November is a very significant month for Albania and the Albanian community. Albania was declared an independent and sovereign nation on November 28th, 1912. November 29th marks another important date, that of Liberation Day, when Albania was liberated from the Nazi forces in 1944. "The White Night", a tradition of more than a decade in Tirana, is taking place again in this year's 105th Anniversary of Independence for Albania.

The White Night, is a concept firstly developed by Jean Blaise in 1984. Tirana's "White Night" is similar to "Nuit Blanche" of Paris, which firstly took place on October 5th, 2002.  It was the first night-time event in Paris, offering the opportunity for everyone to experience the artistic and cultural creations in the streets of their city. This concept-event was then adopted by several other cities all over the world, including Tirana, the capital of Albania. In Tirana, 29th of November is a long night when the city and its cultural institutions offer a wide range of activities, such as shows, art installations, screenings, concerts, etc.

The Albanian "White Night" (Nata e Bardhë) is a cultural event and an attempt to bring art closer to the community and the public spaces. It aims to create art that is comprehensible to the large audience and encourage the citizens to participate in the public activities. For one day (and night), the city's spaces become temporary art exhibitions open to everyone.

National Opera and Ballet Theater. Image © Municipality of Tirana 

The tight belt of institutions located in the vicinity of Skanderbeg Square, such as the National Historic Museum, National Opera and Ballet Theater, Puppet's Theater, "Bunk'Art 2" Museum, "House of Leaves" Museum, and Municipality of Tirana have opened their doors to the public and offer free entries for specific activities organized in the scope of the 105th Anniversary of Independence. 

The National Art Gallery, the National Circus, and the National State Archive of Film have also scheduled several activities for the 29th of November. Furthermore, the Albanian Parliament is organizing the activity "Open Doors" during 28-29 November, and will be open to the public from 10:00 until 14:00. On November 29th, starting at 19 hours until midnight, a concert with free access to everyone will take place at the main square, featuring well-known Albanian artists and the British singer Emeli Sandé.

A full list of cultural activities can be found here and for more information on the concert, click here.

Top image courtesy of Municipality of Tirana 

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