Culture and creative synergies
across the Western Balkans
LIVE STREAM CLICK FOR

PROGRAM

09:00

VLATKO STEFANOVSKI
Skopje | Artists Online | Video message

The New Normal – MTF Labs in collaboration with UNAM Mexico City
Exclusive preview of Tercer Cuerpo Sonoro by the Art+Science Research Group at the National Autonomous University of Mexico

09:05

Intro by Arteria Creative Network

Darko Brlek | Artistic and General Director | Ljubljana Festival
Marko Maršićević | Founder | Marsh Creative Production
Aleksandar Peković | Founder | Coda Artists

09.10

Video message

Sabine Verheyen | MEP | Chairwoman of the Committee for Culture and Education

09.15

Corona Impact | Presentation

Mitko Chatalbashev | Regional Director for Europe | CISAC

09.30

A Response | Panel discussion

New measures for cultural, creative and educational recovery must be the top priority for European institutions as well as national governments. What approach will they use and what expectations are there among cultural and creative players in general?


Introductory

Barbara Gessler | Head of Unit | European Commission | Directorate-General for Education and Culture | Creative Europe
Doris Pack | Ex MEP | Secretary General of German French High Council for Culture | President of Foundation of German French cultural relations
Mateja Demšič | Head of Department for Culture | City of Ljubljana
Robert Alagjozovski | National Coordinator for Culture of North Macedonia
Moderators:
Darko Brlek | Artistic and General Director | Ljubljana Festival
Aleksandar Peković | Arteria Creative Network | Coda Artists

10.30

Avi Avital
Berlin | Artists Online | Video message

New Normal – MTF Labs
Preview of the ongoing Dance AI project / Andreas Bergsland / Kirsi Mustalahti / Joseph Wilk / Lilian Jap

10.35

How fragile we are | Panel discussion

We live in volatile times: a single explosion can damage our cultural identity, and demolishing cultural heritage in the city center to clear space for a hotel or shopping mall is a common part of our unusual narrative.


Amar A. Zahr
| Founder and Co-Director | Beirut Art Residency
Philipp Dietachmair | Head of Programmes | European Cultural Foundation
Albert Heta | Artist | Co-founder | Stacion CCA
Moderator: Milena Dragićević Šešić | Head of the UNESCO Chair on Interculturalism | Professor Emerita | University of Arts Belgrade

11.20

Gloria Campaner
Milan | Artists Online | Video message

New Normal – MTF Labs
Preview of Artificial Life / Sofia Crespo / Feileacan McCormick / Nestor Peixoto

11.25

1+1= ∞ | Panel discussion

The sector that was once described as having “soft” infrastructure is underfunded. But it is increasingly clear that it is those industries that have their origin in individual creativity, skills and talent that have the potential to create wealth and jobs by generating and exploiting intellectual property.


Kathrin Deventer
| Secretary General of the European Festivals Association
Hedvig Morvai | Director | Strategy and Europe | Erste Foundation
Slavimir Stojanović Futro | Owner | Futro Design Studio
Moderator: Vuk Ćosić | Artist

12.10

Luis Gorelik
Buenos Aires | Artists Online | Video message

New Normal – MTF Labs
Preview of Entanglement / Luis Clara Gomes aka Moullinex / Suse Ribeiro / Xico Teixeira / Diana Combo /Tiago Quendera / Inês Meira / Diogo Meireles / Luis Anjos

12.15

Cohesion & Well-being | Panel discussion

The global strategic picture has changed dramatically and threats are becoming more complex. The Western Balkans has frequently been marked as a troubled region. This is a call to act immediately, since we need more innovative ideas and sustainable solutions for the long term. Creative knowledge and policies are increasingly important components of modern, post-industrial knowledge-based economies with cultural and creative industries at the heart of the creative economy. Can the Western Balkans learn to embrace and enhance the flow of information, good practice, cooperation and mutual understanding?


Dijana Vučinić
| Founder | DVARP | APPS
Milan Antonijević | Executive Director | Open Society Foundation Serbia
Daniela Urem | President CC Alliance
Moderator: Blaž Peršin | Director | City Museum of Ljubljana

13.00

Artists online | Video message

Horacio Romo from Buenos Aires
Nika Gorič from Maribor
Dissonance String Quartet from Ljubljana
Marija Jelić from Belgrade
Aisha Syed from Santo Domingo
Mak Grgič from Los Angeles
Christina Sandsengen from Oslo
Aleksandar Grujić from Belgrade

14.00

Regional Creativity | Presentation

Asja Dupanović | Editor | Creative Portfolio | Media Marketing

14.15

Lana Trotovšek
London| Artists Online | Video message

New Normal – MTF Labs
Preview of LoopFree / Vahakn Matossian / Tim Palm aka DJ Arthro / Tim Yates

14.20

Necessity, the mother of invention | Panel discussion

The Western Balkans is a very volatile zone because of its fragmentation, while at the same time it has richness of culture through diversity. Creating a grammar of cohesion, digital literacy, and creative Innovation out of necessity are extremely important to lift this zone from its fragile state, which still risks destabilizing Europe.

 

Anette Novak | Director | Swedish Media Council
Pier Luigi Sacco | Head of Venice Office | OECD / Professor | Harvard University | IULM University
Bernd Fesel | Director | European Creative Business Network
Moderator: Michela Magas | Industry Commons Foundation | Music Tech Fest

15.05

New Normal – MTF Labs
An exclusive clip by Paul D Miller aka DJ Spooky

15.10

Tomorrow comes today | Panel discussion

35 years on, the ECoC is faced with some of the biggest challenges in the history of the project: planning in advance, ensuring stability at all levels including financial security, attracting visitors and cultural tourists, avoiding the immense number of threats and obstacles along the way, and achieving the outstanding goals that create the dreamed-of legacy. But what is missing?

 

Simona Neumann | CEO | Executive Director | Timisoara 2021
Steve Green | Former Chair of Selection Panel for ECoC
Eberhard Schrempf | Managing Director | Creative Industries Styria | Graz 2003
Moderator: Suzana Žilić Fišer | Professor | University of Maribor | Maribor 2012 | Former Member of Selection Panel for ECoC

15.55

Vivi Vassileva
Salzburg | Artists Online | Video message

New Normal – MTF Labs
Preview of Chicks on Speed / Epic Shoes / Alex Murray-Leslie Chicks on Speed / Melissa E. Logan – Chicks on Speed / David Cox / Carolin Vogler / Daniel Rosero

16.00

New Challenges – New Narratives | Panel discussion

The EC Agenda for culture has recognised the CCI’s potential as a major economic growth factor in the EU, but also it clearly confirmed its political relevance. It assumes that the CCI could be used as a strategic tool for EU accession, since the CCI promote smart and inclusive social values, centered around youth, employment, entrepreneurship, exchange and networking, as a platform for cooperation and interaction among neighbouring countries. Depending on the political impetus to enhance cooperation and a regional approach to creativity, and to strengthen local capacity, new partnerships and new jobs… we have one question: does this new ‘viable economic future’ remain solid?

 

Flora Krasniqi | Head of International Unit and Projects | Polis University
Kees van Weijen | President | IMPALA
Simon Kardum | General Manager | Kino Šiška
Moderator: Ivan Šarar | Head of Department of Culture | City of Rijeka

16.45

Bojan Z
Paris | Artists Online | Video message

New Normal – MTF Labs
Preview of Musgos the Band / Tiago Margaca / André Maia / Ruido/h4>

16.50

Creative Agenda – Conclusion by Arteria Creative Network

PARTICIPANTS

in order of apperance

Darko Brlek

Artistic and General Director
Ljubljana Festival

Marko Maršićević

Founder
Marsh Creative Production

Aleksandar Peković

Founder
Coda Artists

Sabine Verheyen

MEP
Chairwoman of the Committee for Culture and Education

Mitko Chatalbashev

Regional Director for Europe
CISAC

Barbara Gessler

Head of Unit
European Commission
Directorate-General for Education and Culture
Creative Europe

Doris Pack

Ex MEP
Secretary General of German French High Council for Culture
President of Foundation of German French cultural relations

Mateja Demšič

Head of Department for Culture
City of Ljubljana

Robert Alagjozovski

National Coordinator for Culture of North Macedonia

Amar A. Zahr

Founder and Co-Director
Beirut Art Residency

Philipp Dietachmair

Head of Programmes
European Cultural Foundation

Albert Heta

Artist
Co-founder
Stacion CCA

Milena Dragićević Šešić

Head of the UNESCO Chair on Interculturalism
Professor Emerita
University of Arts Belgrade

Kathrin Deventer

Secretary General of the European Festivals Association

Hedvig Morvai

Director
Strategy and Europe
Erste Foundation

Slavimir Stojanović Futro

Owner
Futro Design Studio

Vuk Ćosić

Artist

Dijana Vučinić

Founder
DVARP
APPS

Milan Antonijević

Executive Director
Open Society Foundation Serbia

Daniela Urem

President
CC Alliance

Blaž Peršin

Director
City Museum of Ljubljana

Asja Dupanović

Editor
Creative Portfolio
Media Marketing

Anette Novak

Director
Swedish Media Council

Pier Luigi Sacco

Head of Venice Office
OECD
Professor
Harvard University
IULM University

Bernd Fesel

Director
European Creative Business Network

Michela Magas

Industry Commons Foundation
Music Tech Fest

Simona Neumann

CEO
Executive Director
Timisoara 2021

Steve Green

Former Chair of Selection Panel for ECoC

Eberhard Schrempf

Managing Director
Creative Industries Styria
Graz 2003

Suzana Žilić Fišer

Professor
University of Maribor
Maribor 2012
Former Member of Selection Panel for ECoC

Flora Krasniqi

Head of International Unit and Projects
Polis University

Kees van Weijen

President
IMPALA

Simon Kardum

General Manager
Kino Šiška

Ivan Šarar

Head of Department of Culture
City of Rijeka

ARTISTS ONLINE

in order of appearance

Vlatko Stefanovski

Guitar & Composer
Skopje

Avi Avital

Mandolin
Berlin

Gloria Campaner

Piano
Milan

Luis Gorelik

Conductor
Buenos Aires

Horacio Romo

Bandoneon
Buenos Aires

Nika Gorič

Sopran
Maribor

Dissonance String Quartet

Ljubljana

Marija Jelić

Sopran
Belgrade

Aisha Syed

Violin
Santo Domingo

Mak Grgič

Classical guitar
Los Angeles

Christina Sandsengen

Classical guitar
Oslo

Aleksandar Grujić

Piano
Jazz School Stanković
Belgrade

Lana Trotovšek

Violin
London

Vivi Vassileva

Percussionist
Salzburg

Bojan Z

Piano & Composer
Paris