Within the MOST project, Urban Project Hub is open for supporting the local music scene in the Balkans. The EXIT Foundation, a partner on the MOST project, invites creative minds to apply for the open call and present ideas that will contribute to the development of the local music scene in the Balkans.
The Urban Project Hub competition is looking for creative and unique projects that will reveal new ways of cooperation between creatives and local policy makers in the field of culture. Ideal candidates should be capable of managing project and making ideas a reality, with financial and professional support from MOST.
Regional and city-level projects providing exchange and network opportunities to local musicians, and activities that can strengthen the local music scene will be shortlisted for funding. Six of the best projects will receive financial and professional support for implementation: MOST will provide up to 5,000 euros for each of the six projects, on top of collaboration with local policymakers, training, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
The current call for applications for Urban Project Hub is open between January 26, 2022 and March 15, 2022, which is the deadline for filling in the application form and sending all required materials.
Winners of the Bridge for Balkan Music Announced
Twelve winners of the international project “Bridge for Balkan Music,” featuring performers from the Balkan World Music scene, have been announced! Agona Shporta, Corina Sîrghi și Taraful Jean Americanu, Dina e Mel, E.U.E.R.P.I, Flying Nomads, GRAIU, Kalata, Lenhart Tapes, Linda Rukaj, Perija, Shkodra Elektronike and VLADIMIR have been selected by the jury from more than 100 entries. They will, through the project Bridge for Balkan Music, gain greater visibility on the global music scene, financial support, and various opportunities for career advancement.
The jury consisted of internationally renowned World Music experts: Simon Broughton, Editor-in-Chief of Songlines Magazine, Olsi Sulejmani, President of Balkan World Music Management, Dejan Vujinovic, Artistic Director of Etnofest and Jazziré music festivals, Rok Kosir, Booking Agent, Manager at R.O.K. booking & management, and Balázs Weyer, Programming Director of Hangvető.
The chosen performers will be provided with mentorship, artist portfolio creation and participation in international festivals throughout 2022. Then, during spring, Songline Magazine will release a MOST Selection CD featuring the best tracks of these fresh Balkan musicians. In July, during the EXIT Festival, the artists will be trained in production, communication with audience, and digital presence. The selected artists will have the opportunity to perform on a showcase event during the EXIT festival, which will also host a special event dedicated to MOST and the music of the Balkans, in Novi Sad, this year’s European Capital of Culture.
In addition, the performers will participate in the prestigious WOMEX World Music conference. They will also be provided with financial support to create new projects, as well as opportunities to meet music professionals and artists from Western Europe and the Balkans.
What is MOST anyway?
MOST means “bridge” in many Slavic languages. This bridge-building project has one key goal – to better represent the untapped potential of the Balkan World Music scene, and to offer an international network to those artists, young managers and festival organisers or club programming directors who are ready to join the global scene. The project is supported by Creative Europe, the cultural framework programme of the European Union. The unprecedented budget of 4 Million Euros has already greatly contributed to the emergence of Balkan World Music.
The project accepts applications from the following target countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia.
MOST brings together important contributors to the music industry of the region. It connects eight countries through four different open calls (for performers, festival organisers, music professionals, and urban creatives). All of the countries share a common goal — to present the Balkans as a fertile and creative musical ground and strengthen the music market of the area through support for contributors to the World Music and ethno genre.
