Charming young lady, always smiling, though very serious, Ainhoa is the daughter of a Basque father and a Venezuelan mother and was brought up in Vienna. She attended the French lycée there, and her partner is of Portuguese origin from Luxembourg. What an international cavalcade!

Having talked to the director just after her nomination over 5 years ago, I wanted to find out what has changed in the CAPe and what the new trends in Luxembourg’s cultural life are.

The cultural center opened in 2000, and was without „competitors” for several years. Not only have new places opened up since, but also the visitors’ habits have changed. Ainhoa explained that the audience tends to come from all over Luxembourg, they are not regional ones any more. Less people have season tickets, spectators often decide “last minute” and buy their tickets at the evening desk. The January performance of “The Tiger Lillies” saw 50 per cent in ticket sales one week before the evening, but in the end they had to establish a “waiting list” and the spectacle was performed in front of a full house.
This phenomenon is not unique, the multicultural choice of Luxembourg has a great influence. The ticket office is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays (of course before the events as well), since internet purchases are the new trend. The CAPe has some 8 different audiences who come to different events. Those who drive up from the city for a contemporary dance performance, would not necessarily be there for an opera.

Ainhoa will shortly make a presentation on the importance of attracting children to cultural programs. She agrees that the low attendance of the younger generation comes from home. According to a recent survey, only 5-12 per cent of the population of Luxembourg attend cultural events. Whether the Nordstad idea is promoting the CAPe or not, Ainhoa is very positive. She believes that the new concept would attract spectators from the “great” town.

As far as the new programs are concerned, the director has mentioned a few dates. The March 25th “Mi otro yo” is a family event for parents and children. The Westdeutsche Sinfonia play Mendelssohn and Bizet on May 4, and the Svetlana Spajic Group arrive from Belgrade and sing in traditional Serbian and Bosnian dresses on July 1.

For more information on CAPe and to see the full upcoming program, visit www.cape.lu.