Open City Days: eight programs in seven Zagreb locations in two days

A media conference was held in Zagreb's Kranjčar Gallery ahead of the event Open City Days which are maintained May 20 and 21. This year's program was presented to media representatives by Dubravka Vrgoč and Anica Tomić, who, along with Ivica Buljan, are the authors and implementers of the project, and Martina Bienenfeld, director Zagreb Tourist Board, with whose support, as last year, this important project will be realized.
 
Dubravka Vrgoč pointed out that the Open City Day already showed last year that citizens are very interested in such manifestations. "In the catastrophic or post-catastrophic times in which we live, people have the need to go out, to be together, that's why we made an effort to, with a program that is truly diverse and adapted to different ages and affinities, enable everyone to participate in the creation of a program that ultimately creates the appearance of this city ", said Vrgoč.
 
A touch of the atmosphere and part of the program were conveyed by actors Rok Juričić and Marko Petrić, musicians Ivana Starčević and Matija Antolić, and the press conference was also attended by actor Filip Vidović, choir conductor Heda Gospodnetić, pianist Vitomir Ivanjek, musicians Robert Mareković and Ivan Petranović, representatives of the School for classical ballet with professor Emilija Sorić and representatives of the Croatian Deaf Sports Association Magdalena Kljajić and Dora Pečarić.
 
The Day of the Open City project, which was launched in October last year, thanks to the great interest of the citizens, was transformed into the Days of the Open City this year, and unites eight programs at seven locations in Zagreb. Last year's edition brought smiles and satisfaction to the citizens of Zagreb, as well as its visitors who enjoyed different sensations, and this year's edition will try to repeat that feeling of satisfaction, togetherness and solidarity. "On the second edition of the Open City Day, we will try, in addition to everything we have done so far, that is, the inclusion of citizens in the cultural spheres of what Zagreb has to offer, to create a different type of inclusion, where everyone is welcome and where equality is what connects us, because is the future in empathy and understanding, and cultural heritage is what helps us unite and unite for the future", she pointed out Anica Tomić.

 
Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board Martina Bienenfeld she stated that from the perspective of tourism, it is important to point out that Zagreb is a leader in cultural tourism in Croatia, and this project is a great, urban idea that was realized last year in an excellent way and showed that Zagreb is also a leader in urban cultural expression. "I am glad that sports content is also included and that it is not a classic cultural program in which the audience only listens, follows, watches, but every citizen can participate in each of these eight projects, whether it is a community chain in Tomislavac or mildew. I believe that the great joy of artistic creativity and inclusion will be the leader of similar projects in other cities in Croatia, and that it will show the best of recent art that these environments can offer, not only to citizens but also to tourists. Namely, when a project is accepted by citizens, then tourists also accept it."
 
At Tomislavac, all people of good will are once again invited to join in extending their hands to each other as a sign of solidarity and empathy, at Zrinjevac we can expect Zagreb chansons performed by Ivana Starčević and Matija Antolić and the reading of Zagreb stories by Marko Petrić.

As we continue our walk, we come to "Jelačić placa" and the great choir led by conductors Heda Gospodnetić and Vitomir Ivanjek, joined by the youngest choirs in Zagreb.

At the same time, a dance surprise will be held at Dolac for Saturday visitors to the market who will take a break between shopping and the rush with a completely unexpected program.

In the evening in Zrinjevac, a real Plesnjak awaits us with Robert Mareković and his band, where all our fellow citizens will be able to dance like in the good old days.

Sunday is reserved for a sports morning at the European Square, which everyone can join, from the youngest to the oldest, and we will socialize through various recreational activities designed and organized by members of the Croatian Sports Association of the Deaf.

A little later, the students of the Zagreb School of Classical Ballet perform on Cvjetni trg.

This year's edition ends with the Enchanted Forest on Tuškanec, where the best Croatian actors and actresses hidden in the secret corners of the popular Zagreb promenade will surprise you with unexpected poetry and stories.
 
Zagreb will once again become a stage where artists, citizens and tourists, performers and audience at the same time, will share the space of an imaginary auditorium, in the same way that they share the space of the city. Zagreb's past and its present, hidden places and public, suppressed and revealed stories as well as those directly told by the city itself will be exposed in a two-day program that offers a lot of excitement and entertainment, but also presents Zagreb to its residents and tourists through some different, more exciting perspectives.

Source: Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb

Photo: TZG Zagreb / ​​Ivan