Turku, the Capital of Culture, will take a circus greeting to the headquarters in Brussels

Future Circus. Photo: Kari Vainio. Turku, the European Capital of Culture 2011, disembarks to the centre of the European Union for about a week at the end of May. Five students of the Performing Arts Circus line at Turku Arts Academy will travel from Turku, the Capital of Culture, to Brussels to give surprise performances at the EU institutions located in different parts of the city.

The week of events will be organised from 19 to 25 May. During the week, the circus students will perform, e.g. at the main building of the European Commission, as a surprise in a meeting of the Committee on Culture in the European Parliament, in the Council and also in the NATO.

The event in the main building of the Commission, in Berlaymont, is open to European Commission officials and it will be organised in co-operation with the cabinets of EU Commissioner for Culture Androulla Vassiliou and Finnish Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn.

The Turku-Southwest Finland European Office is in charge of the planning and arrangements of the event week.

"The purpose of the performances is to happily surprise the EU meetings, officials at lunch, as well as people and officials in the NATO. The idea of the week is the same as for the whole Capital of Culture year: take culture to the people - also to different and unusual environments, and show how culture is good for us all," says Krista Taipale, Head of the European Office in Brussels.

During the events, the circus students of the Turku Arts Academy embark to the EU institutions. Students will also show up surprisingly in the middle of a meeting of the Committee on Culture in the European Parliament, and will carry a circus performance which lasts about 5 minutes. This is the first time when a surprise of this kind will be organised in the European Parliament committee meeting.

Fire is a central element during the capital culture year. Turku is the first European Capital of Culture, which organises this type of greetings in the EU institutions and NATO in Brussels. The preparation of the events has taken a long time, and has required plenty of different discussions and permits. Each party who allows performers into their premises has been delighted and happy about Turku's decision to bring culture to the heart of the EU.

Co-ordinator of the Turku Capital of Culture year programme, Cay Sevón, Managing Director of the Turku 2011 Foundation, reminds that the Capital of Culture is now being taken back to where the idea of such a special year originally started.

"Circus attacks of this kind will continue the open-minded merging of culture and other areas, typical of the Turku Capital of Culture year. Culture will be good to the EU officials, and will certainly keep a smile on their faces for the rest of the work day," says Cay Sevón.

Further information:

Krista Taipale
Head of Office
Turku-Southwest Finland European Office
tel. +32 (0) 498 126 000
[email protected]
www.turku.fi/eu-toimisto




Saara Malila
Communications Manager
Turku 2011 -Foundation
tel. +358 44 907 5710
[email protected]
www.turku2011.fi/en




 

Schedule of the Turku Capital of Culture year circus performances:

Thursday 19 May

12.30 "Culture is taken directly to the people". Culture and circus as appetizers before lunch in Berlaymont, the main building of the EU Commission. An event open to all EU officials. In co-operation with the cabinets of Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Culture and Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs.

Amendment:

14:00 Turku European Capital of Culture 2011 Circus performance and reception for EU Member States´ delegations participating in the Council of ministers of Culture. This event is addressed to national cultural delegations and Ministers for culture. Justus Lipsius-building, Atrium.

14:30 “Culture brings joy and does good”. Culture digestive: Turku European Capital of Culture circus performance. European Council, Justus Lipsius building, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Council.

Friday 20 May

08:30 "The Capital of Culture year is also a year of culture for children and youth." Turku 2011 circus performance at the opening of the annual Footfest event of the European School. The children of the employees of the EU institutions and EU Representations attend the European School. There will be about three thousand 4-18 year-old children and youth present. Turku circus performance will take place in the spectacular highlight of the opening ceremony when EU balloons will be released to the sky.

12:00-14:30 ”Culture in new and different environments”. Circus performances in the NATO.

Saturday 21 May

15:00 ”Culture increases wellbeing”. A sports and culture event for Finnish families living in Belgium in co-operation with Sari Essayah, Member of European Parliament and Suomi-Klubi, Association for Finnish people in Belgium. A circus workshop of the Turku Capital of Culture year for children and their parents. Open to public. Centre Sportif de la Fôret de Soignes, Chaussee de Wavre 2057, 1160 Brussels.

Monday 23 May

16:30 ”Culture improves the state of the environment”. A common seminar of the Capitals of Culture (Turku and Tallinn) and Hamburg, the European Green Capital 2011 “Turku and Tallinn, European Capitals of Culture and Hamburg, European Green Capital 2011: Sustainable living” reception. The theme is the positive interaction of culture and the environment, in particular in the Baltic Sea region. Turku 2011 presentation, a circus performance and a panel discussion. By invitations only.

19:30 ”There’s nothing like culture in full bloom” – A festive spring reception of the Turku Capital of Culture year for the EU stakeholder groups in Brussels, in co-operation with the Permanent EU Representation of Finland. The participants include EU Ambassadors, bilateral Ambassadors of the Baltic Sea and the future Capital of Culture countries, cultural attachés of the Council of the European Union, and the key persons of all EU institutions. A circus performance, music and fire acrobatics. By invitations only.

Tuesday 24 May

18:00 ”Culture as part of Finland's international image”. Turku 2011 performance, a circus performance and fire acrobatics in the country brand event organised for Finland by the Belgian embassy. The opening speaker is Lasse Lehtinen, Author and a member of the Finnish Country Brand Delegation. By invitations only.

Wednesday 25 May

Between 12:30-13:15  ”Culture belongs to everyone” – street circus, Place du Luxembourg at lunch time. Open to public.

15:00 -> ”Culture and circus in the place where the European Capital of Culture programme originally started” A surprise performance in the meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Culture. In co-operation with the European Parliament, MEPs Ville Itälä and Hannu Takkula (member of the European Parliament Committee on Culture).
Committee room JAN 2Q2. Further information and interviews:
Advisor Sarita Rauta, [email protected], +32 4 76 88 05 38, Press Assistant Taina Mertalo,[email protected], +32 (0) 477 311 515.

 

Turku is the European Capital of Culture 2011, a title it shares with Tallinn. The goals of the Capital of Culture year are to promote wellbeing, increase the export of the creative economy and culture, and to strengthen the internationality. All activities aim for long-term impacts.

Thousands of events will be arranged during the Capital of Culture year, involving approximately 155 projects, thousands of participants and 300 volunteers. The Turku 2011 programme is expected to reach an audience of nearly 2 million. Most of the programme is free of charge.

Implementation of the Capital of Culture year is the responsibility of the Turku 2011 Foundation commissioned by the City of Turku. The task of the Foundation is to coordinate and partially fund projects selected for the programme.

The budget for the Capital of Culture year is EUR 50 million.