UROŠEVIĆ: ENABLE SMALL LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO ENJOY CULTURAL PROGRAMMES

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 23 /SRNA/ – The number of visitors attending cultural events is steadily increasing, therefore it is necessary to work more actively on the decentralization of culture in Republika Srpska so that citizens of smaller local communities can also enjoy and enrich themselves through cultural programmes, conductor and artistic director of the Symphony Orchestra of the Srpska National Theatre, Dušan Vere Urošević, told SRNA.

Urošević emphasized that theatre plays, operas, classical music concerts, and similar programmes should not be a privilege reserved only for citizens living in larger cities. He believes that classical and artistic music has its audience, but that this audience must be cultivated institutionally and through all levels of education. "Decentralising culture cannot be done on individually. It is possible, but not efficient. We need clear strategies and a path that we must follow for years, because the times we live in increasingly erode our attention, mostly affecting artistic music", Urošević said. He noted that it is necessary to think about new ways of presenting music, and to use modern methods and social media. "To begin with, cultural institutions in smaller places need to be strengthened, staffed with people who have a clear vision, and connected with umbrella institutions and key cultural actors", Urošević stressed. He believes it is also necessary to have a clear understanding of the situation on the ground, i.e. assessing the needs of various local communities, relevant associations, and organizations and to develop a strategy. "The path we must follow is difficult and long, but it will yield results. Look, after 40 or more years we finally staged the national opera 'The Badger on a Trial/Jazavac pred sudom'. Shouldn’t it already have a decades-long performance history?", Urošević said. He added that it is unacceptable to talk about great figures such as composer Vlado Milošević and writer Petar Kočić only once or twice a year. "One must ask: how will our children present themselves tomorrow, what values will they uphold, and what language will they speak?", Urošević asked. He expressed satisfaction with guest performances, which help the Symphony Orchestra of the National Theatre reach a broader audience and thereby further its own development. One such performance was in Prijedor for the ceremonial closing of the "Golden Fairy" theatre festival, where the orchestra held a concert. "This performance is extremely important to us because it was the first time our orchestra performed outside of its home venue, as guests in another city in Republika Srpska. I believe there will be more such concerts in the coming period, and that together we will work toward the decentralization of culture", Urošević said.