Plovdiv, European Capital of Culture 2019 – more than 300 events
There will be more than 300 events in over 70 locations in Plovdiv and the region in 2019 as Bulgaria’s second city holds the title of European Capital of Culture.
Already 330 contracts have been concluded to carry out cultural content projects linked to the programme, the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation said on April 26, the day before its report to the municipal council and the vote on its budget.
Of these, 90 have already started and have been held in past years, such as Opera Open, Hills of Rock, One Dance Week and the Plovdiv Jazz Fest.
About 240 projects will be launched in the middle of 2018. For instance, the Mood for Food culinary festival and the Swing Dance festival will be held in Plovdiv in autumn.
A travelling theatre of a French organisation, bringing together more than 20 international circus troupes, and a project by the Drama Theatre Plovdiv – European Odyssey, will also be launched before the end of 2018.
Plovdiv is among the most democratic capitals of culture, with the methodology it applies to the inclusion of cultural operators, artists and various organisations in the preparation of its programme, as was also noted in the monitoring that took place last week in Brussels, according to the foundation.
The three open calls, which formed the backbone of the main cultural programme of Plovdiv 2019, resulted in more than 250 applications, the foundation said.
More than 150 projects had been submitted in response to calls regarding Plovdiv’s renowned Kapana creative district.
Plovdiv also has issued a call for projects from the other finalists that it vanquished in the competition to be European Capital of Culture 2019: Sofia, Veliko Turnovo and Varna.
An independent external poll had found that 60 per cent of Bulgarians knew about the Plovdiv European Capital of Culture project. For almost half of those polled, 45 per cent, the fact that Plovdiv will be European Capital of Culture in 2019 has encouraged them to want to visit the city.
The marketing and advertising budget includes about half a million leva to produce a television series in partnership with one of Bulgaria’s largest media groups.
Plovdiv and the Italian city of Matera, also to hold the title European Capital of Culture, are to embark in May 2018 on a joint advertising campaign, in Rome and Milan. This is the first time two cities that have won the title have agreed on initiating such a promotional campaign.
