Lecture: Macedonian Experiences in Democratization of Culture

18 May 2006

After the successful lecture by professor Dragan Klaic, back in April, AKCIJA Sarajevo � Cultural Development Agency continues with its "New Cultural Policies" programme of lectures and presentations at the Sarajevo Media Centre, with a lecture by Violeta Simjanovska, Macedonian cultural manager and director of the prominent Multimedia Performing Arts Centre from Skopje. The lecture, How to Turn the Enemy into a Partner? � Macedonian Experiences in the Process of Democratization of Cultural System.

Violeta Simjanovska, PAC Multimedia

Violeta Simjanovska is the long-time director of the Multimedia Performing Arts Centre and has been key actor in the initiatives for development of cultural policies in Macedonia and the Balkans for years. Simjanovska and her team at Multimedia make up the core-group that explores the links between art and social changes, activities that initiated a successful debate on Macedonian national cultural strategy and started the development of local cultural policies. In addition, PAC Multimedia produces projects in the fields of Arts&Gender and new media arts, and continuously promotes international cultural exchange.

The transformation of one way of life and the change of social norms, values and spiritual paterns is a long process, but even the relatively short Macedonian experience confirms that new values and norms in the cultural system require joint action and struggle. The lecture will present the way in which Macedonia, after much effort and many initiative, gradually replaced the discourse of negation and absence of communication (which was the prevailing trend of the 1990s) between the authorities and the independent cultural sector with dialogue.

In a period in which B&H cultural strategy is in the process of preparation, when cultural workers and institutions struggle to survive one of the greatest crisis in history, when domestic cultural reality is burdened by scandal and marked with bombastic show-business spectacle, and while B&H artists achive stunning success on the international scene, this series of public lectures and discussion with prominent international experts will attempt to explore the causes of the current crisis in the field of culture and will attempt to offer realistic strategic solutions.

The "New Cultural Policies" programme was realized in cooperation with the European Cultural Foundation Amsterdam/Policies for culture program and Pro Helvetia Sarajevo- Swiss Cultural Programme Bosnia-Herzegovina.

NOTE: All interested persons are asked to announce their coming to the lecture timesly, at aida@media.baaida@media.ba>.