Southeast Europe: A Cultural Journey gave the public an opportunity to experience the Western Balkans
and Turkey with all their senses. An eclectic group of musicians, writers, filmmakers and culinary artists
presented the culture of their region through a series of live events.

Having visited Germany and Austria, they then performed in the Netherlands from 1 – 6 June and Belgium from 23 – 27 June.

Music lovers were able to pick their favourite from a wide variety of artists and styles. For example, Boban and Marko Markovic Orchestar from Serbia and King Naat Veliov & the Original Kocani Orkestar from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia shared their ever-popular take on the rapid rhythms of the Balkan Brass Band, while Rambo Amadeus (Montenegro) offered an unforgettable evening with his jazz-funk, musical improvisation and humour.

Gjergj Xhuvani (Albania) and Aneta Lesnikovska (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) are among the great practitioners of contemporary Southeast European cinema who discussed their work at special film screenings. There were rare opportunities to hear popular Southeast European authors such as Mario Levi (Turkey), Damir Šodan (Croatia) and Nenad Velickovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) who read from their acclaimed literary works.

These were just a few of the highlights of a cultural celebration that brought Southeast Europe’s world-renowned artists and best-kept secrets to new audiences.