BALKANFEST Kosovo-Multi-ethnic festival of cultural heritage

Our NGO Association for Culture Plejada -Prizren, that organises this great cultural event BALKANFEST, is from the minority communities led mostly by the Bosniak national minority of Kosovo together with the Roma, Gorani and Turks. Namely, Multi-ethnic and Regional FESTIVAL of traditional songs with a short name BALKANFEST Kosovo is unique not only in Kosovo but also in the Balkans and Europe. The festival is held every year in Prizren (Republic of Kosovo) and brings together over 5,000 people from all nationalities of the Republic of Kosovo - Albanians, Bosniaks, Serbs, Gorani, Turks, Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians and performers and guests from the Balkan countries. The purpose of the project is to keep away from forgetting and to promote cultural heritage - folklore dance, old original folk and traditional songs of the population which live in Kosovo and Balkan. The project focuses on the protection of the cultural immaterial heritage. A special goal of the project's implementation is to show the importance and the size of such an intangible cultural heritage to young people and to encourage their preservation from oblivion. Participants in this unique cultural event of Kosovo and the Balkans are performers of old traditional instruments, singers, cultural and artistic societies from the Albanian community and all national minorities of the Republic of Kosovo (Bosniaks, Serbs, Gorani, Turks, Roma, Ashkali) and also from the countries of the Balkan’s region.

THIS YEAR - BALKANFEST 2024 will last longer, requires a larger scope of organisation because it will expand participants from the following countries: ALBANIA, SERBIA, SLOVENIA, CROATIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, MACEDONIA, TURKEY, GREECE, MONTENEGRO AND BULGARIA… This 2024 is the 9th edition of Balkan Fest in Prizren, the largest MULTI-ETHNIC FESTIVAL of cultural heritage.

First of all, Kosovo still has not resolved its status according to some countries and there are certain prejudices and stereotypes among nations due to war events from the past. By organising this event, all the mentioned nations are together and the multiethnic harmony will be created. The mentioned Festival first gathers all the mentioned communities of Kosovo in one place, with a special emphasis on the RAE community, and we give preference to female artists. Youth is under the influence of globalisation, modern technologies, young people have lost their sense of nurturing their culture, traditions, and cultural heritage, and this event will give them a sense of cultural values. Learned from the experience of the previous eighten festivals (see the evidence in a separate article) that we organised, another problem was that we did not activate other Balkan countries (except from the last year Macedonia and Montenegro) to show their traditional values, and that is why this year our Festival extends to all communities of the Republic of Kosovo and the Balkan countries to promote traditional and cultural values.

The festival has an effect on all three target groups - participants, trainees and audiences, and that of:

- Cultural diversity and cultural diplomacy have been created

- Young people have created a sense of cultural heritage

- Multi-ethnic and multinational harmony has been created

- There were more female participants, and people eith special needs

- An image of multiethnic tolerance and common coexistence, and mutual respect, democratic and cultural values of the peoples of Kosovo and the Balkans was sent worldwide through TV and other media.