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Events in Ljubljana
When it comes to Ljubljana, the city offers a diverse selection, from world-class opera, ballet and classical music performances to cutting edge underground concerts and exhibitions, and everything in between. But as of 30 March, the Slovenian government and Ministry of Health officially banned all public events and gatherings, due to the spread of Coronavirus in Slovenia. Bummer.Best Events in Ljubljana during Lockdown
Is it, though? Most cultural institutions, theatres, galleries, movie theatres, museums, DJs and different art collectives have started streaming their live shows online or opening up their archives, so you can enjoy them from the comfort or discomfort of your own home. Yes, you’re never going to get rid of your fear of missing out, not until there’s still Internet.
All the Stages of Coronavirus
“All the world’s a stage” has never been more true, William, especially in times of lockdown, where an unparalleled drama is unravelling on our screens and covering the whole world. Several mainstream and alternative theatre houses in the city such as Opera & Ballet Ljubljana, Mestno Gledališče Ljubljansko, the National Drama Theatre, Mladinsko Theatre, Gledališče Glej, and performing arts collective Emanat have opened up their virtual stage and are either streaming rehearsals, recorded plays from their archive or holding interesting live talks or music evenings. Those more street-bound theatres like Ana Monro have been staging plays in courtyards for audiences to attend from their windows and balconies. So tuck in your kids after they’ve had their fair share of you, pour that wine, dim those lights and enjoy world-class theatre - for free. Check for shows in English or with English subs, or brush up on your Slovene!
Events on the streets of Ljubljana
Street events have a special charm, and in Ljubljana they can be seen throughout the year. Currently, the Ana under your Window project is being performed by the Ana Monroe Theater, the main initiator of the Ana Desetnica open-air theater festival, and an interesting street exhibition during the epidemic organized by Fotogank and Tam-Tam city posters.
Dance in Ljubljana
While we definitely recommend you to join in Coronavirus dance challenges, especially if you’re doing them in full view of the rest of the family members, possibly stealing their Internet time and living room space and wearing something equivalent of this excellent leotard right here, it’s also nice to sit back and watch the pros do it. Catch an archived or live show at Plesni Teater or Španski Borci. No need to worry about understanding the language, for the language of the body is universal. Tell that to anyone who doesn’t understand you when you’re prancing around the living room, expressing your inner demons in some complicated modern dance choreo.
Events for Kids in Ljubljana
Because those poor kids have been stuck inside with you all this time, help them develop their creativity and for a moment forget these troubling times. Get them to catch a live or recorded show at the Puppet Theatre, Mini Theatre or Španski Borci! While kids won’t like your shows and will gladly sleep through them, you might be surprised at how immersed you yourself can get in shows primarily made for kids. Don’t be shy now, the world is in dire need of humour and not taking yourself too seriously.
Coronavirus - Time to Improvise!
Let’s face it, movies like Contagion and people who simply know when the world will end knew about it, but everyone else was pretty much in the dark. If we had known what was coming, we’d have all gone into the toilet paper industry weeks before it all started to go down. Since no one was really ready for an epidemic, we are all depending on our government’s ability to improvise with the knowledge and resources they have. The time is then ripe to explore your improv. skills, and see how the pros do it with their online live and recorded IGLU improvisation theatre matches, some of which are in English!
Ljubljana Club Nights
No one can be bothered to put on makeup in quarantine, so mutual partner love is obviously being heavily tested right now, unless you're in Malaysia or you're keen on trying something new - a kind of night in - night out, where you'd pretend you're in a club surrounded by hot strangers shaking it to some tune you love or will learn to love, cocktail in hand. While for those with family it might be tricky to turn up dance music in the middle of the night, you can solve it with a good set of headphones. Hook up to different club nights and live DJ sets organised by Žuram doma / Kurzschluss, Pritličje or Klub Tiffany.
Music
Music is really going to survive it all. It had never been easier to produce or enjoy it to a wide audience than in a lockdown era where society is confined to the online. While worldwide lockdown playlist are not scarce, for something happening more locally we’d recommend following some of the local radios like Radio Študent, DJs like Miss Rocking Bones and musicians like Kukla, Peter Savizon's big quarantine concerts and Dubioza Kolektiv and other initiatives, like Koncerti s kavča (eng. Concerts from the couch)and the numerous concerts set up in Kino Šiška and “štreamed” out to fans.
Movies
While we were all binge-watching tv series and popular movies to watch during quarantine, Kinodvor is back to business from June 1 and Kinoteka from June 2! They're still offering free viewing of films online, check them out at Kinodvor's A film a day project and All (Films) At Home! initiative by Slovenian Film Centre / Filmoteka and BSF.
Staying Smart
Apart from reading books and keeping informed about what's what and what's going on, there's a number of online discussions taking place with notable Slovenian pop figures like Slavoj Žižek or other artists and intellectuals that are keeping in touch with meaning and problems of our new social reality. Catch some interesting streamed talks from Pritličje as well as the University of Ljubljana that offers interesting discussions (mainly in Slovene though) and supports research projects tackling the coronavirus pandemic.
Since online learning has exploded, do yourself some good and check out an interesting online course or webinar. We're following ones connected to tourism and survival strategies during this virus epidemic, like this one.
Visual Arts
While becoming, being or staying smart does in no way consist of listening and reading to those smarter than you, there's a number of museums and galleries such as Galerija Jakopič, Moderna, SEM, City Museum Ljubljana, National Museum of Slovenia, photography projects of live building sideshows like Fotogank and campaigns like Art in These Times of Isolation that have adapted to current times and are offering virtual tours of their exhibitions, platforms for dialogue on the topic of how coronavirus has changed us and the world of art, collecting people's photographs during self-isolation, promoting epidemic-related art projects and offering other creative and intelligent ways at leading and allowing quality public debate and critical thinking.Playing Games
We recall reading some smart comment somewhere recently that social distancing is not social distancing at all. It is rather physical distancing that is encouraged, and some people who've stopped saying hi in front of the elevator for fear the greeting or eye-contact will somehow infect someone should be told that. Now whether you're socializing online or with your chosen or non-chosen quarantine partners playing something fun like Quarantopoly, playing games is a great way to use this social time wisely and invest in some good games. A perfect way to play out a symbolic freeing yourself from the realities of 2020 scenario is the escape game Escape Room!Ljubljana being voted for Best Municipality to be Quarantined In in our most serious Best of Slovenia 2020 (Limited by Coronavirus) competition is just another telltale sign of the comfort and energy of this vibrant little capital. In any event, thanks for reading, and if you've got any feedback, we'd love to hear your thoughts on Facebook, Instagram or old-fashioned email to ljubljana@inyourpocket.com.
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