Luka Strika and Jelena Mijic
Luka Strika and Jelena Mijic‘ project focused on networking, meeting local cultural and artistic actors and learning about their projects and initiatives and planning possible future collaborations. In Kosovo they visited Project space Seventeen / Project Space Shtatëmbëdhjetë where they spoke with Ajete Kerqeli and made plans to facilitate the Belgrade Raw collective “Digital exhibition” event in their space in the future. They also had a meeting with Alush Gashi from Kino Armata, an impressive new example of collaboration between stakeholders and independent civic organisation. They also visited Termokiss , a community-run center and discussed possible collaboration with Magacin in Belgrade. In Peja they met Vullnet Sanaja and his colleagues from Anibar and exchanged experiences on organizing and influencing stakeholders to allow unused public spaces to be used for cultural production and presentation. In Prizren, they met Ares Shporta, the director of Kino Lumbardhi who is also involved in the regional collaboration platform Kooperativa. In Tirana, Albania, they visited the National Theatre and the group Ne Jemi Teatri where they met several representatives (Elvis Kazazi, Robert Budina, Ori Soc) of this informal group that is protecting the building of the National Theater from being demolished for the last 18 months. They also had a meeting with Valentina Koça from Zeta gallery – which is one of the oldest non-profit contemporary art organizations in Tirana – and Lorry Amy from the U.S.A., but who lives in Tirana since many years and is a supporter of many cultural initiatives in the city. In the end thet met the team of Debatik Center and Pleurad Xhafa, exchanging ideas on collaborating and working in the field of independent culture, through critical approaches and public actions.
Luka Strika and Jelena Mijic were also able to collect photographic material, references for reading and a lot of information on the local context.
We were able to learn a lot more on top what we already knew regarding the diversity of the cultural scene in Kosovo and some insights into the cultural actors as well as the historical context of Tirana and Albania.
