Call for submitting project ideas for the candidacy of Novi Sad for the European Capital of Culture in 2021 was presented at the press conference held at the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad. The goal of this call, symbolically called ‘Let’s Create Together’ is creation of an original and innovative program concepts and involvement of citizens and the general public in the process of candidacy. The call is open to all domestic and foreign natural and legal persons, and the criteria for the call and all other information can be found on the internet address www.novisad2021.rs. Completed applications must be submitted to the internet address predlog@novisad2021.rs no later than 15 May 2015.

President of the Organisation Board of Novi Sad 2021, Dr Andrej Fajgelj, President of the Program Council Novi Sad 2021, Momčilo Bajac, and Representative of team for drafting the application Novi Sad 2021, Dragana Rajić discussed the call at the press conference.

– European Capital of Culture project brings many benefits to a city, not only cultural but also social and economic, it brings tourists and investments and it puts a city on the world map. If we win this title, will be visited by people who are not quite sure where Europe is, let alone Serbia, Vojvodina and cities in this part of the world. I invite you all to participate in this project as it enters its final phase because on 23 October, we will submit the application to the European Commission, so we need your help. If you have an idea, if you dream about changing something in your city, please send us your project idea and I promise you that it will be evaluated according to the criteria of selection and in no other way – said Fajgelj.

Momčilo Bajac emphasized that the basic principles that were taken into consideration when designing the program and content of the project ECoC 2021 was highlighting the ‘generation approach’, because the project needs to give young people a chance to give their contribution to the long-term development of the city. The second principle is that we ask not only what the city can do for culture, but what culture can do for the city.

– The values on which the call is based are building a community based on creative work, unifying capacity of individuals and organizations, reconstructing and creating new public spaces for meeting of cultures, entrepreneurship in culture and cultural development in general, and re-established existing and creating new social, cultural and economic links with local and international partners – stressed Bajac.

Dragana Rajić added that cultural institutions, educational institutions, civil sector, individuals, entrepreneurs and others can submit their ideas within the call.

– We expect many people to answer this call, all information can be found on the website KCNS and on the website Novi Sad 2021, after the 15 May, which is the deadline for applications, a jury will select project ideas that are sufficiently interesting – stressed Rajić.

Before the press conference, the meeting was held between the President of the Organisation Board of Novi Sad 2021 and the President of the Program Council Dr Andrej Fajgelj and Dr Momčilo Bajac as well as Tatjana Kalezić, with representatives of the media in Novi Sad. The distinguished guests were presented with the project of our city’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture and activities of the Organisation Board and the Council in the preparation for nomination. Media strategy of the Organisation Board was also presented, alongside some of the planned activities that lie ahead in the period before submission for the bid-book. Mr Fajgelj and Mr Bajac expressed their expectation that Novi Sad will win this prestigious title. The main motif and reason for holding today’s meeting was a discussion about the role of the media in the process of candidacy and possible forms of cooperation. Media representatives and hosts exchanged experiences and presented useful suggestions for future relations and cooperation. It was concluded that the media promotion is a very important segment in the process of preparation and it is therefore necessary to improve cooperation in this area. Very interesting suggestions for the improvement of media visibility of the project were also presented.

Among other things, it was concluded that there is a need for better communication between the organisers and the media, that it would be good to make some kind of ‘press council’ so that representatives of the media could be up to date with all the activities, and it was said that all concrete opportunities for cooperation should be used.