The EU Info Centre, in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts Sarajevo, organises this year’s edition of Pop-up! Festival, a student festival of visual communication, graphic design and new creative solutions. This three-day festival promotes excellence in design and gathers students and experts from the region and the European Union. This year’s edition of the Festival is dedicated to celebrating the European Year of Cultural Heritage as the topic of workshops and exhibition within the Festival.
Khaldoun Sinno, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, greeted the students during the Festival’s opening ceremony and underlined the fact that festivals like Pop-up! aid the realisation of the creative potential of students, and that culture lies at the heart of the work the European Union: “The European Union considers culture and art to be one of the most important features of our common European identity. We take pride in our diversity, which represents our common ground. Cultural diversity is an integral part of the values of the European Union and it is our strength. Culture and art contribute to identity-building and self-esteem, and enriches the society. It is a powerful tool that promotes dialogue and reinforces mutual understanding,” said Sinno.
The opening of the Festival featured an exhibition of works of art by renowned visual artists, grahic designers and illustrators who will lecture during the Festival. During the Pecha-Kucha presentations, students have an opportunity to hear about notable local and regional artists who have received prestigious awards and recognitions, including the campaign „I am the Museum“, which received the Europa Nostra award for protection of cultural heritage.
“This year’s Pop-up! is important because, beside the guest speakers, we have the opportunity to host design and visual communication students from Banja Luka, Cetinje, Rijeka, Split, Široki brijeg and Trebinje. We are happy that the Festival’s energy is spreading and that we are becoming a hub for connecting students from BiH and the region,” noted Bojan Hadžihalilović, a professor at the Academy.
Pop-up! Festival was established in 2012 by a group of students from the Academy of Fine Arts Sarajevo in order to celebrate excellence in visual communication, graphic design and new creative solutions, as well as to enable an annual gathering of students and professors from throughout the country and region, in order to exchange ideas and learn from some of the most renowned experts.
The objective of the Festival is to facilitate long-term synergies between policies and programmes in culture, employment and youth development, to promote creativity and innovation, as well as to promote specialised training in culture, new media and intercultural skills for youth workers. The festival aims to contribute to economic growth, employment, innovation and social cohesion.
