19–20 March 2024
Conference venue: Dom omladine, Banja Luka
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 a skilled workforce. The improvement of infrastructure, the creation of a more appealing environment for citizens and strategies to attract and keep the most successful are key priorities for urban development nowadays.
However, it cannot be denied that the most important ingredient in making a city attractive is its soul – the creatives and artists working in it. 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 introducing policies and incentives to grow the sector.
In the last couple of years, we have witnessed significant changes in Banja Luka. Economic growth, new infrastructure and a 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 ongoing advancements, the sector and government bodies are constantly reframing the approach to the development of the sector.
This two-day event will provide a platform for professionals from the sector to compare their experiences and methods, explore good practices, successes and failures so as to lay the ground for closer relations and collaboration between Banja Luka and the UK in the creative sector.
The City of Banja Luka and the British Council are pleased to invite professionals (creative producers, entrepreneurs, thinkers) from Bosnia working in the fields of film, music, gaming, tech, architecture, design and fashion, theatre, visual arts and cultural heritage – along with interdisciplinary professionals – to take part in the conference 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!
A special feature of the conference will be a series of ten-minute presentations introducing projects and organisations from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UK. We aim to improve the visibility of local projects and organisations and enhance the chances of successful networking in the sector.
If you wish to present your project or organisation, please register here!