Nova Iskra is announcing “Connect for Creativity” project and international conference “Creative Backslash”

By the middle of 2020, Nova Iskra is participating in the intercultural project entitled “Connect for Creativity”, together with partners from Turkey, Greece and Great Britain. “Creative Backslash: from precarious individuals to resilient organizations”, a three-day conference dedicated to the future of creative work, will be organized in Belgrade from June 12th to 14th.

Connect for Creativity is an 18-month project led by the British Council, in partnership with three creative hubs – ATÖLYE in Turkey, Bios in Greece, Nova Iskra in Serbia and Abdullah Gül University in Kayseri. The project aims to form a network of creative hubs across Europe to foster creative exploration and collaboration that contributes to building a more cohesive, open and connected civil society. The project is co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey.

Connect for Creativity project is part of the EU-Turkey Intercultural Dialogue Programme, led by the Yunus Emre Institute and co-financed by the European Union and Republic of Turkey. The Programme aim to strengthen cultural exchanges and dialogue between EU -Turkey by bringing different institutions with different cultural backgrounds together. Connect for Creativity project aims to form a network of creative hubs across Europe to foster creative exploration and collaboration that contributes to building a more cohesive, open and connected civil society.

The programme will include a series of activities; a research into the growing importance of creative hubs and their role in promoting intercultural dialogue, three networking conferences in Belgrade, Kayseri and Athens, a study visit to the UK, simulatenous six weeks long art and technologu residencies in Istanbul, Athens and Belgrade followed by an exhibition in the UK.

The project helps establish links between Turkey, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Serbia and offers a variety of opportunities for global networks, said Relja Bobic, Founding Partner of Nova Iskra. “For us, this project is a natural development of relationships we have been developing with partners such as bios, ATOLYE and British Council over the past years, as well as a chance to further enhance the intercultural dialogue between our countries, and to connect the cultural and creative actors active in our respective communities. At least in the Balkans, we are too often looking up only to creative and artistic achievements coming from the north and the west, while there are extremely rich cultural contexts unfolding in our proximity, in the directions of south and east. I would say that is the most exciting aspect of this project for us, presenting those rich cultural landscapes of Greece and Turkey to Serbian audiences and creative professionals.” he said.

Connect for Creativity enables students, academics, artists, professionals from creative and cultural industries and policy-makers to benefit from international business development and collaboration opportunities in Europe, engage in the transfer of experience and knowledge, and participate in creative research on the principles of empathy, inclusion, and empowerment.

The project offers travel grants for participants attending business visits, business development conferences and in-residence programmes on arts and technology, and also provides funding for these individuals to help them realize their works. To receive detailed information on project activities, which will take place in London, Manchester, Istanbul, Kayseri, Belgrade and Athens, as well as for applications, please visit: