STA, 29 2020 - Various Slovenian cultural NGOs, institutions, festivals and artists are joining forces in a campaign called We are #Open (#odprti) for Culture, a joint platform aimed at raising awareness about the importance of culture. A series of events and action projects will highlight the role of creative endeavours in tackling current and future issues.
At today's press conference marking the launch of the campaign, Matevž Čelik Vidmar, the head of the Architecture and Design Museum (MAO), presented a study by the Centre for Creativity that stresses the role of culture in societal development as well as sustainable economy and dealing with the current burning issues.
"Culture and creative professions are those that could introduce new ideas into society and could be a laboratory for innovative concepts to find a way out of the crisis we are facing right now," he said.
Tibor Mihelič Syed, director of the Ljubljana SMG theatre, said that the joint project would in the long run strive to raise awareness about the role of the cultural, arts and creative ecosystem.
Apart from highlighting that cultural venues are reopening after the corona crisis, the campaign will also pursue long-term goals, such as creating a positive brand reminding the public that culture does not equal useless spending of public funds but is a set of positive values, said Tomaž Simetinger of the Slovenian Cultural Associations Union.
The first part of the campaign, #openstage (#odprtioder), will include some 100 free-of-charge events, taking place during the Slovenian Cinematheque summer open-air cinema between 1 July and 31 August. Museums are joining the action with extended opening times during summer and special events.
The programme, available on odprti.si web page [ed. at the time of writing the webpage was up, but there was no programme – you can follow #odprtioder on Twitter here, and the more general #odprti here], will feature various genres and strive to attract people who were not interested in such events prior to the corona crisis, said Uroš Korenčan, the head of the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre.
The efforts will strive to make a positive change not only in Ljubljana, but also in other Slovenian cities and towns, including Koper, Murska Sobota, Novo Mesto, Nova Gorica, Kranj and Celje. The campaign will try to actively involve other cities as well, leaving no one behind, said Inga Remeta, the head of the Asociacija NGO.
