World. Europe.Belgium.Mons. On a map, the city is no bigger than a pin head. Close to the French border, far from the megacities’ lights, Mons is a beautiful city. With its people, its turbulent History, its artists and hiddenunderground passages, this little plot of landcan change destinies.
Imagine… In 2015, Mons will bear the title of European capital of Culture. In 2015, Mons will becomea city of the world,with its owncultural reality, its own historical background, its own map.
100 projects, 14 partner cities, 23 institutions, thousands of participants and you. In 2015, Mons, together with its supporting partners, will dazzle you with a cultural firework in all possible fields Art can offer: exhibitions, concerts, performances, parties, digital installations, fashion shows, in your street or downtown, at noon or at night… And to keep shining for a long time after 2015, Mons will show us how daring it can be!
It will all start with a big party on 24th January 2015. Together with you, we will launch a European cultural year full of promises, measuring up to the craziest dreams. For 365 days, we will experience a city that never sleeps.
New technology:One of Mons 2015’s first challenges. The Digital Innovation Valleylies at its heart.It all started when Google chose Mons to set up its European data centre, investing around 450 million euros in the project.This led Microsoft and one hundred innovating companies and start-ups active in digital technology to form what is now called the Digital Silicon Valley,which offers more than 1000 jobs for high-tech profiles.
With its slogan « Where technology meets culture… », Mons shows how itintends to turn digital technology into a social and cultural challenge,creatingconnections, warmth and exchanges between people from different generations. Some ambitious pilot projects such as MEDIA DJ, Mons Street Reviewand Café Europawilldefinitely change our perception of new technology, bringing it closer and making it more tangible.
Of course, European capital of Culture means majorexhibitions, supporting artists (Jean-Paul Lespagnard, WajdiMouawad…), urban development, performances. It’s also a boost for the younger generations, for the region. In 2015, Mons will highlight its treasures and superstars such as Van Gogh and Saint-Georges, but also all its everyday heroes who contribute to the transformation of the city on an ongoing basis. … Together with its inhabitants and territories, Mons will dazzle you.
The countdown is on. The explosive city is getting ready. In 2015, Mons will shed its skin for good. And thisis only the beginning of a great adventure.
