In Sarajevo from 11-12 April, in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy to BiH and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the final program to mark the closing of the Swiss Program for Culture in Southeast Europe (SCP) will be held.
On this occasion, there will be more than 100 regional and international participants-cultural workers, activists, artists, university employees and actors that support programs in the area of culture and art.
The two-day program will start on 11 April in the BiH Art Gallery with the opening of a photo exhibition called “Faces of Change”, which documents the work of the Swiss Program for Culture through portraits and personal testimonies of participants. The Swiss Ambassador to BiH Andre Schaller will open the exhibition.
It is expected that the Deputy Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH Denisa Sarajlić-Maglić, the Assistant Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Head of the Office for Cooperation with Eastern Europe Kurt Kunz and the Director of Pro Helvetica Andrew Holland will attend.
The final event is also an opportunity to re-emphasize the crucial importance of culture for the development of society.
In the last 15 years, Switzerland invested 22 million francs in cultural and artistic initiatives in 9 countries with the goal to revitalize the cultural environment and to lend support to democratic processes.
Hundreds of organizations and thousands of artists participated in more than 3.000 cultural initiatives and projects in Southeast Europe in this period.
Thanks to the cooperation of actors in the local, national and regional initiatives, significant creative potential and support to cultural platforms in these countries has been established.
After the presentation of the program achievements, there will be a promotion of four cultural organizations, which will be handed out awards for developed good practices and extraordinary contributions in their fields of activity.
On the second day, participants will speak on the priorities and challenges for independent culture in the region and on the opportunities for international financing of cultural projects in the future.
The art program that monitors the final events will contribute to SCP in various areas in art (photography, visual art, theatre and modern dance).
These events will also offer the Sarajevo public a premiere show production from the region.