22 Serbian Festivals Receive EFFE Label, Make Part of European Festival Network

On 29 September in Belgrade, EU Delegation to Serbia and ArtLink Association held a cocktail party at Belgrade City Hall, promoting EFFE – Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe – with the support from European Commission.

Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Ambassador Davenport presented 2015-2016 EFFE certificates to 22 Serbian festivals, thus making them part of major European festival network.

“EFFE initiative is highly important for European festivals and I am very happy that Serbia – via ArtLink Association – decided to take part in this EU pilot programme. 22 Serbian festivals now proudly hold 2015-2016 EFFE certificates. This has fortified Serbia’s position on European cultural map, already known for its festival culture,” Ambassador Davenport said.

“Certainly, this marks considerable success for Serbia and ArtLink, Association that managed to make Serbian festivals part of this project through its partnership with European Festival Association. Serbia is the only country from this region that has managed to make part of the project, normally designed for EU countries, resulting in 22 Serbian festivals receiving 2015-2016 EFFE label in its first generation of recipients,“ said Jovanka Visekruna Jankovic Director of ArtLink Association.

Belgrade event directly followed gala event held in Paris on 27 September, which announces EFFE label recipients and within which 12 festivals were awarded. Paris gala event also hosted a presentation of young Serbian artist, laureate of the prestigious ArtLink – Société Générale Most Promising Young Music Artist Award for 2013, violinist Irena Josifovska, in front of some 300 European festivals directors.

Event at City Hall was attended by artists, representatives of festivals, cultural organisations and diplomatic corps. Concert by flutist Aron Chiesa and pianist Natasa Sarcevic, performing works of Brahms, Webber, Schumann and Poulanc, marked the beginning of Art Link Festival. ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival is being held at various venues in Belgrade and Novi Sad from 29 September-11 October.

More about EFFE project:

EFFE aims to be a portal for professionals and citizens to discover arts festivals in Europe. The platform connects festivals deeply engaged in art, devoted to their communities and European values. EFFE pays great respect to high quality of festivals in their day-to-day work in local communities across Europe.

Following open call for EFFE applications in summer 2014, hundreds of festivals applied to prove they live up to criteria of this label: commitment to art, inclusion of community as well as local and international importance of a certain festival. National coordinators of the project urged festivals in their countries to apply for evaluation by international Jury which nominated them for this label in May 2015.

More about ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival:

ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival, starting 29 September in Belgrade, is among the recipients of EFFE Label. The ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival supports the professional advancement and preforming talent of young artists. The Festival fulfils ArtLink’s founding idea to present the most promising as well as the established young artists from Serbia, but also to present to the national audience the international rising stars and the already recognized young artists. ArtLink Festival is held in various concert venues in Belgrade and Novi Sad from 29 September-11 October. For more information: www.artlink.rs

Recipients of EFFE Label from Serbia are: