This year’s fourth consecutive Eco Art Fest, which will take place during summer and autumn (from July to October 2022), is realized under the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle” (3R – s: Reduce, reuse, recycle).
The organizer of the festival is the Mitrovica NGO Art Point “Akvarijus”, and this year the festival is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC.
The idea for Eco Art Fest (ECO ART FEST) was born in 2018 with the intention of raising, through art, the ecological and cultural awareness of young people living and staying in Mitrovica, and in Kosovo, where neglect of the environment is particularly pronounced. Since the state of disturbed ecological balance, which affects the entire planet, is mostly caused by man himself, the theme of the Eco Art Festival as a whole is unstable ecological balance.
The goal of the Eco Art Festival is for young people to gain awareness of ecology and art in an interesting and effective way as disciplines that can coexist, permeate each other, create a whole, a cultural context of life. Also, through various programs and activities, festival participants have the opportunity to acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the use of ecological materials and the use of waste materials for artistic purposes.
This year’s fourth consecutive Eco Art Fest, which will take place during summer and autumn (from July to October 2022), is realized under the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle” (3R – s: Reduce, reuse, recycle).
The organizer of the festival is the Mitrovica NGO Art Point “Akvarijus”, and this year the festival is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC.
During four months, a large number of artistic programs, educational and artistic workshops will be organized for young people of all ages (primary and secondary school, students), and as guests of the festival Mitrovica will be visited by artists (writers, painters, musicians) who have also distinguished themselves as fighters for environmental protection.
This year too, the Eco Art Festival will have a competitive part, and the registered participants (See: Competition for the competitive part of the Eco Art Festival >>) will compete in designing the best graphic solution on a given environmental theme (food waste, single-use plastics, recycling, composting, concept of zero waste, nature and biodiversity). In addition, the most successful children who participated in one of the festival’s programs will be awarded the opportunity to participate in one of the eco camps in the region. The total prize fund for the competitive parts of the festival amounts to 2,400 euros.
IV Eco Art Festival will take place in several program units:
ART FROM WASTE
Children of school age will make art objects from the collected waste material (See: Public call for donation of waste material >>) which will be publicly exhibited in September. The prize for the author of the best work will be participation in one of the eco camps in the region.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEROES
Children of elementary school age (up to 14 years old) will have the opportunity to meet employees of public companies. A conversation with the invisible environmental heroes of the city will enable festival participants to get to know the daily work and challenges of workers whose activities are related to environmental protection. The children who met the “Ecological Heroes” in the workshops that will be organized afterwards will draw thank you cards for these “invisible” heroes, and the author of the best drawing will participate in one of the eco camps in the region.
ODE TO NATURE
As part of the “Ode to Nature” program, school-age children in Leposavic will attend poetry and environmental workshops during September 2022, where they will discuss various topics related to environmental protection and try to create a poem about nature. And for these participants, the reward is participation in the Eco Camp.
AT YOUR AGE
The special program unit of the festival is called “When I was your age”, which involves recording radio shows and podcasts with older residents about the former life, which was more ecologically balanced. Namely, just a few decades ago, our grandparents produced much less waste and lived in closer contact with nature. Their experiences will help in adopting an environmentally friendly way of life. That is why craft workshops will be organized with the elderly and children: knitting, sewing, cooking.
ECO ART
During the duration of the festival, members of the Children’s and Youth Theater Troupe “Mali Teatar” will prepare the play “Planeta chista nek zablista” based on the text of Slobodan Miljković, which will premiere in October 2022.
Screenings of selected films that raise awareness of environmental issues will be organized throughout the duration of the festival.
Concerts, exhibitions and forums are also planned.