The beginning of the Kaleidoscope of Culture, in front of the Czech Magazine on Saturday, 25 August was marked with 30 minutes of art – combination of artistic forms envisaged by the team of young artists, led by the idea of joint creation of space and cultural programme. The opening was made grander with the performances by one of our most important pianists, Nada Kolundžija, the ‘Body as an Instrument’ troupe from Novi Sad, as well as famous multi-instrumentalist and singer Slobodan Trkulja with extraordinary mapping and artistic light projection.

Mr Nemanja Milenković, CEO of the ‘Novi Sad 2021’ Foundation stresses that this project is initiated in order to be one of the legacies.

‘In addition to our wish to show the highest amplitude in 2021, this project, with stronger programme and joint artistic approach with all organisations and artists, should continue to live after 2021. This is simply the five weeks when it is the most visible. The goal is for people, and these are the citizens, organisations, audience and artists, to create together their own culture, the culture of Novi Sad. All of them are the part of invisible process which is implemented through different programmes. This is how Kaleidoscope functions. This is not only the relation in which you are the audience or creator, but you are the creator, audience and representative. People are those who make the bridge in order to make these programmes and processes really happen’.

Slobodan Trkulja said that he was flattered to have the chance to perform at the opening of such a large-scale project.

‘This is a unique chance for Novi Sad to show its face of the European Capital of Culture in a different way. Serbian Athens has not had such a project until now. The thing that is significant is that all of us will have a chance to see, experience and be inspired by the vision and art of different creators during the following 40 days. I am honoured I had a chance to be part of the Kaleidoscope.’

Ana Vrbaški and Marko Dinjaški / Body as an Instrument agree with Mr Trkulja when they say that Novi Sad is made for this project: ‘The Kaleidoscope celebrates diversity of the cultural scene of Novi Sad. We illustrated that we are basically the same, with our performance.’

Despite the rain that refreshed Novi Sad on the Saturday evening, multimedia performance was held and marked the beginning of the Kaleidoscope of Culture story which will present more than 400 cultural programmes in Novi Sad by the end of the September.