The Balkan Express network was founded at the IETM Trieste Plenary Meeting in 2002 as a platform connecting people interested in collaboration within and with the Balkans, involved in contemporary art and socially engaged practices. For more than 15 years, it has been providing a space for reflection on the new roles of contemporary arts in a changing political and social environment, but at the moment it is a dormant initiative, mostly due to the absence of a stable source of financing.

Using the history of Balkan Express as a starting point, the conversation intends to map out new possible trajectories and resources for regional cooperation and exchange between performing arts professionals in South-Eastern Europe. Where is our strength and what makes us vulnerable? How can the actors of these fragile contexts stand by each other in the face of declining support and dividing political systems? What is the new role of the networks supporting cooperation within and with the Balkans? And who and how should keep them running?

Please check the accessibility of the venue here.