Documentation Centre on European Capitals of Culture

Programme

Working with the vision OPEN PORT the Stavanger2008 programme aims to build a legacy long into the future. The programme is designed to bring together local, regional and national artists with the most potent creative forces from elsewhere in the world to challenge and explore each other’s ideas, to build new competence, to create excellence and to encourage openness, curiosity and adventure.

Starting with our opening ceremony, in which performers from all 26 of Rogaland’s kommunes will take part, we are placing a strong emphasis on participation – on bringing people of all kinds together to share new experiences and to build collaborations for the future.

The programme for the Capital of Culture Year will be drawn from three main sources:

1) Main projects from the EU application

Several specific project proposals were developed as part of the bid to the European Union in 2004. Altogether, eleven main projects and nine additional projects were presented in the EU application, and the first of these have now started up.

2) Project proposals from the general public -"Open Call"

In May 2005, we actively approached the public and asked for project proposals. The response was overwhelming, with more than 700 project applications received. A total of 121 projects will be realised in some form or other in the programme. The projects which are chosen will be announced by and by as the agreements are set down and the contracts signed. See Our projects for an update.

3) The Capital of Culture's own projects and events

In addition to the opening ceremony on 8 December 2007 and the closing ceremony in 2008, the Capital of Culture will instigate a number of events on its own, both in 2008 and the preceding years. Last year's HOT/cold programme and the events during 2007's Year of The Voice are all examples of projects instigated by the Stavanger2008 organisation.

Artists in residency

Stavanger2008 has invited young and international groups of artists to not only present their projects in Stavanger, but in addition, to live in the town for four weeks as visiting artists in residence. The artists are world leaders in their respective fields of theatre, music and the opera, dance and mixed media.

The four groups in question today are Inbal Pinto from Israel, Oskaras Korsunovas Theatre Company from Lithuania, Muziektheater Transparant from Belgium and the Handspring Puppet Company from South Africa. The groups will present three productions each during their visit, one of which will be made especially for Stavanger2008.

The groups will use the Stavanger region as a cultural laboratory, working with several of the region's own artists and sharing their competence through workshops, master classes and cooperation, also with a view to establishing networks for future collaboration.