Tallinn – European Capital of Culture 2011

2010-08-19

This year Tallinn is the European Capital of Culture 2011.

In every culture there is a single thread, unique and characteristic of a particular people, town, nation or country, which forms the basis for stories, and upon which history is written and the future is planned. Telling stories will be the common thread running through all the cultural events of 2011. The stories of the Capital of Culture will tell about the seaside town of Tallinn and the seashore of Estonia.

The main theme of Tallinn 2011, "Stories of the Seashore", encapsulates Estonian history and Tallinn’s physical location next to the sea, which explains Estonia’s rich cultural diversity, contacts and conflicts. The larger theme is also organized into three smaller parts:

1) Stories of singing together;
2) Stories of the living old city;
3) Stories of dreams and surprises.

„Stories of singing together“ describe how we are all changing the world – through democracy, citizenship, community, freedom and traditions. In addition to the Song and Dance Festivals, music events include the Birgitta Festival and the youth subculture project, Afro Reggae.

„Stories of the living old city“ will tell the story of Tallinn as a city where time has never stopped. Every morning, the people – Estonians, Russians, Germans, Finns, ect. – gather here to write a new page in our city’s history. This can be witnessed in the Old Town’s drama festival, Tallinn Teater Treff, which unite representatives of world cultures and will breathe life into the heart of Tallinn’s culture. The „Stories of the living old city“ will also feature interpretive dance with architecture in „Open Spaces Living Art“ and „Tallinn’s Marathon.“

„Stories of Dreams and Surprises“ will speak of a city and country where the internet has been declared a “human right” and which saw what the media named the world’s first Cyberwar.

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