News Festival Lent 2017 http://lent2017.slovenija.net/ News Festival Lent 2017en News Festival Lent 2017 http://lent2017.slovenija.net/fileadmin/templates/site-new/images/Festival-Lent_2015_white.png http://lent2017.slovenija.net/ 426342News Festival Lent 2017TYPO3 - get.content.righthttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssMon, 20 Jun 2016 19:37:00 +0200 MAIN STAGE – the stars of the festival sky http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1095&cHash=16dcb7b689a6fe4eeb8a67921b466059 The central festival venue moved to the centre, to the living room of the city, to Leon Štukelj...Opera ... The first on the list will be the timeless opera Turandot by Puccini , which is one of his most popular works. The opera is one of the hits of this year’s repertoire of SNG Maribor , and will be opening the Lent festival in the open-air auditorium , lightning up the streets and squares with its luxurious scenography and moving arias.
In case of bad weather, the opera will be staged on Saturday, June 25th . 

... and ballet under the stars

On Sunday evening Leon Štukelj square will put on the mystical story from the northern countries. With music by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and based on the theatre play by Henrik Ibsen Peer Gynt will come to life through the ballet ensemble of SNG Maribor .. 
In case of bad weather, the ballet performance will be staged on Monday, June 27th . 
Peer Gynt (Photo: T. Marta)

Đorđe Balašević

Đorđe Balašević , the Balkan Bob Dylan, is returning to Lent. Everyone who managed to see him live despite the always sold-out shows, knows, that Đorđe’s immortal ballads are a feast for the ears as well as his stories, full of Balkan humour are a treat for the soul. The tireless poet, musician, humourist, commentator and extraordinary storyteller combines space and time into a dimension, surpassing borders and generations. Come and see him on June 29th!  
Đorđe Balašević

A musical, full of humour and linguistic nonsense  

On June 30th the main stage will be hosting the English Student Theatre from II. gimnazija Maribor, who have been filling up the halls with their curious Alice in wonderland . It’s a musical full of humour, linguistic nonsense and word plays, inventively packed into amazing costumes and intertwined with rock classics by The Doors, The Beatles and Queen …
Alice in wonderland

Concert with courage and boldness

After three years, the bold singers of  Triestine Partisan choir Pinko Tomažič  are returning to Lent, this time together with the  Women's choir Kombinat .  On July 1st  the evening will be dedicated to courage, solidarity, comradeship and reminiscence, hope and bravery.  
Triestine Partisan Choir Pinko Tomažič, Lent Festival 2013

The colours of the world

The international folklore festival Folkart  is not only the biggest Slovenian festival of this kind, but also one of the most visible and valued festivals in the folklore world – and this year the two main events will be taking place on the  Main stage on Leon Štukelj square. This years spectrum of performing groups is very broad – from South America, Europe, all the way to Asia. The cold distant Finland will be heated up by passionate Argentina. The former joint homeland will be represented by the ever excellent Serbians, and the Asian part of the world will be presented by mystic Kazakhstan. The beauty of the Pacific world will be personified by the members of the group from Fiji, who will be competing with the hot rhythms of Costa Rica. The festive opening  will take place on  Tuesday, June 28th  on  Leon Štukelj square , where all the visiting groups will present themselves to the audience.  On Thursday, June 30th, there will be  a lot of folklore events in the whole city ; in the morning on Grajski trg square, in the afternoon in Marprom arena, in the evening at the Drava river on Lent, next to the Jurček stage, and later on Glavni and Grajski trg square. Saturday, July 2nd,  will be very cheerful, loud and colourful. The performances on Grajski trg square in the morning, the parade through the city to Europark, will be followed by the  festive closing ceremony on Trg Leona Štuklja square , where the groups from Argentina, Fiji, Finland, Kazakhstan, Costa Rica, Serbia and Slovenia will be performing their last two best dances for the audience. 
Folkart 2016: FijiThe folklore week will be closed by  magnificent fireworks !]]>News Mon, 20 Jun 2016 19:37:00 +0200 JUDGEMENT TOWER – exquisite, charming, boutique-like! http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1091&cHash=c6cd4f361587f49ee5d857489e8a06df Is Judgmenet tower the smallest venue of Festival Lent with the biggest charm? That’s hard to say,... program is very exquisite and is fitting the protected building like a glove. It’s about music and stories, intended for heightened ears and senses – ethno, jazz, tango, flamenco and klezmer. It doesn’t matter if it’s instrumental or vocal music ensembles – in Judgement tower we respect and nurture the diversity of genres, expressions and origins. As an introduction to the festival, we welcome Slepa küra, who are describing themselves as intertwined and fragmented funk tradition, a walk through the Silicon valley of rock, a martial arts lesson for the wind player, a music set for relaxation and relief for the modern everyman, cuddling at sunset, a travel ration for a calm navigation through the rapids of life, in the spirit and body of time. Let’s see which one of these they will make come true.  Quintet Piazzoleky Following them is the famous (infamous?) Piazzolleky, a quintet from all corners of Slovenia. They express sensuality and erotica, silence, sadness and brutality in such a strong way as it is only possible to do with tango.  On Monday Marko Brdnik and Uroš Rakovec will be on stage virtuosically taming the sound of two well-known instruments, the accordion and guitar. It will be getting wild on the next evening. Wild Strings Trio will provide an energetic music journey, combining Balkan and Celtic tradition, full of epic orchestral sound, intertwined with improvisation. On Thursday, we will welcome tradition in modern makeover by Vito Marence Flamenco Group. This kind of music is the reflection of everlasting development. Look forward to a night of flamenco music with elements of classical, jazz, Latin, American, Indian and Arabian music. On Friday we’re looking forward to Čedahuči. There were a lot of rumours going around about them and their diverse Slovenian music and true energy which has been taking different forms from concert to concert. They are an interlacement of music, poetry, graphic and video art. In a very short time they developed their distinctive sound, and they always manage to engage their audience. We are sure, that this will be no different with the open-minded audience in Maribor.
Marko Brdnik in Uroš Rakovec And on the last, the sweetest day of the festival? We call her „sensual magician of voices, and her range spans from urban pop to sung poetry and chanson– Katja Šulc! The charismatic singer dedicated her new album Kamlisajlan' to Romany poetry from the Balkan and Eastern Europe. This will be a musical treat of the night, for sure!
Katja Šulc But ... what’s a festival without surprises, without highlights? There will be two „secret“ concerts waiting for you after midnight, when The Neighbours and Klezocustic's will step on stage. When? Check our program! Kdaj? You will need a Lenta to enter Judgement tower (20 € early-bird price until June 19th, and  25 € after this date). Vinoteka Vodni stolp will take care of exquisite wines and your well-being.]]> News Sun, 12 Jun 2016 15:11:00 +0200 SLADOLENT – street food festival http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1083&cHash=4c90c9ed4b0e83c757f327dfc6bb6539 When top chefs visit Maribor, it is always a reason to celebrate. But when there are 27 of them... The 6th Sladolent will bring the most famous names of the Slovenian cuisine to the biggest street food promenade between June 24th and July 2nd and offer its visitors more than 60 original street food creations in the company of Slovenian high quality wines.   ”Maribor is alive! And there is a lot happening from KGB to SladoLent. SladoLent brings names such as Janez Bratovž, Damjan Fink, Tomaž Kavčič, Marko Pavčnik and many others and this is very special. And they make street food, they don’t cook in an elite restaurant. You have to put a lot of effort, knowledge, and skills in these small dishes to present your creativity and imagination. And this is happening in the middle of Maribor, in front of a crowd, who likes to come to Lent and taste and enjoy. This is rock’n’roll..” David Vračko (Večer, January 18th 16) For a long time now, street food hasn’t been just a craze or a made-up obscure thing. It has become an independent culinary branch with its own trends, rules and techniques. A way of expression that cannot be caught in big, heavy plates in pompous restaurants. It keeps changing and developing. It’s that kind of joy which you don’t need do dress up for or book a table, all you need is just a hint of curiosity and a hunger for the good. Street food has become an art form where the best chefs can polish their creativity.   SladoLent, too, has managed to become a recognisable part of the Lent Festival, it is the promenade of Slovenian cuisine where the best Slovenian male and female chefs come and show their skills. In the end, the winners are always the visitors who evaluate their creations and enjoy the selected wines. So it’s no surprise that there are many people milling between the stands even before the opening, eagerly waiting for the evening treats. And this is why we will offer them what they want and expect – three top chefs will be serving them each at least two original creations every evening, and renowned Slovenian wine growers will provide the best wines to go with them. But, of course, we will introduce a novelty this year: we will take care of the music selection, and every evening will get its own in order to give it a very special hint.   Wednesday evening will be something extraordinary. Chef Ana Roš (Hiša Franko) is returning to SladoLent after a few years of absence, and will be joined by two promising talents: Luka Košir (Gostišče Grič) and Borut Jovan (Galerija okusov). Together they will provide a masterful fusion of traditional Slovenian cuisine with the newest international trends and techniques.  Since we’re hosting the most successful Slovenian female chef, we shall not forget about the male ones. Therefore Thursday evening will be dedicated to Tomaž Kavčič (Gostilna pri Lojzetu), who is introducing Slovenian cuisine around the world, and to Jure Tomič (Ošterija Debeluh), who is introducing international cuisine in Slovenia, as well as to Gašper Čarman (Gostilna pri Danilu), who is reminding us with his dishes that Slovenian cuisine can reach world class. A whole week of culinary adventures demands a proper closing, this is why the last two days of this year’s SladoLent will be full of sweet surprises. On Friday evening, Damjan Fink (Gostilna Na gradu) will be filling the air with tempting smells, and he will be in the company of Lena Klinar and Primož Gregorčič (Domačija Gora pod lipo). We even managed to get Ivan Kastelic (Dnevni bar Pr’Mrtinet) away from his praised oven for a day – he will transform his rich experience with oven dishes into tasty street treats. As always, the end of the festival will be celebrated with fireworks, a lot of good music and the last three top chefs. The tasty closing will be provided by Boštjan Pavli (Harfa), Kristjan Anderlič (Sedem) and Mišo Krojsl (Rožmarin), and when the ovens and stoves will be turned off for the last time, we will be treated with selected wines from renowned Slovenian wine makers.  The cooking show at Lent in three professionally equipped Electrolux kitchens – Electrolux is the main sponsor of SladoLent – will start everyday at 7 pm and last till midnight. The price for each dish is 3,50 Euros, and they will be served in non-refundable boxes made by DS Smith.]]> News Tue, 07 Jun 2016 08:42:00 +0200 KHOROSKI - a fiery introduction http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1080&cHash=a8797476c1aebda2f33788c350a55d7b All-evening concert as an introduction to the festival events with the Belarusian National Dance... the amazing all-evening concert of the Belarusian dance ensemble Khoroshki. We are looking forward to an evening of folklore aesthetics, fiery dance energy and pure life joy, which is woven from wonderful stories of the Belarusian cultural heritage.   The ensemble was founded in 1970. Its members are real masters, and professional ballet dancers. Thanks to renowned choreographer Valentina Gajeva, the repertoire of the group is very broad: from the renaissance, aristocratic parties, bourgeois times and national rituals. The turbulent history and tradition of the Belarusian nation has been going its very unique path, and their music is full of cheerful sounds, and their dances are pure joy. In its 46 years of existence, Khoroshki has been traveling all around the world, enchanting audience in more than 40 countries. With their precise coordination, dynamics, acrobatics and rich costumes, they are a real eye and ear candy.   With the typical openness and warmth of their country they will take care of an unforgettable evening!  Tickets Ticket holders of the Symphonic, the Orchestral, and Chamber concert series of the Concert office of Narodni dom Maribor for the season 2015/ and Lenta holders can pick up their free tickets at the box office of SNG Maribor during the opening hours. The seating for this concert is free. Secure your seat in time! Organisers: Narodni dom Maribor and SNG Maribor]]> News Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:35:00 +0200 EARLY BIRD & discounts! http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1075&cHash=2fc68fed94c4e58aa99625651d60b26c On May 18th we are starting with the presale of the tickets for the highlights of the festival and,... Lenta festival ticket! This still remains the cheapest way to see the big selection of events, but it also holds other discounts and invitations. The price for Lenta stays the same, 20 € during the presales period (from May 18th until June 19th) and 25 € afterwards; students and pupils can get their Lentas even cheaper: for 10 € during the presales period and 15 € afterwards. Your Lenta provides you:

- a card for the access to the venues,
- a handy pamphlet with the whole festival program,
- discount for the festival highlights meaning the events with individual tickets,  and besides all this Lenta is offering you a lot of other possibilities, discounts, and free services: - free ticket for the concert of the Belorussian national Orchestra Khoroshki in SNG Maribor on June 22th 2016,
- free bus service on all city lines in Maribor between June 6th and July 2nd,
- free entry v Regional Museum Maribor, UGM art gallery Maribor and the National Liberation Museum between June 24th and July 2nd,
- and 50 % discount on the entrance to the pools at Mariborski otok until July 3rd. 
Opera under the stars: Turandot (photo: T. Marta)  Lenta is valid for all 9 days and can get you to 75 concerts (Večer stage, Mladina stage,  Judgement tower, Music artists's salon, Salon of applied arts, Trg Leona Štuklja square), 1 musical, 2 folklore evenings (SNG Maribor on June 22nd, and Trg Leona Štuklja square on June 28th), 9 stand-up comedy evenings (Vetrinjski dvor mansion), and 6 after-parties at Minoriti. As long as the capacities allow it, of course. For programs and events (Comedy, JazzLent, Opera and ballet under the stars, the closing ceremony of Folkart, concert on the Trg Leona Štuklja square …) where there is an additional fee charged due to of quality, great interest and limited space, the tickets can also be bought separately, but Lenta holders will get a special discount in comparison with the regular price for individual tickets. 
John Scofield & Brad Mehldau & Mark Giuliana  And Lenta is the ticket that will assure you individual tickets with a discount for the selected, top festival events: - Opera under the stars: Turandot on Trg Leona Štuklja square,
- Ballet under the stars: Peer Gynt on Trg Leona Štuklja square,
- Đorđe Balašević on Trg Leona Štuklja square,
- 6 concerts on Zavarovalnica Maribor stage - Minoriti,
- closing ceremony of the 28th Folkart on Trg Leona Štuklja square,
- 3 comedies on Zavarovalnica Maribor stage - Minoriti.
Folkart 2016: Fiji]]> News Emphasis Wed, 18 May 2016 11:00:00 +0200 Festival PROGRAM 2016 http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1073&cHash=d17dd70067d8eef61295722868957575 We’re publishing the program of this year’s festival. You can also already get your Lentas and... Festival Lent Program 2016 - timetable (.pdf) - May 18th 2016. Some of the programs, mainly the street theatre and Living courtyards, are still in preparation, and will be published later here and on the Facebook page of the festival. You can get your festival tickets and tickets for selected festival events at the presale rate from May 18th until June 19th, and you will also receive the numerous discounts the festival is providing for you this year. Follow us & and see you on Lent!]]> News Emphasis Wed, 18 May 2016 10:33:00 +0200 LIVING CITY - feeling good in the city http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1067&cHash=354c50994a6be4867b879a29128f6da4 People are the city. Not the buildings, the streets or facades. People. And the city only comes... revive the streets and squares of the city. The feedback was so positive, that we will keep supporting this development this year as well: the activities will take place from the market place along the Koroška street, on some courtyards and streets leading to Lent, across the Main square and along the Gosposka, Gregorčičeva and Maistrova street to the city park. You should not miss two self-initiative actions: the inhabitants Gregorčičeva and Maistrova street are preparing a special community program Gregorčič-ing and Maister-ing on their streets and in their courtyards. The program will open the usually closed doors, and enable you to spend time with neighbours, friends, and random people living in Maribor. And of course – again, we will shut down Koroška street for one day and try to create a community promenade, a playground and stage and free it from cars, and show what potentials lie in this medieval street. The community program of the agents of Koroška street, music, workshops, exhibitions, sports events, dance events, workshop of the Centre for graphic art, food and drinks, and the little flea market will be encouraging the inhabitants and visitors of the city to take a walk on this rather busy street and feel that true, chilled throb of the city.   Gosposka street will be inviting fine Ladies in their most fabulous dresses and handsome Gentlemen in their best outfits to the Dance tasting, so we will not just get to know each other through screens. When you will start to feel dizzy from dancing, you will be able to treat yourself with homemade delicacies, see an exhibition in the courtyards or take part in the open debates of Discourse in the courtyard. 
Koroška Street Live at Festival Lent 2015 What is new this year? We want to bring back the original characteristics of Living courtyards which are the source of our work: intimacy, cooperation and the love to explore.   Therefore we are preparing Secret treasures in Rajzefiber Biro, that will invite you to discover the secret paths in the city, the forgotten corners and award you with a special experience on the found courtyard. Since there are never enough treasures, the number of the participants is limited – we advise you to book in advance! And there is another thing we are proud of: while strolling around in Graz we got to know the creators of Lendwirbel Festival, who will bring their creativity to the Lent Festival and give our program a special international spirit.
Ladies and gentlemen, let's go to Gosposka Street! at Festival Lent 2015 The program Living courtyards is deliberately a long process in close cooperation with all agents in the city: the inhabitants, the salespeople, caterers, the young and old, organisations and individuals on the Gosposka, Maistrova, Gregorčičeva and Koroška street. Therefore the program is full of surprises, very spontaneous by nature and very open-minded. At the same time it calls out to all participants and visitors to treat each other with respect and be eco-conscious towards the city. Join us, be nosy, be alive and lively! You will discover the secret treasures of Maribor, the world capital of Lenting, and, at the same time, co-create the happenings! The team of Hiše!, association for people and spaces Producer of the Living city program is Hiša!, društvo za ljudi in prostore; we plan and design it in Rajzefiber biro, Gosposka ulica 11. Visit us! (LOGO) The co-producer of the program is Narodni dom Maribor. ]]> News Fri, 13 May 2016 06:25:00 +0200 JAZZ LENT – much more than just jazz http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1065&cHash=6fa6e83ee1bcedd3dfc233acf72f3335 For years Jazz Lent has been proving that jazz is not just a name for a music genre but also a word... Jazz Lent will be Slovenian premieres, and there is also one European premiere among them. The program will start with the main act of the Jazz Podium, guitarist Samo Šalamon from Maribor who will be taking over the stage with not less than twenty-six guitarists, three bass players, two drummers, and two special guests on the saxophones: Achille Succi and Vasko Atanasovski.
Samo Šalamon On Tuesday (June 28th 2016) we will be the first ones in Slovenia to introduce the young ensemble from London, the rising star The Ephemerals. In their soul they are carrying real »soul«, which Amy Winehouse had before she left us. When you will hear the songs "You'll never see me cry," "You Made Us Change," or "Life Is Good", the “repeat” button will become your best friends, and a red bulb and disco ball your mandatory companions on your dancing journey through the night. They are known for their excellent arrangements, straight-forward and engaged lyrics as well as their vintage dance rhythms. 
The Ephemerals The spectacular 10-member collective from São Paolo with the name Bixiga 70 will be performing on June 29th. It combines afrobeat and Brazilian percussion tradition, some Caribbean additions, Guinean malinké, Brazilian candomblé, samba and cumbia – and voilà, here is your magic potion of such an explosiveness that even Ronaldo and Ronaldinho seem slow as snails! Their sharp wind and brass section is 100 % synchronised with their percussionists and drummers and is one of the most striking ensembles of this year’s summer festival harvest, since it will perform at festivals like Glastonbury, in Scala in London, in Korzo theatre in Haag and elsewhere.
Bixiga 70 The first European performance of the trio John Scofield, Brad Mehldau and Mark Giuliana ever will take place on Thursday, June 30th, at Lent Festival. Pianist Brad Mehldau received the award for best pianist chosen by the readers of Downbeat in the years 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2012, from December 2014 up until today he was nominated for five Grammys. For sure jazz, funk and fusion legend John Scofield does not need to be introduce after almost 50 own albums and more than 200 albums with his guest appearance – maybe we should just mention, that he received a Grammy for best instrumental jazz album for Past Present this year. And Mark Giuliana? A unique drummer known for his electronic sound of acoustic drums who essentially characterised David Bowie’s unfortunately last album Blackstar. What will duo Mehliana get cooking for us once it joins forces with one of the most influential guitarists of all times? Let’s hear!
John Scofield, Brad Mehldau, Mark Giuliana After the performances of Ebo Taylor, Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela in the past years, there will be another veteran of African music joining us for this year’s festival edition: Orlando Julius, who, with his more than fifty-year-long career, is one of the most important living monuments of African popular music. He will be introducing the brilliant psychedelic jazz ensemble The Heliocentrics from London that has recorded Julius’ new album Jaiyede Afro with him. On the album there’s Julius’ most known hit »Jagua Nana«, which made him famous in Nigeria in 1966, and also the song »Ijo soul,« that sounds strangely similar to the hit of James Brown’s "I Got You (I Feel Good)" – maybe you’re wondering where the similarity comes from, which song was recorded earlier, and who stole from whom? Let this be your task to find out until the concert of one of the greatest living legends of African music.
Orlando Julius And the grand finale of the last festival evening? How often do you consider the advice of a friend who’s telling you: “You really shouldn’t miss this concert!” This would be the concert he is talking about: the performance of world-blues stampede Hazmat Modine is a real sensation at all festivals in Europe and more than a good reason to consider your friend’s advice. Imagine Tom Waits and Goran Bregović breaking into a brothel in the 1920s and starting to play gipsy blues on a harmonica while music from Mali and Siberia, and sometimes reggae and dub are playing on the radio. You are somehow close to the phenomenal music we are talking about. Is there anything better than conclude the festival with twisted world-blues? We can only say: Extra-Deluxe-Supreme party on the last day of Lent Festival!
Hazmat Modine]]> News Thu, 12 May 2016 09:00:00 +0200 ART CAMP – the creative buzz! http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1069&cHash=730be7e4ddb27c54275f3207c4b84599 Art camp, the festival of creativity for families and children of all ages has found its way to the... revives the city park with its educational, cultural, and exploratory activities, turns it into a lively living room, and churns the imagination of children and adults. The creators have set themselves a hard goal to revive the park in a way that would not harm it, and at the same time offer a good cultural and educational program which the visitors actively participate, create and co-create in. The program is meant for all types of families and children of all ages, seniors, the disabled, and marginalized; it is put together by local creative people, and hosts many renowned creative individuals from different art genres. What’s new this year? The concept stays the same, but the program is richer. There are some changes regarding the venues. They will be set up closer to the promenade and will reduce the environmental impact. In this way Art Camp will stretch the promenade, and the biggest challenges will be the revival of the abandoned and decaying swimming pools. There you will find the Reading beach that will be, besides a lot of good literature, presenting publishing houses and authors who we like to read. Nearby there will be the Culture beat where you will be able to get to know your country, the world and yourself. Urška Košica, producer of Art Camp: "I wish people would be more aware that the park is the city’s living room, that they would keep it clean, and take care of the plants. I wish the visitors would be aware about how much enthusiasm and voluntary work is needed to keep Art Camp free of charge for everyone. All the materials are donated by conscious companies, we set up and maintain the equipment ourselves … there’s a lot of physical work before the opening, and we do a lot of tiring work before everything even starts. It is too much taken for granted that this is a part of Lent Festival, and that it is free. But the happy faces and positive visitors make it worth it." The visions for the future are ambitions, too: "If everything would be possible, I would take care of the paths in the park, provide bicycle stands, trash cans, I would install electro cases that could be hidden in the ground, and build an amphitheatre with a summer stage on the hill, on the shooting rage at Mimi we could set up a real campsite. We will keep the concept of the program as much as possible, because we would only destroy it by going more mainstream. But of course, it would be nice to get funding for weekend programs!”  ]]> News Mon, 09 May 2016 10:08:00 +0200 FOLKART – all colours of the world for all good people http://lent2017.slovenija.net/120/?L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1053&cHash=c7bdf8a2f84d8d0d13a0b9af52930947 Lent Festival is a festival consisting of festivals, but Folkart has always been holding a very... The festival is one of the five big European festivals of this kind, and is the only Slovenian member of the NGO CIOFF®. In 2013 the honorary sponsorship of the Folkart Festival was taken over by Irina Bokova, the general director of UNESCO in light of the 10th anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Through the years, the international folklore festival Folkart has grown not only into the biggest Slovenian folklore festival, but also into one of the most visible and respected festivals on the folklore scene.   
Folklore group from Singapore, Folkart 2015 What is Alenka Klemenčič, the producer of Folkart, working on for this year’s edition? “Each year our goal is to bring to Maribor as many different groups from at least three continents that will deliver folk traditions never seen before. But who to bring this year in order to experience something new? How to preserve the authenticity while respecting the deep-rooted spirituality of Australian Aborigines and American native inhabitants? How to avoid synthetic substitutes? We have to delight and convince a demanding, but loyal audience coming from all parts of Slovenia and abroad.
Alenka Klemenčič, producer of Folkart Therefore this year’s spectrum of performing groups will be very broad – from South America to Europe and all the way to Asia. The cold of distant Finland will be heated up by Argentina. Ex-Yugoslavia will be represented by an excellent Serbian group, the Asian part of the world will be impersonated by mystical Kazakhstan. The beauty of the Pacific world will be brought to us by a group from Fiji, competing against the hot rhythms of Costa Rica.” What can we expect in the years to come? “My thoughts are already some sort of organised chaos, I have a bunch of raw and bold ideas. There is so much that hasn’t been discovered yet! For example China and Yakuts! A hard nut to crack, but not impossible to do so. I have been secretly working on some things for next year, but they still need to be sorted out. A counterweight would be the Maori, and something soft, calm: maybe the magical songs and dances from Polynesia? Maybe the lithe dancers from Cook Islands? The mysterious beauty of the Orient, and maybe a bit of mystical Africa? Let’s see what happens!”   
Folklore group from Benin, Folkart 2015 This year Folkart Festival will be taking place on the Big stage on the Leon Štukelj square; the big opening will be on Tuesday, June 28th, at 9:30 pm, the presentation of individual groups on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Saturday, July 2nd there will be the grand closing with the traditional fireworks. ]]> News Fri, 06 May 2016 07:37:00 +0200