The international professional conference entitled “Cultural Synergies”, in which the director general of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, Mr. Aleksandar Dajković, the director of the National Museum, dr. Anastazija Miranović, the director of the Film Center, doc. May 9 in Thessaloniki.

Representatives of the ministries of culture and institutions active in the field of contemporary art from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia took part in the conference.

The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the establishment of different models of cooperation between institutions, as well as the initiation of residency programs for artists. Cooperation between museums, both those dealing with cultural heritage and those based on the presentation of modern and contemporary art, was also discussed. A declaration was also adopted at the conference, which, among other things, emphasizes the role of the government’s cultural policies in strengthening cooperation at the national and regional level, as well as in promoting cultural diversity. Among other things, she recognizes the importance of strengthening the countries of Southeast Europe by supporting cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral level, by emphasizing systematic culture and political synergy; through emphasizing the cultural wealth of contemporary culture and art as well as the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the countries of Southeast Europe. Also, accepting the value of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, in shaping people’s perception of culture, focusing on the need for active engagement of citizens, artists and institutions with common European roots, in the context of strengthening social inclusion.

The Declaration also recognizes the role of cultural institutions, that is, museums, taking into account best practices and proposals based on experience and expertise. It supports the combination of culture and art with digital technologies as a dynamic sector of economic development and employment. The Declaration encourages the exchange of art exhibitions as a tool for shared experiences that provide the opportunity for dialogue between artists and the public as a whole, that is, it recognizes the need for more intensive and diverse cooperation, especially in the areas of musical, visual, performative and cinematographic art, as well as tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The signing of the declaration by the ministers of culture of the countries of Southeast Europe will be realized during the fall of 2019.