Project collaborations

“War divides, Music Connects!” All in all, 500 young people will be involved during the four years of the project, six partner countries that will offer Balkan Trafik the opportunity to showcase the work of some of the music bands that came out of the working sessions.

Initiated by the Dutch NGO Musicians Without Borders, the project first concerned the Mitrovica Rock School, located in Kosovo in a city well-known for its division between pro-Serb and pro-Albanian neighborhoods. This school allows young people to learn rock music in both branches of the school and then meet for joint performances. Two years ago, the Roma Rock School based in Skopje in Macedonia joined the project, with its young students trained in music and more particularly in the rock genre. Fontys Rockacademie from the Netherlands, Clash Exchange and Learning from Germany and SOAS University from the UK also joined the project to share their know-how and expertise.

Today, this project is divided between residencies, performances and exchanges, which will become, as one of the objectives, examples and inspirations in terms of peace-building and discovery of the “Other”.

During the next three editions of the festival, we will welcome Music Connects and its young artists on the Balkan Trafik stage.

MOST – The Bridge for Balkan Music, coordinated by Budapest-based Hangvető and co-funded by the European Union is a complex regional development project that aims to boost the music market of the Balkans by connecting and supporting actors: artists, young managers, policy-makers, festivals and music venues. MOST can boast 300 alumni, an even larger pool of professionals who aligned with the project’s mission, and a lasting impact that will continue to draw attention to the Balkans.

Flip through the Balkan World Music Guide or visit the website to learn more about the project.