Cultural ambassadors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia, along with the city mayor, representatives from the European Commission and Young European Ambassadors, gathered in Maglaj to open the Maglaj Spirit Weekend film festival, demonstrating how culture connects people and artists in the Western Balkans. On this occasion, stakeholders wrapped-up the Culture Connect campaign, which highlighted the EU’s long-standing support for culture and arts in the region.

Maglaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina – 26 July, 2024 –

The picturesque town of Maglaj was abuzz with excitement as the third annual Maglaj Spirit Weekend unfolded under the stars at the historic Maglaj Fortress. The Festival, organised by UM “Dictum Factum” and led by Adi Softić, a Young European Ambassador (YEA), has become a cornerstone of cultural celebration in the region. Running from July 26th to 28th, 2024, the festival aims not only to entertain but also to provoke thought and inspire through a carefully curated selection of films and discussions.

The festival attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a screening of the acclaimed film “Professor Kosta Vujić’s Hat,” directed by Zdravko Šotra, BiH film “Excursion” by Una Gunjak, along with the short film “All with Will” by Nerminka Emrić.

This year’s festival is especially significant as it hosted the closing event of the Culture Connects campaign, a celebration of the European Union’s unwavering support for arts and culture in the Western Balkans. The Culture Connects campaign, developed by the EU-funded Regional Strategic Communication Programme for the Western Balkans WeBalkans, showcases the region’s dynamic cultural landscape and celebrates the diversity and richness of Western Balkan cultural heritage.

Over the past decade, EU programmes including Creative Europe, have successfully supported thousands of cultural projects in the region. The Culture Connects campaign provides a flavour of the impact these have had. As part of the Culture connects campaign presentation, distinguished cultural ambassadors, including filmmakers, artists, and musicians, engaged in panel discussions sharing insights on the impact of cultural initiatives and the importance of EU support.

The event gathered Goce Nenevski, visual artist from North Macedonia, known for his work in sculpture, installation, multimedia, video, photography, and sound; Ivan Petrović, one of the key figures in the management and organisation of the EXIT Festival in Serbia and president of the Managing Board at the EXIT Foundation; Faruk Šehić, a prominent poet, novelist, and short story writer from Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose books were translated into multiple languages; and Nihad Kreševljaković, author, screenwriter who has been one of the initiators of the Memory Module, MESS.As part of the campaign, in addition to the main video underscoring the messages of unity in diversity, five thematic videos featured representatives from different artistic disciplines and Western Balkans entities testifying to the importance of the support they received.

A series of articles have also been developed during the campaign to provide more information about EU’s support to cultural projects. Among the highlighted projects is the story of Mirdita in Albania, where the EU4Culture grants programme has helped transform the region through sustainable tourism development and cultural heritage routes. Finally, the Young European Ambassadors have developed a serial of reels testifying to the strong links between each of their six entities and different parts of Europe.

WeBalkans is an EU-funded project that promotes the Western Balkans’ integration into the EU through various cultural, social, and economic initiatives. The Culture Connects campaign that reached millions of people in the Western Balkans is part of this broader effort, showcasing how EU funding supports cultural projects that foster unity in diversity, collaboration and understanding.

To learn more on our “Culture Connects” campaign, please visit our dedicated landing page.