With a small (justified) delay as compared to the world flows, since the year 2000 in Serbia has been very much present the phenomenon of a rich cultural production initiated and realized by independent sector. It is difficult to establish the criteria for calculating the real impact and contribution to the contemporary culture, however, the fact is that more than 30 active organizations and artistic groups in Belgrade only produce a minimum of 500 public cultural programmes a year.
The importance of the independent scene is confirmed by the decision of the City of Belgrade to make possible for some of the actors to use the premises, practically forming a new cultural centre, located in the Magazine, in 4, Kraljević Marko Street, Belgrade.
In terms of programmes the most active are cultural centres with many-year practice, REX and CZKD, which are to the greatest extent also hosts of the independent production, mainly due to their multipurpose space. Unfortunately, there are organizations that had an important impact on the cultural offer until few years ago, but currently, due to the poor treatment and lack of support, they almost ceased to operate (Centre for Youth Creativity) or completely stopped their activities (CENPI, Centre for Contemporary Art, LOW FI).
The theatre has certainly the longest tradition of extra-institutional activities in our country. Let us mention just some of organizations, starting from the ones established in the first half of 1990s: Dah Theatre, Blue Theatre, Ister, Omen, Mimart to the new ones like Stanica, Bazart.
By length of duration, activities and continuous presence follow organizations and groups oriented towards the visual art: Remont, Point for Artistic Experiment, Bura (Tempest), Kiosk, Ozone, Dez Org, Proartorg or the group Škart (Discard) and their subproject Horheškart, ZMUC (Zemun Small Art Centre), Illegal pastry-shop owners.
A very small number of people are aware that behind important festivals and different multimedia projects of new cultural tendencies, even international conferences, as initiators and producers again stand representatives of the independent sector – Cultural Front: Festival Refract, radio programme Cross Radio, Theatre of Hats, conference Forum Belgrade; Belgrade Yard Sound System: Festival Dis-parch; NkA – Independent Cultural Association: REAL PRESENCE, the Museum Night.
The independent sector also covers the field of contemporary publishing, by introducing a new dynamics through contemporary (multimedia) approach to promotion. Bearers of these tendencies are for sure the Publishing houses RENDE, BEOPOLIS and the latest one, more prone to alternative expression – KORNET. The essential although somewhat neglected segment of specialized theories are born by Teorija koja Hoda (Walking Theory) and Prelom kolektiv (Fracture Collective).
The entering into the third millennium has introduced new categories of activities.
A large contribution to information is given by web portals Seecult, Network of Creative people, Wikimedia.
A novelty in the relationship between the culture and public was introduced by activism-oriented organizations, among which the most active are the Bureau from Belgrade, Stani-pani Collective, Free Culture, Women in Action.
Interesting artistic initiatives have appeared recently, such as Topiary Art Trust, which through artistic activities follow general issues related to the environment and ecology, on equal basis with the world trends.
Due to the importance of programmes they realize (major and important cultural events, exhibitions, conferences), one has almost lost from sight that YUSTAT and Balkan Cult also belong to the independent sector.
An important feature of the independent sector and its public production is that the programmes are mainly based on international cooperation and education, while a large number of organizations are active in international networks.
It is a fact that in practice the independent sector addresses a specific target group but the quality is that this target group consists mainly of young, creative and educated people who should be the base of the society in the near future.
On the other hand, it is also a fact that the importance of activities of the independent sector is unrecognized and that it is still, in a broader sense, invisible.
The phenomenon of independent culture has imposed itself as an important category in the cross-section of artistic creativity; therefore it is worth to be processed as a special segment at prestigious festivals such as BELEF.
This year, through different activities, will be made a possible cross-section of active organizations that map main activities of this sector by their characteristics.
From 23 July till mid-August in the scope of BELEF 07 and in the context of proving the theses that Here and There is OVER HERE will be presented: Rende&BYS, Beopolis, Kornet, Point for Artistic Experiment, Bureau from Belgrade, Free Culture, Stani-pani Collective, Women in Action, Stanica and 12+, TkH, Cultural Front, Seecult, Dez org, Topiary Art Trust and as a special guest Yustat.
Belgrade, June 2007 |