Coordinator: Udruzenje Fenomena (RS)
Partners: Association for development of culture and ecology sensus – Skopje (MK), Beoart Contemporary (RS), NVO SPES (ME), Udruga za poticanje razvoja ljudskih potencijala i kreativnosti-PRIZMA (HR), Zavod Lokarjeva Galerija (SI)

EU support: 307.171 EUR
Project duration: January 2021–March 2023

Recognizing from the immediate experience the increasing occurrence of the female – identifying artists and the problem in underrepresentation, the idea from which the concept of curatorial initiative develops brings together the art around the identity of a woman in contemporary creative work, a generation of the XXI century. The synergy between the artist and the curator leads to better visibility and awareness of the presence of the woman’s identity in the artworks and the inclusion of new forms of presentation of improving communication with the audience. In the wider context of observation and artistic adversaries, as well as improving visibility and networking, in addition to the Western Balkans region, a project involving participants from a wider European area.

The selected and planned activities (traveling exhibit, conference, workshops, lectures, residency program, research, VR technologies, publication …) during the project are directed at raising the capacity of women’s identities in culture, which aim to leave a mark for future generations.

We decide to undertake this project in attempt to answer on some of most pressing challenges, needs and problems young female visual artist, female curators and more in general women in culture in Western Balkans confront in their daily work, especially in independent sector. In attempt to secure empirical base for problem we would like to tackle in we will mainly relay on few existing research done by NGO`s in Western Balkans and on experience of people from the field (Croatia: Young women and gender quality in post-Yugoslav societies: research, practice and policy international scientific conference, UNESCO participating program, 2013.; How female artists live, Selma Banich i Nina Gojić, 2018.; Serbia: Obstacles towards women’s experts in culture, Mira Vidaković and Vesna Šćepanović; The right to culture or the right to develop cultural needs, Dušica Dragin…). Needs of young female artist in Western Balkans are basically grouped around main phases of art generation process: preparation, production, distribution, promotion and selling. All of this phases are characterized by structural weekens which make difficult for young female visual artist to professionally do their work.

Follow FB @riseofwomen.balkan