HOW TO TELL STORIES THAT MATTER? ERIAC Expert Talk within Manifesta 14 Programme

The 14th edition of Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, will take place from 22 July until 30 October 2022 in Prishtina, Kosovo. Organised for the occasion of the biennial, Manifesta 14 has set up the Manifesta 14 Western Balkans Project to enlarge the outreach and duration of the biennial by developing a cross-regional collaboration platform, including a vast array of cultural and civic activities across the region. An integral objective is to open up the Western Balkans, creating a project that breaks the confines of isolated cultural infrastructures and networks. 

ERIAC joined the partnership with the Manifesta 14 Western Balkans Project in order to ensure that Roma culture and the Roma audience are adequately represented in this important festival. By facilitating spaces for deepening the understanding of different cultures and providing room for participative and creative encounters, Manifesta 14 may play a pivotal role in connecting people and catalysing positive change in the Western Balkans and beyond.

On 16 May, we held an expert talk at ERIAC Space in Belgrade. ERIAC Executive Director Timea Junghaus, joined by Hedvig Fijen (Manifesta Foundation Director) and a group of trailblazing cultural activists from the Western Balkans, including Aleksandra Aleksandrovic, Sead Kazanxhiu, and Bertan Selim, discussed the topic of culture as a vehicle of challenging negative narratives about Roma, and building bridges with the majority society.