Marseille-Provence European Capital of Culture in 2013

Marseille Provence

All year long, hundreds of cultural and artistic events will take place throughout the Provence region

Marseille-Provence has been selected to be the European Capital of Culture in 2013. All year long, hundreds of cultural and artistic events will take place throughout the Provence region: in Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Aubagne, Gardanne, Istres, La Ciotat, Martigues, Salon-de-Provence and, of course, Marseille.

All audiences will be invited to take part in the programme, which includes dance, music, visual arts, theatre, exhibitions, street art, literature, digital art, gastronomy and cinema. Marseille-Provence 2013 will celebrate the region’s historical ties to the Mediterranean region.

The Capital of Culture year has been designed as a story with three chapters. Each chapter will feature seasonal highlights, including the opening of new cultural venues, exhibitions, and major popular gatherings. Transhumance, the GR 2013, Exquisite corpse, This is (not) music, Painters and the Mediterranean, the centenary of Albert Camus’ birth and Campus 2013: there is something for everyone. Marseille-Provence 2013 aims to support talented young artists from Europe and the Mediterranean, and pay tribute to the great artists that were inspired by the region: Van Gogh, Dufy, Picasso, César and Le Corbusier.

Social, cultural and economic organisations are working together to prepare a unique Capital of Culture year. Highlights include the Euro-Mediterranean ateliers, a creative hub that will be set up in companies, institutions, non profit organisations and hospitals allowing local, European and Mediterranean artists to discover fields not usually associated with contemporary creation. Dozens of artists are already at work creating unexpected encounters and unique stories.
In 2012, local residents will be invited to take part in the Capital of Culture project. Collections of photos, texts and sounds, organised by media and institutional partners, pay tribute to local lifestyles and heritage.
New cultural facilities, transforming urban landscapes, will also open their doors in 2013. Contemporary architects from Provence and elsewhere have designed new venues for artistic creation and cultural exchanges in Marseille, Arles, Aix, La Ciotat and Aubagne. This includes museums, concert halls, galleries, and artist studios.

In 2013, Marseille-Provence will open its doors to the world. It’s going to be a Capital year.