Thessaloniki gets ready for its metro launch in November
The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
The show seeks to introduce critical thinking in entertainment
Everyone was familiar with Eurovision – the annual song contest where representatives from all over the continent compete in a show famous for its glamour, pizzazz and scenic excess. Now it has found its alternative image in the form of the Philosophical Song Contest, which is a stage spectacle created by the Swiss Massimo Furlan and Claire de Ribaupierre. Today and tomorrow, 2 and 3 October it comes to the Grande Auditório do Rivoli in Porto where curious viewers will be able to see what it is all about.
The creation of the show departed from the idea that the real Eurovision is more concerned with form than with content, a fact that is reflected in the consumption and creation of pop music today everywhere.
In fact, the commentary here is that critical thinking has gradually disappeared from today’s public discourse, something that we see with the rise of populism, in favour of easy entertainment. What the show’s creators want to do is invert this using the “Trojan horse” method.
That means introducing intellectual discourse under the familiar form of pop entertainment. Just like with the real Eurovision, performers will come to the stage and sing a song accompanied by a light show, but the catch is that the lyrics to all the songs have been written by contemporary philosophers, anthropologists and other thinkers.
All 11 songs presented have been written in the original language of the intellectual and will be presented with subtitles for the public. The Portuguese song, for example, was written by José Bragança de Miranda, a professor of sociology and researcher at the New University of Lisbon.
The jury will also be composed of intellectuals who will discuss the meaning and merits of each song after it has been performed. And just like Eurovision the audience will participate and vote to decide on who the winner of the contest will be.
The show is opened to people over the age of 14 and tickets cost 12 euros.
The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin
That’s because the state has to spend money on updating the railway infrastructure rather than subsidizing the cost of the popular pass
Rethinking renewable energy sources for the urban landscape
The examples, compiled by Beyond Fossil Fuels, can inform and inspire communities and entrepreneurs that still feel trepidation at the prospect of energy transition
Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin
The 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns (ESCT) sets the stage for stronger cooperation between the EU, national and local level to fast track Europe's transition to climate neutrality.
At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo
The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo
Hostal de Pinós is located in the geographical centre of the autonomous region
Despite its church-y name, the district has long been known as the hangout spot for the artsy crowds
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital