From the 23rd to 25th, Field B beneficiaries got to meet in the quaint, culture-filled Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia.

The city, which counts about 400.000 inhabitants, after being nominated European Capital of Youth in 2019, this year enjoys the title of European Capital of Culture.

Thanks to the two acknowledgments, Novi Sad cultural scene has further blossomed. New spaces have been regenerated to host cultural activities, events and organizations. Also, the international performing arts sector started gravitating more and more around the city, connecting deeply with the local artistic scene and so creating transnational bonds and opportunities.

Kulturanova, our host for this field visit, is founded in 2001 as an umbrella organization for all those young people who were tired of the closure of the then existing institutions and who, due to lack of experience, space, financial and other resources, could not realize their creative potential in art.

Thanks to Kulturanova’s collaboration with the Serbian government and the Novi Sad municipality, and now with an increasingly present international cultural scene, our TrainArt beneficiaries had the chance to immerse themselves and learn from the local cultural and artistic practices.

The programme

Check out the programme here

The activities dedicated to TrainArt’s beneficiaries took place as following:

  • 23rd May

    On the first day, at the OPENS centre, the beneficiaries first attended a presentation by Kulturanova on its cultural activities and on the projects for European Capital of Youth and European Capital of Culture.

    Then, it was their turn to present the pilot actions they have been working on. On this behalf, you can read more about the Swedish action KONSTHALL: TEATER, a really cool online initiative that brings us together through the biggest art gallery the world has ever seen.

    Lastly, a very interesting research, funded by the UNESCO International Fund for Cultural Diversity, has highlighted the gender issues that the cultural sector faces. Although the research has been carried out with Serbian participants, it is a matter that still nowadays, unfortunately, crosses borders and is persistently present world-wide.
    You can read a summary here.
    For more information, you can write an email at irena@kulturanova.org.

  • 24th May

    The second day was all about experiencing the city and its history and culture. A walking tour guided by Kulturanova has led us through the most important sights of Novi Sad, along with an explanation on how the city’s past has shaped today’s cultural and artistic scene.

    In the afternoon, a visit to the Serbian beneficiary Dom B612 has been paid. Besides presenting their space, the team introduced us to their pilot action, about which you can read more about here.

  • 25th May

    The last day covered discussions on social entrepreneurship and informal education and volunteering.

    LICEULICE is a magazine created by youths of Novi Sad who aim at diffusing knowledge and sustaining the local marginalized people. The magazine vendors are people with a difficult past, who see in LICEULICE a chance to change their life. By going through a training, the vendors learn how to sell newspapers to the local population and help spreading the word of those that are often unheard.

    The Novi Sad Volunteering Service is a volunteering agency providing volunteers for events and all kind of occasions, making sure that their rights are respected.

    Coming next is the Gothenburg field trip, taking place from the 15th to 17th June!
    In this occasion, both Field A – new management models for cultural spaces and Field B – artistic interventions in non-conventional contexts will finally have the chance to meet up.
    More information will be available very soon.

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