There are exactly 100 days left until the moment when Novi Sad will officially be the European Capital of Culture. After moving the title year from 2021 to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic, as the only European Capital of Culture that was moved for just one year, while the other cities moved for two, Serbian Athens is now in the last phase of preparations.
While waiting for the title that belongs to all citizens of Novi Sad, Sara Vuletić, programme director of the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ project, together with team and associates of the Foundation have set a counter that will show every day how much is left until the year in which the city will take one of the most prestigious European titles in the city centre, one of the five cultural centres in the process of reconstruction within the European Capital of Culture project. It is planned that local artists, organizations and institutions join this action.
Until the end of the year, the events planned within the eight programme arches, which make up the programme concept in 2022, guided by the ‘4 New Bridges’ slogan, will be presented across the city.
As previously announced, Novi Sad will present itself as the European Capital of Culture in 2022 with more than 1,500 cultural events and 4,000 local, national and international artists within eight programme arches. Out of that, more than 1,700 European and world artists from over 45 countries will tell the story of Serbian Athens, through the vision of common European values, yet challenges.
The opening ceremony of the title year, i.e. a play that emphasizes the fusion of science and culture, looking back with pride on the great Serbian scientists, will be held on 13 January 2022 within Doček 7530, and the end of the year, 31 December, will mark the closing of the title year, also symbolically scheduled within Doček 2023.
In this last phase of preparation, Novi Sad is sending the last report to the European Commission, pretending to be the winner of the prestigious ‘Melina Mercouri Prize’, which the European Commission awards based on the success of the project. We remind you that after the previous report, which was sent in 2019, the European Commission assessed Novi Sad as one of the best European Capitals of Culture in that phase of preparations.
Photo: Vladimir Veličković
