Wednesday, 19.02.2014.

National Round Table „Between education and culture: 45 minutes for alternative scene“

On 24th January 2014, in cooperation with Belgrade Cultural Center, DAH Theatre Research Center and Group 484 organized National Round Table „Between education and culture: 45 minutes for alternative scene“ at the ARTget Gallery (Belgrade Cultural Centre).

The aim of organizers was to present artistic and cultural initiatives that are educating young people and to start advocating for recognition of educational capacities of cultural and artistic initiatives that are promoting the culture of human rights and sensibility towards the most vulnerable members of society. In addition, aim was to start dialogue about possibility for wider social acceptance of cultural and artistic initiatives in schools.

Participants in the introductory part of round table were Dimitrije Tadić (Advisor/Coordinator for contemporary visual art and multimedia, Ministry of Culture and Information), Ivana Ćirković (Director, Office for Cooperation with Civil Society of the Government of Republic of Serbia), Katarina Živanović (the former Secretary of the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade).

At the panel Human rights, transition and cultural practices…What to do?, Dejan Ilić (publishing house “Book Factory” and Magazine for literature, culture and social issues “Word”) presented opinion about the role of culture and education in the socialization of young individuals, promotion of socially desirable and acceptable value system, as well as about legitimization function of culture. Positioning his exposition into the context of transitional society, such as Serbian society, he emphasized the need to achieve consensus about new desirable value system that would respect universal moral values.

At the panel Why democracy needs literature?, the sixth edition of Magazine for literature in schools “Texture” and the fifth edition of Little Box were presented to interested public (Publisher: Group 484). Nenad Veličković (writer from Sarajevo and editor of Magazine “Texture”), Ružica Marjanović (main editor of Magazine “Texture” and edition Little Box), Dobrosav Bob Živković (illustrator) and Tijana Spasić (leader, Cultural Centre “City”) presented their thoughts on the reasons for launching of edition Little Box and Magazine “Texture”. In addition, they emphasised the need for reform of school literary curriculum and perceiving literature in schools, also, as a way of developing sensitivity of young people towards other and different.

Organizers selected educational, cultural and artistic initiatives, as examples of good practice, which have high quality programs that should be part of formal and informal school activities. Selected initiatives, such as URA KULTURA – Movement for better position of culture for children and youth, Film Festival “Free Zone”, Magazine for more just education “Školegium” (Bosnia and Herzegovina) presented their work at the panel Educational capacities of cultural initiatives and artistic practices. Also, supported artistic and cultural initiatives within FOCUS project presented to public, such as Atelje Atelijer, Theatre group “Joj, evo ih ovi”, Youth Association, Alternative Centre for Girls (Kruševac), Užice Book Republic (Užice), Centre for Contemporary Art of Southeast Serbia – Section (Vranje).

Participants in round table were representatives of artistic initiatives, cultural and education institutions and inititiatives, as well as high school students from Užice, Kruševac, Vranje, Novi Pazar and Belgrade.

In the evening of the same day, literary performance “the Writer is a stamp” by David Albahari (writer from Belgrade) and Artistic Collective “Škart” was held at the Gallery Podroom (Belgrade Cultural Centre). Participants were also artistic initiative “Poetrying” and artistic collective “Karkatag”.

National Round Table “Between education and culture: 45 minutes for alternative scene” was organized within the framework of project “FOCUS – For Culture in Serbia”, which is supported by the Delegation of European Union in Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Serbia – Office for Cooperation with Civil Sector.

Conclusions and Recommendation can be downloaded here.