View source for Maribor, European Capital of Culture 2012

{{Article
| status       = WRITING NIFERTIK!
| maintainer   = Katja Kosi
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{{Infobox
| name               = Maribor, European Capital of Culture 2012
| localname          = Maribor, Evropska prestolnica kulture 2012
| image              = 
| street             = Vetrinjska 30
| town               = SI-2000 Maribor
| website            = http://www.maribor2012.info/
| email              = epk@maribor2012.info
| telephone          = 386 (0) 2 228 1250
| fax                = 386 (0) 2 228 1240
| organised by       = Municipality of Maribor
| organised by 2     =
| organised by 3     =
| managed by         = Maribor 2012 Public Institute
| managed by 2       = 
| managed by 3       = 
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| contacts     =  {{Contact
  | name        = Suzana Žilič Fišer
  | role        = General Director
  | website     = 
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  }}{{Contact
  | name        = Mitja Čander
  | role        = Programme Director
  | street      = 
  | town        = 
  | website     = 
  | email       = mitja.cander@maribor2012.info
  | telephone   = 
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  }}{{Contact
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{{Teaser|
The city of Maribor won the prestigious [[Maribor, European Capital of Culture 2012|European Capital of Culture]] title in 2008 with an ambitious regional proposal that mobilised 5 partner cities in Slovenia ([[Municipality of Murska Sobota|Murska Sobota]], [[Municipality of Ptuj|Ptuj]], [[Municipality of Slovenj Gradec|Slovenj Gradec]], [[Municipality of Novo mesto|Novo mesto]] and [[Municipality of Velenje|Velenje]]). Some of the programme will be co-organised with the Portuguese town of Guimarães, another European Capital of Culture in 2012.

}}

==Infrastructural investments==
The seat of the [[Maribor 2012 Public Institute]] is situated in the recently renovated Vetrinje Mansion (''Naskov dvorec'') in the very heart of the city. The architects [[Maruša Zorec]] and [[Matjaž Bolčina]] won the 2010 [[Piranesi Award]] for its renovation. 

At first the City of Maribor gave the leading position to the new Maribor Cultural Centre (MAKS), which is to be erected on the grounds of the former knitting factory in the ''Studenci'' area. The plans for this edifice with its 2-multi-purpose halls for 650 visitors each were made by [[SADAR + VUGA Architects]]. According to the current plans the cultural centre will comprise also the new premises fo the [[Maribor Art Gallery]].

==Programme==
The programme of the Cultural Capital of Europe 2012 will be opened with [[Marij Kogoj|Marij Kogoj's]] opera ''Black Masks'' (written in 1924&ndash;1927), directed by [[Janez Burger]] and performed by the joint ensembles of the [[Slovene National Theatre Maribor|Maribor]] and [[Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana|Ljubljana National Theatres]].

The Cultural Capital's programme highlights also the performances by the so-called ''Maribor Directing School'' ([[Tomaž Pandur]], [[Jernej Lorenci]], [[Matjaž Latin]], and [[Sebastijan Horvat]]). It will, however, also include inventive urban projects such as "social ecology" or "militant research" in the suburbs and a new installation of the [[Maribor Regional Museum|Maribor Regional Museum's]] permanent collection. 

The programme has been divided into four strands: Terminal 12 (led by [[Aleš Šteger]]), Townkeys (led by [[Boris Cizej]]), Urbanfurrows (led by [[Marta Gregorič]]), and Lifetouch (led by [[Aleš Čar]]).

===Featured international artists===
Within the Terminal 12 programme strand each month in 2012 Maribor will host one of the prominent international guests, among them Charles Simic, Boris Groys, Jan Fabre, Rebecca Horn, Laurie Anderson, Goran Bregović, Cvetan Todorov, Gari Kasparov, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Peter Zumthor. 

===Partner cities===
The partner cities have already announced some of the highlights in their programmes. In February 2012 the city of Ptuj will organise a world mardi-gras EtnoFest and the [[Ptuj Regional Museum]] is preparing for the 4th World Congress of Archaeologists. Ptuj will host also the traditional [[Days of Poetry and Wine Festival]]. 

Slovenj Gradec plans the opening of the [[Birthplace of Hugo Wolf, Slovenj Gradec|museum and documentation centre of the Austrian composer Hugo Wolf]] and an ambitious performance based on his ''lieder'', accompanied by the first international workshop on classical solo singing. The city will also produce the Peace Festival "From People to the People" and collaborate with the [[Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre Vitanje|Herman Potočnik Noordung Memorial Centre]] in Vitanje on contemporary visual arts production. 

Murska Sobota will feature dance through the enhanced international [[Front@ Contemporary Dance Festival]], the mining town of Velenje, however, will produce an underground spectacle featuring [[Laibach]] music group.

==Partners==
The international programming in 2012 is going to be supported also by cultural centres located in Slovenia, for instance the [[Goethe-Institut Ljubljana]].

==See also==
* [[Municipality of Maribor]]
* [[Municipality of Slovenj Gradec]]
* [[Municipality of Murska Sobota]]
* [[Municipality of Ptuj]]
* [[Municipality of Novo mesto]]
* [[Municipality of Velenje]]

==External links==
* [http://www.maribor2012.info/en/ Maribor, European Capital of Culture 2012 official website] 
* [http://www.maribor2012.info/en/index.php?ptype=0&menu=0&id=108&echosub=1 The new programme strands outline]
* [http://www.guimaraes2012.pt/ The Guimarães 2012 official website]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Capital_of_Culture European Capital of Culture on Wikipedia]
Critical reviews
* [http://zofijini-epk.blogspot.com/ Zofijini in EPK] (in Slovenian)
* [http://www.nevladna.org/index.php/novice/rss-novice/332-prvi-manifest-surove-energije-v-lui-evropske-prestolnice-kulture-2012 Raw Energy Manifesto] (2009, in Slovenian)

[[Category:Maribor, European Capital of Culture 2012]]
[[Category:Festivals]]