With this slogan, Timisoara – as has been explained during the press conference before the opening ceremony - want to launch an invitation to a double mobilization: on the one hand, Shine your light - encourages citizens to freely express their values and attitudes, metaphorically described as an "inner light", and on the other, with the help of this light to remove the darkness and passivity around them through a culturally fueled civic process.

In the Romanian city it was very natural to refer to the light, because it was Europe’s first mainland city to have electric street lighting. On the evening of 12 November 1884, 731 arc lamps came to life on its streets.

At the Press conference, the Mayor Dominic Fritz, spoke about the vocation of the city, about the triple responsibility of Timisoara towards the program and about the values of the EU towards its citizens. Timișoara's commitment to building a sustainable and lasting cultural strategy includes the objective of creating a truly European program.

“We believe -said the Mayor- that Timisoara, with its history of innovation, diversity and courage, is an example for Europe. Through culture and art, this year, we can tell not only the story of Timișoara, but also the story of Europe and, through this, we can bring a new emphasis on the role of the Eastern European region”

After the weekend of the Opening ceremony, the Mayor proudly said: “we showed why we deserve this title: we are a lively, creative, welcoming and diverse city. Early numbers show over 60,000 people attending events these days in 32 venues. Everywhere was full of people. I bow to the creativity and energy of the organizers who staged 130 cultural events in 3 days”

Walking in the crowdie streets in those days we could speak to the citizens who still remember one of the most important event in the history of Timisoara: the insurrection against Ceausescu regime in 1989. For sure this had an enormous influence on the development of the cultural identity of the city, and not only. Over the years Timisoara has been the bridge between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and South-Eastern Europe. Banat region has formed a diverse cultural palette over the centuries, being the place that currently hosts over 30 cultural communities, among which are Romanians, Germans, Hungarians, Serbians, Croatians, Italians, Spaniards and Bulgarians.

All that is behind the cultural program of Timisoara2023.

In the next days we will go thru some of the projects and events that have most affected us.