[See image gallery at www.kosice2013.sk]

[See image gallery at www.kosice2013.sk]

[See image gallery at www.kosice2013.sk]

[See image gallery at www.kosice2013.sk]

foto: Michal Bober

The goal of the founders is to popularize scientific disciplines and technical schools among young people in a creative form. A unique exhibition, intended for children aged seven and over, includes over 50 exhibits on three floors with a total exhibition area of 800 m2. In the factory environment, the visitors will not only learn the “steel story”, but they can also experience a number of physical processes, including mining raw materials in an interactive sand-pit, using a geological drill, walking on a footbridge in magnetic shoes, separating scrap metal by controlling an electromagnetic crane, or climbing a vertical pole with the use of their own strength. They can enjoy robotic football, speaking handles, a 3D cinema, and a lot of other original exhibits stimulating creativity and deepening knowledge, as well as responsibility for their own safety and protection of the environment.

The symbolic key to the creative factory was handed over to the City Mayor Richard Raši by the President of the Company George F. Babcoke, who said on this occasion: “The steel story can only take place in a city whose identity is linked with the manufacture of steel products. Today, the Steel Park is ready for life as a developing organism whose future form will be based on how Košice citizens respond to this story. The Steel Park is a display-window of the creativity and ability of people from Košice. It will never be completed, since there will always be something to add, because there will always be something we do not know today which will be invented in the arts and in technology in the future.” The hand-over of the exhibition to the City of Košice took place in the presence of the Vice Chairman of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, the Chief Executive of the Košice Self-Governing Region Zdenko Trebuľa, and representatives of the academic institutions and the European Capital of Culture.

The creative factory called Steel Park in the premises of Kasárne/Kulturpark on Kukučínova Street in Košice is open to the public every day from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., although schools and other larger groups can also arrange a visit between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The admission of children aged below 15 years is only possible when they are accompanied by an adult person. Current information is available at www.steelpark.sk.

Three days long meeting is mainly focused on people of from 15 to 30. There will be 12 organizations offering opportunities and programs to work and study across EU. Among those there institutions such as Slovak Youth institute, Ministry of Education, Research, Science and Sport, Thematic Youth Centre, Kosice, Europe Direct Kosice, EURES – The European Job Mobility Portal, Eurodesk Slovakia, SAIA – Slovak Academic Information Agency, ESN- Erasmus Student Network, Directorate- General of Interpretation, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Alliance Française, SAAIC – Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation.

 „Erodesk is European information network and its main goal is to provide information and advises that concerns young people a all those, who work with them. During the event, all the visitors will have the chance to talk with foreign voluntaries that came and work in Slovakia about possibilities of European voluntary service,“ Izabela Széplaki from Košice Erodesk office explained.

This is also why SAAIC – Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation became one of the organisations, that are active in the event. Its chief of executive Katarína Košťálová said, that association is dealing with the study and research international programs for students, university teachers and researchers for more than 23 years and therefore aims of EC initiative Youth on the move are vital part of their everyday work. „Our aim is to provide to the widest number of people interested in educational and research opportunities in abroad as well as in Slovakia with all available information. We also in many individual cases provide together with Ministry of education financial support for such stayings,“ said K. Košťálová.

Apart from exhibitors’ visitors may look forward to discussions with vice president of the European Commission Mr. Maroš Ševčovič, Mr. Jan Truszczynski Directorate General for Education, Training and Youth of the European Commission or Samuel Abraham and Katarína Brychtová- European Year of Citizens 2013’ Ambassadors in Slovakia.

Initiative Youth on the move took place for the first time in 2010, since then it visited more than 60 European cities. It came to Slovakia in the past, organizers prepared the event at known musical festival Pohoda in Trenčín in previous year.

Initiative of EU‘s Youth on the move is connected with the programs focused on fields of education and employment of young people in Europe. It is part of EU’s to enhance skills and employment in Europe.

Around a hundred artists from ten countries and three continents will produce unique installations in a record 41 stations in the city centre. The dramaturge and curator of White Night, Zuzana Pacáková, has “mixed” a colourful programme consisting of 16 genres of music and fine arts. There will also be creative workshops for children and for the first time, apart from visual arts, visitors can look forward to concerts. The Barracks/Culture Park will entertain ambient house music enthusiasts with the British group, The Orb, and those who wish to have fun until morning can go to an Afterparty with 14 DJs.

“As always, all artistic installations can be seen free of charge. Tickets will only apply to musical events. Simply, some events can’t take place without an entrance fee being charged. A ticket for The Orb will cost €5, the Afterparty €3, but those who buy a ticket to see The Orb will have free entry to the Afterparty. A new event will also be a silent disco, a party with headphones. People can try this from 7.00pm to 23.00pm in Aupark and from midnight at an ‘afterparty’ in the Barracks/Culture Park,” said Z. Pacáková. As she emphasised, the entrance fee will contribute towards preparations for White Night in 2014.

“New this year will be engaging the public to ensure that an event in this format will remain in Košice and still attract world quality art and remain free of charge. In cooperation with the Košice – Tourism organisation, we have established the White Night Civic Association and we have also organised a public collection. The motto of the campaign is A Dot for White Night, since each visitor will receive an illuminated dot when they make a voluntary contribution. People will therefore become patrons of this event and will show that they are willing to support quality art in this form,” she added.

The collection will start during White Night and the illuminated dots will be available at the seven infopoints marked on the map, as well as from volunteers with special collection boxes who will move around the route. However, it will also be possible to support White Night until September 2014 via a special account, and the public will be able to continuously monitor and check the balance. “I would like to publicly thank the main partners who have supported us to date – The French Institute in Slovakia/Institut Français de Slovaquie, Alliance-Française in Košice, Košice Self-Governing Region, VSE/RWE Group and EU Japan Fest,” reminded Z. Pacáková.

Several personalities and guests who do not miss White Night include the General Director and Chairman of Východoslovenská Energetika a. s. (East Slovakia Energy Company), Thomas Jan Hejcman. “The VSE/RWE Group has been lighting up Košice night for more than 80 years. Therefore, of course, we are also a proud partner in this unique project for the second time. I believe that White Night, as a mega-successful project, also means a new light of hope for blossoming culture in Košice and the whole of Eastern Slovakia,” said the spokesperson for Východoslovenská Energetika a. s., Andrea Danihelová.

According to Z. Pacáková, due to their diversity, all the installations deserve the attention of visitors and she therefore concentrated them into one “line”.  “It starts next to the Tabačka Kulturfabrik and finishes in the Barracks on Kukučínova St. A small diversion is the City Park where, after a year’s break, we have returned with an interesting water-light installation called Drops by the Košice studio, ShowMedia, and Košice native Braňo Bernár. It has been created thanks to support from the VSE/RWE Group and I strongly recommend that you visit since it ranks amongst the top pieces this year,” she said.

Amongst around a hundred artists who will breathe life into the city night will be six artists from France and, for the first time, artists from Australia and Japan. Unique works will also be introduced by artists from England, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and Spain. “I’m extremely happy that for the third time we’ll have the opportunity to adore the fragile art of the French Elise Morin, who will present monumental site specific installations called Golden Age and Ex-Vivo. They are made of 22,000 metres of gold thread, specially woven for us in Lyon,” said Z. Pacáková, who emphasised the fact that this artist preferred White Night in Košice over Paris. “For me, it is a great honour which doesn’t happen often,” she confessed.

The appreciation for Pacáková’s efforts in bringing contemporary art to the city, which was unknown to the city just a few years ago, is also the participation of James Tapscott, the young Australian from Melbourne. He waived his considerable fee for the chance to come to Košice. “For James, this is his first visit to Slovakia and, since last week, he has been creating a site specific light installation in the Barracks/Culture Park, made of optical cables and called Transference Field,” informed the Curator. “A holographic object called Mol by the renowned Japanese artist, Ryoichi Kurokawa, one is one of the top contemporary artists, will be presented in Košice for the first time. It is a piece which is technologically and financial very demanding and we are able to present it thanks to the support of EU Japan Fest,” she explained.

Popular 3D mapping in an innovative form will be introduced in Košice by Italian Luca Pulvirenti, a Professor of New Media from Sicily. He called his work Landmarks of Memory and Signs and will present it on the rear façade of the historic State Theatre. Another untraditional piece will be the interactive, illuminated wall, Water Light Graffiti by French artist, Antonin Fourneau. Visitors can try the very popular interactive painting with water, which triggers light points.

“Thanks to this project, anyone can create graffiti on a wall using LED diodes with a simple environmentally friendly sprayer. Using water which has no shape or colour to create a painting using light is a magical experience regardless of a visitor’s age or artistic perception,” explained Z. Pacáková.

Equally, for the first time since installations were created for White Night, the public will be involved via so-called participatory works, created by people in conjunction with the artist, Mademoiselle Maurice. She is preparing an installation for which she needs over 30,000 pieces of origami and this work will be situated on the wall of the Executioner’s House next to Mikluš Prison. These pieces of origami are currently being produced by clients of social services care homes and students from schools around the Košice Self-Governing Region as well as the wide public, including city management with the Mayor of Košice, Richard Raši.

Around 40,000 people left the warmth of their home and despite the sleet, they came to support their city which quite rightly obtained the prestige title of ECOC 2013. Just before the start, the shivering crowd was warmed up by the phenomenal performance by the magical Japanese drummer, Ichitara, with his traditional drums, and the multi-instrumentalist, Stroon. The artists from France also performed directly in the street. And then it all started! In a staged block representing a pulsing industrial impression of a city, Košice drummers, dancers, performers and parkourists from the Czech Republic and Slovakia performed under the direction of Róbert Nižník and Vít Halška. The fact that easterners also like rap was proven by rappers Projekt from Košice, who created a unique song about their city. This was its world premiere at this opening ceremony.

Greetings from space

After the first musical numbers, the Mayor of the city, Richard Raši, came to the stage: “I welcome you, people of Košice, I welcome you to the European Capital of Culture. I believe that you are ready to start our Planet Košice.” He then illuminated the symbol of the evening. A strong beam of light illuminated the Košice cultural crew: “We are waiting for our last instructions before the start. We obtained this award since there is great human, social and cultural potential here. We represent not only the whole city, but also Slovakia and the whole of Europe. Let Košice become the most progressive city in Slovakia. Long live Košice. Thanks for permission to start.” European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou didn’t hide her excitement about the city and wished the people of Košice all the best and sent a message to the European Parliament: “Don’t you dare reduce the budget for culture! Culture is particularly necessary in times of crisis. Let everybody know that we love culture.” The biggest surprise for everybody present was given by the astronauts. There was a greeting sent to the European Capital of Culture directly from space from the ISS.

The programme proceeded with fantastic performances and untraditional co-operations. Lovers of classical music were delighted by our opera singer, Michaela Várady followed by The Cubes, Stanica Projekt, Jean Valjean Orchestra, Under Kontrol, Chiki Liki tu-a and the Peter Bič Project. The programme also included folklore performed by Derevjanky and Šarišská Nátierka ensembles. Just before the start of the Košice Cultural Satellite, we would hear the ECOC hymn – Tribute to the City performed by Marián Čekovský, Nataša Džunková, Katka Knechtová, Lukáš Adamec and children’s choirs Pro Musica and Magnólia.

The countdown then started, enhanced by a spectacular light theatre and laser effects on the historic buildings. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – start! The Košice Cultural Satellite is already on its mission, accompanied by a pyro-musical show – fireworks so far unseen in Košice!

Košice has officially become the European Capital of Culture – Good luck!