The questions about the role of culture and cultural leadership in today’s society are closely connected to artistic experimentation, freedom of expression as well as the use of culture as a medium for rethinking contemporary social and political issues. There are voices that praise the social role of leadership in culture that “means leading culture itself – making work, productions and projects which show different ways of thinking, feeling and experiencing the world – bringing dynamism to the economy and wider society.” On the other hand, there are voices which obstruct the use of term leadership within cultural field claiming that the concept is bringing neo-liberal business and capitalist logic into culture and artistic fields.

To discuss these issues a public debate is organised pm 8th of February 2016 at 5 pm in Cultural Center “Grad”, Braće Krsmanović 4, Belgrade.

One of the panelists in the debate is also the President of the BMN Steering Board Tatjana Cvjetićanin, Curator in National Museum in Belgrade. See more information about the debate in the this document.

The public debate is the part of the project “The role of art and culture in changing societies – Developing capacities for cultural leadership”. This seed project is implemented by Creative Mentorship, Balkan Museum Network and Nätverkstan and it is the first step of connecting the partners in order to exchange experience, knowledge and successful practice in the field of leadership and mentorship. The project aims to better understand the needs of leaders in the field of culture in post-conflict context. The project lasts from autumn 2015 to winter 2016 and it includes study visits, joint working sessions, focus groups and public debates which will all serve to determine current conditions in this domain and to develop capacities of all partners for future work in the field of cultural leadership. It is supported by the Swedish Institute through the program Creative Forces.