In times of rapid economic and technological changes, cities around the world are striving to gain an international reputation as attractive hubs for investors, tourists, and skilled workforce. Improvement of infrastructure, creation of a more appealing environment for the citizens and the strategies to attract and keep the most successful are key priorities for urban development nowadays.
However, it cannot be denied the most important ingredient in making a city attractive is its soul – the creatives and the artists working in it. Furthermore, in the modern world, the creative sector is not merely seen as an entertainment industry but is also considered to be one of the key engines of development and a significant contributor to the economy. That’s why many governments around the world are bringing forth policies and incentives for this sector to grow.
In the last couple of years, we have witnessed significant changes in Banja Luka. Economic growth, new infrastructure, and dynamic society have become more prominent and gained recognition and visibility. In order to integrate and develop the creative sector further, the City Council recognised the opportunity and has taken several actions such as building two new hubs the House of Milanović and the MMVI Shelter. Banja Luka has been recognised as the City of Music by UNESCO.
In the UK, the sector has been fostered for more than three decades, and its impact and contribution to the national GDP have been closely monitored. However, to keep pace with the ongoing advancements, the sector and government bodies are constantly reframing the approach to the sector development.
This two-day event will provide a platform for professionals from the sector to compare their experiences and methods, examine good practices, successes, and failures to set the ground for closer relations and collaboration within the field between Banja Luka and the UK.
The City of Banja Luka and the British Council are inviting professionals (creative producers, entrepreneurs, thinkers) from Bosnia working in the fields of film, music, gaming, tech, architecture, design and fashion, theatre, visual arts, cultural heritage, interdisciplinary to take part in the meeting and contribute to the development of the joint strategy recommendations.
If you are creative and want to be part of the conference, please register here!
Special part of the conference will be series of 10-minute presentations introducing projects and organisations from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UK. We aim to improve visibility of local projects and organisations and enhance chances for successful networking in the sector.
If you wish to present your project or organisation, please register here!
Preuzeto sa: britishcouncil.ba