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Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 Begins Its 700 Day Marathon

Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 Bureau announced its team and ambitious plans:  to draw Europe‘s attention through its unique programme and modern outlook on culture.

„As a new member state, we will be expected to provide Europe with new cultural experiences, unique perspectives and unusual ideas.  There are only 699 days left until 2009 so we must act fast.  We are determined to present our program outline to the European Commission as early as June, and to peak the interest of as many European Union residents and neighboring state citizens as we can in the next two years,“ said the bureau‘s Executive Director, Rūta Vanagaitė, as she presented the team and plans.   

“Now that some new employees have joined the team, there are a total of ten on staff at the headquarters and we plan to double that number by the end of the year.  The structure of the organization is designed to follow two strategic avenues: program preparation and communications, “stated Director Giedrė Kabašinskienė.

The Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 program, called CULTURE Live, will strive to create a new European cultural experience in which culture is an integral part of modern life and each individual its creator. 

“In music the word live is used when a work is not recorded, but presented live.  The CULTURE Live program will be based on the same principle.  We will seek to free cultural artists and users from their individual cells; invite them to express their relationships with Europe.  Create, Communicate, Remember, Live – these are the slogans of the individual programs, “explained Programme Director Elona Bajorinienė.

Four parts will make up the CULTURE Live programme:  the European Art Programme, the Culture (Re)Discoveries Programme, the Live History Programme and the People Programme.  The projects for the programme will be chosen according to the European Commission‘s requirements for the European Capitals of Culture programmes. The programme management at headquarters, in conjunction with the bureau‘s council, will select the projects and coordinate their execution.

Although Vilnius will only become a European Capital of Culture in 2009, the organizers plan to present an Aperitif Programme this year in the form of four introductory projects:  European Culture Night (2007 June 23-24); Jan Fabre and LT Art in Unusual Spaces (2007 September); LUX - Light Festival in the Season of Darkness (2007 November); and the Vilnius – European Capital of Culture Ambassador Convention (2007 December).

The Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 programme is being financed by state and municipal budget funds.  One large-scale project proposed by the bureau headquarters will be co-financed by the European Commission in the amount of 1.5 million euros.  There are also plans to attain a substantial sum through sponsors.  The general budget for the Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 programme during the entire 2004–2009 period is 24,828,081 euros.  The budget for the year 2007 is 2,404,927 euros (8,297 million Lt).