Strategy

Banja Luka 2024

European capital of culture

Candidate city

The document Strategy of cultural development of the city of Banja Luka 2018-2028 was voted on June 26^th 2018 at the City assembly meeting. This document, which has been in the works for more than a year, and two months in public debate, brings the vision, mission and the strategic goals of cultural development to the period from 2018 to 2028.

General goals of the strategy

The Strategy, which has included the whole cultural sector in its creation process, has used the detecdet key challenges to define six general goals:

Transparent and participative cultural policy
Developed infrastructural network for arts and culture
Strong, authentic and professional art scene
Defined cultural policy and strategy in the fields of cultural and natural heritage
Developed cultural and creative industries
Cultures in dialogue

Following this method, the three important aspects of culture have been incorporated, considering that the cultural sector is lately defined as comprising of art, heritage and cultural and creative industries.

Download the strategy

CHALLENGES

The challenges recognized by the public institutions, independent sector, cultural workers and artists are:

Insufficient funding of culture
Lack of clear goals, vision and transparent planning
Unsatisfactory results of the work of the city’s Department of culture
Underdeveloped independent scene
The education system doesn’t prepare the youth for contemporary arts and culture
Political and economic elite’s lack of interest for culture
Cultural illiteracy of the general public
Art is marginalized in school programmes
Insufficient investing in local production
Overwhelming influence of politics on culture
Public space of Banja Luka is underused for cultural activities
Low level of professionalism of artists, managers and cultural experts
Lack of care for cultural heritage and cultural monuments
Poor management of public institutions of culture
Inefficient incentives for philanthropy and sponsorships
Youth Cultural Centre is underused for cultural activities
Banja Luka doesn’t have a developed network of spaces for culture
Insufficient investing in project activities
Banski Dvor Cultural Centre is underused for cultural activities
The Vrbas is underused for cultural activities
Lack of interest in culture of living and space in general
Young artists do not have enough space for production
Poor quality of cultural programmes
Imbalanced approach to culture in different parts of the city

Something over twenty defined key challenges have served as a basis for the conception of the Banja Luka 2024 project

STRATEGY PRIORITIES

Increase funding on the local level (City of Banja Luka) as a precondition for the implementation of the Strategy and other strategic goals
Transparency in the process of financing and co-financing of programmes and projects in the field of culture and de-politization of culture
Creating conditions for unobstructed development of art and culture production (secure space, increase number of local production projects)
Audience development and citizen participation in cultural life
Apply the city for the European capital of culture
Strengthen the practice of management of cultural and natural heritage that involves its sustainability and the city development
Cultural diversity, social inclusion and cohesion
Protection and responsible use of public space
International collaboration
Reestablishing open calls and architectural competitions in the matters important for culture and the identity of the city.
Strengthening of institutional and infrastructural support to the development of cultural and creative industries and the overall change in perception of CCI
Capacity building and strengthening the capacity of the civic society organizations in the processes of protection and responsible use of cultural and natural heritage.
Securing the fund for international cooperation projects in the field of culture and arts that were successful in European programmes.

ECoC CANDIDACY

The Banja Luka Strategy of cultural development is the first strategic document of this type in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it has come to life as a product of the initiative to make Banja Luka a candidate for the title of European capital of culture 2024

THE AUTHORS

The authors of the Strategy are: Monika Ponjavić, Dijana Grbić, Marko Bilbija, in cooperation with dr Sarita Vujković and Mladen Banjac. The editor of the Strategy is Monika Ponjavić and the consultant in the process was prof. dr Milena Dragićević-Šešić.

Four general goals of the Cultural Strategy, beside challenges and priorities, were taken as the frame for defining the cultural and artistic programme of Banja Luka 2024 Bidding Book:

Cultures in Dialogue

Heritage

Public Space

Authentic, professional scene