On the occasion of the candidacy of Novi Sad for the European Capital of Culture in 2021, in the past few days Panel of independent experts from the European Commission visited Novi Sad, talked with representatives of Novi Sad 2021, senior officials, artists and representatives of cultural institutions and independent scene, as well as the NGO sector or and the citizens themselves, and they will take their impressions to Brussels, where cultural capitals for 2021 will be announced at a ceremony scheduled for the 13th of October.
Novi Sad was visited by members of the Panel: Mr. Steve Green, Chairman, and Mrs. Suzana Žilič Fiser, Deputy, joined by the European Commission Representative Gloria Lorenzo Lerones in the role of the observer.
The delegation, accompanied by the members of the team Novi Sad 2021, Nemanja Milenkovic, Vuk Radulovic, Tijana Palkovljević and Darko Polic, first visited Petrovaradin fortress, and then Sremski Karlovci, where a member of the team Novi Sad 2021, Vesna Latinovic, presented projects that will be implemented in cooperation with partner municipalities of Beocin, Irig and Sremski Karlovci within „Zone 021“.
The talk in Karlovci was continued in the Peace Chapel, where Goran Tomka presented Cultural Development Strategy of the city, which was followed by a round table with the theme: „The participation of all actors of culture in developing a strategy and its future implementation.“ In the same place the distinguished guests were presented the concept of the Peace Chapel by a member of the Arts Council, Danijel Babic, as well as a member of the City Council in charge of Culture, Dalibor Rozic.
The visit was continued in the Academy of Arts, where the representatives of Panel were welcomed by Dean, Mr. Siniša Bokan. On that occasion, the Commission was presented projects with which the Academy applied, after which in the Matica srpska Professor Dragan Stanic, President of this distinguished institution, presented this oldest Serbian literary, cultural and scientific institution. In the same place Manager for International Cooperation and Communication of Novi Sad 2021, Vuk Radulovic, presented the entire team that has worked on the project: the Organizing Committee, Application team and Operative team.
At the meeting in the City Hall, the Minister of Culture and Information, Mr.Vladan Vukosavljevic, President of the Provincial Government of Vojvodina, Mr.Igor Mirović, Mayor of Novi Sad, Mr.Miloš Vučević and the Provincial Secretary for Culture, Mr.Miroslav Stakic, unanimously supported the candidacy of Novi Sad, noting that it is a project of national importance and, as such, has the support of all three levels of government, local, provincial and national.
At lunch in Újvidéki Színház, members of the Panel were presented projects aimed at encouraging intercultural cooperation and projects of national minorities, in the presence of representatives of the Roma, Jewish and Hungarian ethnic minorities, and their hosts were Mr. Valentin Vencel, Director of the Theatre, Mr.Dragan Rajic from the Center for the production of knowledge and skills, spokeswoman of the Institute for protection of Cultural Monuments, Mrs.Katarina Maksimov, and representative of the Jewish community, Mrs.Gordana Todoric.
The members of the Panel, together with the Director of the Music School „Isidor Bajic“, Mrs. Radmila Rakin-Martinovic and with Mrs.Vesna Kaćanski, a member of the Arts Council of Novi Sad 2021, visited the construction site of the future Novi Sad Art Center, and the future Music and Ballet School with concert-hall in Liman 3, which should be completed by the end of 2018, as stated at the meeting.
One of the main goals of the project Novi Sad 2021 is decentralization of cultural content, thus the guests visited one of the favorite parts of Novi Sad, Novo Naselje, and met the Cultural Association Novo Naselje and projects aimed at spreading the culture outside the city center. Vukasin Grozdanović, coordinator of the project OPENS presented further plans for the implementation of initiatives to Novi Sad become European Capital of Youth 2019, emphasizing the connection with the project „Novi Sad 2021“.
The tour of Novi Sad ended with the interview with the business sector in the future Youth creative polis and a visit to Manual Forgotten Arts Museum, where they had a chance to meet the owner of The Manual Co., Mr. Sinisa Zarin. During the meeting the project,, Freedom Festival“ was presented. In the same place they met with Mr.Velibor Mihic from the RT-RK, as well as with representatives of the Mercator Centre, Mrs. Maja Veselinovic and Mr.Matija Protic. Ivan Petrovic, Director of the EXIT Foundation presented two planned project, the Museum of festivals and creating a creative hub in this part of town.
