The president of the BTC Management Board, Jo\u017ee Mermal, has been selected as the cultural patron of 2011 by the newspaper Finance.<\/strong><\/P> “BTC company, with Jo\u017ee Mermal as the president of BTC Management Board, is a big donor to culture. Jo\u017ee Mermal deserves the title the cultural patron of the year, because of his donorship supporting almost every cultural discipline, which is a rarity among Slovene donors. The new patron is a man of great cultural stature. He has also successfully transmitted his devotion to art onto the company he runs and is thus one of the most appropriate economists to hold the given title. By offering selfless help to cultural workers who contribute a lot to national identity, he sets an example for other economists”, as written in the explication of the selection.<\/P> Jo\u017ee Mermal pays special attention to supporting cultural projects while running the BTC company. BTC actively cooperates with numerous cultural and art institutions every year, through sponsorships, donations and cultural patronage. It also supports the already established as well as the young, not yet recognized but talented individuals.<\/P> “The country’s development is based on the development of its culture. The cultural and artistic creation strengthens the nation’s consciousness, enriches individuals, and spreads their horizons and views. I think that culture offers endless possibilities for people to express themselves; it is an endless source of ideas that open many new opportunities. Culture runs our spiritual development. This is why I pay a lot of attention to supporting cultural projects and to opening doors for talented individuals. BTC company’s philosophy is based on recognising opportunities, discovering the new and continual development. This is why the company also focuses on making possibilities for the young unrecognized artists or cultural workers, offers them support and helps them during their progress. We don’t care about somebody’s background, as long as everybody gets the chance they deserve”, said Jo\u017ee Mermal. <\/P> The BTC company, led by Jo\u017ee Mermal, became a long-time sponsor of Cankarjev dom and the Ljubljana Festival. For several years it has been cooperating with the Bla\u017e Arni\u010d Foundation, the Slovene Science Foundation, the Dr \u0160iftar Foundation Establishment, the Slovene and Macedonian Friendship Society, and has also been supporting the stand-up comedy festival Pan\u010d, etc. BTC has also successfully realized its own projects such as SiTi Teater BTC which came to life in 2000. The BTC company has been, for several years now, organizing free summer music evenings in front of the Atlantis Water City, which enable the unrecognized and talented Slovene musicians to perform on stage. BTC also enriches the area around BTC City with artistic sculptures, organizes exhibitions in the Crystal Palace, etc.<\/P> Maja Oven, Director of the market communication and public relations sector <\/P>
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