Balkan Fund for Art and Culture Presents Its Projects

Presentation of the Balkan Fund for Art and Culture (BAC) and the new partnership within BAC between the Swiss Government, the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) and the organization Artangle, which is also the implementer of BAC, were held today at the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the Patria news agency.

On that occasion, seven regional collaborative projects (COLABs), selected based on a public call, were also promoted, and they will be implemented in the region over the next two years.

Projects that address issues such as public space, youth inclusion and new audience development, women's participation, diaspora creativity, attitudes towards shared history, etc., through artistic and cultural instruments, will be implemented in more than 20 cities in the region.

The Swiss Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Heinrich Maurer, emphasized that Switzerland has been promoting cultural activities in the region for many years, and through the Swiss Cultural Program, before the Balkan Fund for Art and Culture, more than 3,000 different cultural projects were supported in the period from 1999 to 2012.

-The primary target group of users of the Balkan Fund for Art and Culture will be independent cultural actors because - art is the daughter of freedom, as Friedrich Schiller once said, Maurer pointed out.

BAC assistance is primarily available to independent cultural organizations and artists operating in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia.

“Culture is a witness to the dynamism and attractiveness of every society. Switzerland wants to encourage creativity and innovation throughout the region through this program,” stated the Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Jean Daniel Ruch.

Emphasizing the fact that the European Cultural Foundation has been operating together with local actors throughout the Balkan region for fifteen years, investing, connecting and promoting cultural initiatives, Director Katherine Watson stated that she is very pleased that the Balkan Fund for Art and Culture is growing at a great speed.

“We are happy to continue supporting the important work of cultural workers throughout the region through this fund, thanks to the significant and invaluable contribution of the Swiss Government,” Watson emphasized, adding that strong ties between communities in this region are crucial for a vibrant, engaged and sustainable civil society.

Independent cultural scene

The Balkan Fund for Art and Culture (BAC) operates in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. This regional fund aims to improve the independent cultural scene in the Western Balkans, through support for socially relevant projects in the field of culture and art, and encouraging participation and capacity building of cultural actors. At the same time, BAC seeks to promote the establishment of a sustainable funding framework intended for the independent cultural scene.