29 September 2009

Through Changing Times, Belgrade’s Art Endures

U.S. contributes more than $1 million to youth cultural center

By Michelle Austein Brooks
Staff Writer

Belgrade, Serbia — Forty-five years ago, Yugoslavia’s socialist government decided Belgrade needed a youth cultural center, so it cleared out buildings in the center of town to make room for Dom Omladine.

Decades later, Dom Omladine became a place where those who wanted to discuss ideas of democracy could do so freely. The center “symbolizes the democratic struggle of Belgrade. It started here,” said Darijan Mihajlovic, a member of the Belgrade City Council. In the 1980s, Mihajlovic said, programs began to address elements of the democratic process. In the 1990s, it was home to B92 student radio, one of the loudest voices against oppression, receiving international recognition for its work advocating press freedom and human rights.

When NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999, rehearsals and performances continued as scheduled. The center, which continued to be a popular place to visit even during times of conflict, was “always a place to come when things were tough,” Mihajlovic said.

Today, the center, home to more than 1,000 events each year, is still a place where those from different backgrounds are welcome. More than 180,000 people visit Dom Omladine each year. It was and is a safe house for people with different ideas, Mihajlovic said, and an important resource for youth. Since most young Serbs have never travelled to other countries and are rarely exposed to other cultures, Dom Omladine opens them to new ideas and viewpoints, he said. Dom Omladine has always welcomed artists and visitors to challenge traditional viewpoints.

Youth are encouraged to create their own programs and suggest ideas for events they would like to see, said Alexander Djukic, general secretary of the youth cultural center. But programs are also designed to introduce them to less familiar forms of art. For example, while there may be electronica performances, as that music is popular among young people, the center also plans a popular jazz festival each year. Artists sometimes come from other countries, including neighboring nations with which Serbia has had tense relations.

Dom Omladine is also home to an American Corner, a U.S.-sponsored reading room that provides information about the United States and organizes English classes, film screenings and other events free to the public.

1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR BELGRADE

Dom Omladine is getting a much-needed facelift for the first time in years. When the United States decided to donate $1 million to the people of Belgrade, it gave them a choice: the money could be used to buy new ambulances or to renovate Dom Omladine. More than 67,000 Serbs participated via SMS and Internet voting, a majority of them selecting Dom Omladine in January 2007.

The city of Belgrade also decided to contribute about 3 million euros to the effort over three years, currently the biggest ongoing cultural investment in the city.

“It is important to show how much the city loves this institution,” Mihajlovic said. “This is recognizing [Dom Omladine] as an institution of great importance to Belgrade.” Despite the global economic crisis’ impact on the city, its mayor is insistent this investment not be curtailed, Mihajlovic said.

After months of planning and construction, renovations are nearing completion. Most of the American funds went to the renovation of a performance space with 500 to 600 seats. The venue was repainted, better soundproofed and given a new air conditioning system, making the theater usable year-round. The room now has a dressing room, lighting booth and professional lighting and sound equipment for the first time. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) donated $200,000 worth of lighting and sound equipment, so the cultural center no longer has to rent equipment for every performance.

The theater, which will host Belgrade’s 25th jazz festival, will officially open in October with its new name, “Sala Americana.”

More information about Dom Omladine is available on the center’s Web site.