presidency motto, ‘Europe without Barriers’. Among other events, the Czech Republic will organise several exhibitions on the theme of life under a totalitarian regime, pay homage to Holocaust victims and contemplate the meaning of a ‘Europe without Barriers’. Highlights include the first night of ÇA Ira, a rock opera by a founding member of the legendary Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, which will mark the celebrations of the fifth anniversary of Czech EU membership.
Another highlight of the cultural programme is the gala evening to launch the Czech presidency that will take place in the National Theatre in Prague on 7 January and be orchestrated by the Forman Brothers’ Theatre. The ‘Eurofestivals’ accompanying ministerial meetings in various regions of the Czech Republic are aimed at the general public. They offer a unique chance to bring the Presidency closer to the inhabitants of these regions while giving each of the regions truly European visibility.
The Presidency cultural programme also features the music festival entitled United Islands of Europe, taking place on 18 - 21 June 2009. This year’s theme will be linked to the EU, as it was at the very beginning. In 2004, the first year of this festival - then named United Island of Prague - celebrated the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU. This year, the music festival in the centre of Prague will be open to the general public and will mark the conclusion of the Presidency.
Another well-known festival featuring in the programme is Smetana’s Litomyšl that will present the ‘Má vlast’ (My Fatherland) symphony by Bedrich Smetana under the baton of Leif Segerstam, well known for his conducting apperances at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. Taking place at the end of June, the festival will also be a symbolic handover of the Presidency to Sweden.
The cultural programme of the Czech presidency has been prepared by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Regions of the Czech Republic, embassies as well as external entities.
The Presidency gives the Czech Republic a unique opportunity to reaffirm its status as a country rich in culture and to present its traditions to the citizens of the entire European Union. At the same time, it can show that it is a modern and dynamic country that does not shy away from new trends. The complete Cultural Calendar of the Presidency can be found here.