The Turku 2011 programme is a confluence of a multiplicity of subjects, points of view, domains and individuals. The programme ranges from small-scale activities with children to major spectacles for large audiences by Finnish and international performers and artists. The definition of culture is very broad: culture involves everyone and is both a part of public celebration and of everyday lives. 

Three out of every four projects in the Turku 2011 programme come from the open project application activities held in 2008. This is a record number in Capital of Culture history and reflects the open basis and wide participation of the Turku 2011 process. Out of the 1,000 proposals which were submitted, projects were selected on the basis of their adherence in their early stages to the goals and values set in 2006. 

The programme is divided into five individual themes which represent the different aspects of the programme and of the city. The themes and the projects they include stem from the essence of Turku and Finnish culture and take a look at culture in a wider geographical and historical context as well. 2011 Transformations will bring culture to everyday life and make experiencing culture easier. 2011 Take Offs will offer large and small departures from the mundanities of life and emphasise the key cultural aspects of Turku. The 2011 Archipelago Explorations theme will introduce the maritime nature of Turku with the archipelago, the Baltic Sea and the River Aura. 2011 Personally will examine the current, sometimes difficult, questions related to identity and personality. Turku’s long history will challenge the human memory to reminisce and to retell stories as a part of the 2011 Memories and Truths theme, including the perspectives of today and tomorrow. 

The programme will offer unforgettable experiences to the people of Turku and to all of its visitors. It will introduce the unique characteristics of Turku culture and the best Finland has to offer to Europe, and engage in dialog between local, European and global cultures. The programme will have a lasting impact that will reach well beyond 2011 by increasing the hospitality of the city and boosting the cultural life of the region. We hope that the programme will expand the views others have of Turku and the way the Turku residents think about their city – and their attitudes and preferences for culture in general. One of the legacies which the Capital of Culture year will leave for the whole of Europe will be the development of different models of how culture and art can increase our sense of well-being. 

The Turku 2011 programme is what the thousands of people who are involved will have made it. These people include ordinary Turku residents and local culture industry professionals with experts from other walks of life; the best talent Finland has to offer, complemented by international expertise. The Capital of Culture will be built on cooperation and it will give rise to new ways of working together. The Turku 2011 programme is living proof that cooperation adds up to a lot more than just the sum of its individual parts.

Suvi Innilä
Programme Director
Turku 2011 Foundation