Kosice was picked as the 2013 European Capital of Culture on Tuesday, beating the Slovakian cities of Preov, Martin and Nitra for the title. It will share the title with a French city to be announced next week.
Kosice is counting on a capital injection of 2.4 billion koruna, of which a little more than half will come from European Union structural funds. Already, about a hundred people are working on the programme for 2013.
The Cultural Institute of the Hungarian Republic in Bratislava has acknowledged Kosice's cultural significance for years, establishing relationships with the city's cultural institutions and supporting events featuring Hungarian artists in the city. In October 2007, the institute organised a programme of 15 events, including contemporary dance performances, jazz concerts and visual arts.
"We will pay special attention to meeting the demands of young people, who - until now - were outside of the scope of the local cultural institutions," says Péter Krasztev, director of the Cultural Institute of the Hungarian Republic in Bratislava, speaking about plans for 2013. The institute is already cooperating with a group of young people who run an alternative arts venue in an old army barracks, he adds. Kosice's city leaders appear to see the potential in the site and could transform it into a kind of culture park.
Kosice and the Hungarian city of Pécs, which will be the 2010 European Capital of Culture, will also form a partnership.
Photo: Wikipedia
