EHMK 2015 will offer one giant cultural event in Pilsen every month

Plzeň - Every month, a major weekend event in Plzeň has been prepared by the organizers of the European Capital of Culture (EHMK) for the entire upcoming year. The themes of the projects, which are to take over the entire city, will focus on personalities and stories associated with Plzeň. There will be eight flagship programs that have been fine-tuned in recent days, said the program director of the project, Jiří Sulženko.
    The main axes will be new circus, revitalization of public space, exhibitions of Jiří Trnka and Bohumír Lindauer, the opening of former industrial halls for art, West Bohemian Baroque, the Hidden City project, and festivals prepared in cooperation with other partners, such as the traditional Smetana Days, Live Street, Finale, and others.
    The new circus season will begin with the official launch of the project on January 17th. International artists will have their tents in the city center and on the outskirts. "The audience will see the world’s finest in the genre. In January and February, people can look forward to the brilliant acrobats of the French troupe Trotolla or the poetic and breathtaking solo performance of the Swiss tightrope walker David Dimitri," Sulženko said.
    One of the first major art exhibitions will be Munich: The Shining Metropolis of Art, featuring works that represent the famous Munich painting school and the avant-garde movement of the Der Blaue Reiter group. A profile exhibition titled Jiří Trnka's Studio will showcase the work of the Plzeň native Trnka, followed by an interactive Jiří Trnka's Garden.
    Unused industrial areas will come to life with a series of events titled Factory of Imagination from April to December 2015. "We want to return the unused factories to the residents and give them meaning again, whether it's the halls in the Škodovka complex, the former paper mill, the former Světovar brewery, the empty depot of the transport company near the center, or the former Plzeň Prazdroj power plant. We believe that this will be possible in five locations," Sulženko said.
    The project Hidden City will reveal urban legends. Tourists and locals will be guided through the history of Plzeň and lesser-known places by mobile applications and live guides. A significant part will be the accessibility of some restored apartment interiors designed by the Viennese architect Adolf Loos.
    Plzeň will become a European cultural metropolis on January 17, 2015. The city will offer over 50 major cultural events and more than 600 other activities in 2015. These will include theatrical projects, music, exhibitions, architecture, dance, performances, visual installations, and community and educational projects. The cultural-community center Světovar will open in Plzeň, along with other industrial areas in the city and a new theater.