Inaugural Concert of the I, CULTURE Orchestra in Gdańsk, August 24th, 2011, with conductor Paweł Kotla. Photo by: Łukasz Unterschuetz
The youth orchestra of musicians from all over the former eastern bloc continues to prove culture's role in bringing on social change
The first edition of Eastern Partnership Days aims to trigger a broader discussion on the cultural dimension of political partnerships. The event explores how the language of culture can impact political, economic and social reform in Eastern Europe and Southern Caucasus, while bringing these regions closer to the European Union and a shared cultural heritage.
Over two days, roundtable events, discussions and concerts bring artists, policy makers and scholars together to discuss relevant issues, such as "Belarus and Europe: culture without borders" and "Orchestras of the Future – Societies of the Future: How can 21st century youth orchestras contribute to positive cultural and social changes?" The latter event features the I, CULTURE Orchestra project, conceived by the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute in 2011 as a key initiative of the cultural programme of the Polish EU Presidency.
The orchestra performs a chamber concert on the second day of the Eastern Partnership Days, which take place between the 26th - 27th of November 2012. The event is organised by: the East Poland House in Brussels, the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
The I, CULTURE Orchestra follows the example of such renowned ensembles as the European Union Youth Orchestra and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Its members are young people from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and other European countries to the east of European Union, among them Moldavia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. The project aims to bring on permanent change in the approach towards orchestra education in the participating countries and leave a strong impression on the musical map of Europe for future generations.
For more information, see: www.orchestra.iam.pl/brussels2012/conference
Editor: Agnieszka Le Nart
Source: Press information