This year’s PW Festival happened in the mid-September and brought together women artists and activists from some of the women’s most brisk groups from neighboring countries, as well as many engaged artists who are a part of the feminist community from the Balkans and the world.
As one of the activities of the Fest, CURE (GIRLS) launched a modest, informal, but a Women’s Network B&H. In this way, the communication about the events, response to problems in everyday life, courses to improve women’s human rights and feminism can be connected with a number of individuals and representatives of the BH civil initiatives.
Opening of the Fest
The Fest was opened with the photo exhibition which documented herstory and recorded women’s experiences, all done by Biljana Rakocevic and Vesna Pavlovic from Serbia/USA, long-time photographers of the well known Women in Black organization from Belgrade. The selection of photographs that represent feminist peace activism provides an insight into reality, challenges, emotions, achievements of persistent women who do not give up whilst working for peace.
„These photographs I have selected with my heart, all these years I have been working with Women in Black and each one of them, I personally know. This was something coming from the depths of female soul, you have the opportunity to see photos regarding Srebrenica massacre, March 8th street event in Belgrade, women from Visegrad and Vukovar (Serbian and Croatian war affected cities), where you can see women solidarity in all these sad places.. These photos are thus, important to these women and to me“, says Biljana Rakocevic, a photographer from Serbia.
The Fest was also opened by two young rappers, Eya from Hrasnica, who created a song called “Girls (Cure)”, and Sarah from Doboj. Engaged texts of Eya and Sarah shared with the audience the challenges that young women are facing in contemporary B&H, and informed the public and media of how they confront different situations and problems.
“An exciting aspect of the 2009 PitchWise festival is the fact that it took place in three cities in B&H (Zenica, Banja Luka, Sarajevo). The girls (CURE) from Zenica have developed and organized one-day festival with artwork, discussion about women engaged art, distribution of super Guerrilla Girls posters, and of course one PMS party (PitchWise mixed sexes party). This year’s PW Festival was also the most visited one, it gathered 500-600 visitors”, says Vedrana Frasto, PR of CURE Foundation.
Le Zbor
One of the performances that definitely drew public’s attention was the dynamic chorus from Zagreb – Le zbor. What characterizes them is the combination of activism and innovative feminist politics and they share a talent for something they are truly excellent at – singing. Fem-forum Theater performance made an interactive performance in which the audience itself participated, and one of the messages that are symbolically and literally intertwined through the Forum Theater is that every person is holding a part of the solution in her/his hands.
These were just some of the activities of the women’s art festival this year, which was again the space for free expression and creative research, and it identified why women are worthy of praise and appreciation.
PitchWise however, is not the only time and place when women shine, but it is a special journey that CURE Foundation now regularly, organize for themselves and others.
Related articles:
More info on the Fest – in English.
Photos by Biljana Rakocevic:
Women in Black – Photo series
Organized by:
