pictures by Myrthe Rootsaert
International Sarajevo Festival “Sarajevo Winter” is traditional crossroad where the artists and citizens of the World meet. The festival was held for the first time from 21.12.1984 to 06.04.1985. For the 33 years of existence the Festival became inseparable part of the city’s and citizens’ lives.
During 1407 festival days, Sarajevo Winter had 4,125 programmes with more than 3.500.000 visitors and 43,000 participants. Festival “Sarajevo Winter” kept rolling during all upcoming years, without a break and it became a symbol of life, freedom, creativity and it became a meeting point of diverse and different cultures and civilizations of the World.
Together with the International Peace Centre (IPC), festival ‘Sarajevo Winter’ was the organizer and initiator of project “Sarajevo, Cultural Centre of Europe”, from 21 December 1993 until 21 March 1994. (period between two cultural centres of Europe, Antwerpen, ’93 and Lisbon ’94). This idea was supported by Sarajevo City Assembly and 11 000 the most famous people from all the World, as well by the most important institutions of Europe and Avignone Festival. During that period IPC and Sarajevo Winter organized in more than 100 cities exhibitions, concerts and debates on all continents
Organizer of International Festival “Sarajevo Winter” is International Peace Centre. IPC is a member of International Societies for Performing Arts (ISPA), the European Festival Association (EFA), and association of the Biennial of Young Artists of Europe and Mediterranean(BJCEM), Peace Network B&H and ALF. International Festival “Sarajevo Winter” is a winner of many international recognitions and is a winner of the most important award of Sarajevo “Šestoaprilska nagrada Sarajevo”.
The festival is held under sponsorship of General Secretary of Council of Europe, General Director of UNESCO, Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Council of Ministers of B&H, Canton Sarajevo, and City of Sarajevo.
Ibrahim Spahić Director of International Sarajevo Festival