Call for Entries - THE BALKANS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

From the organizer:

Do you like history? Do you enjoy drawing? Do you appreciate the unconventional approaches of the history?

Well, then, you should be drawing a comic strip on a historical subject for the project “CAN for Balkans – Comics Alliance Networking for Balkans”.

We wish you inspiration in choosing the historical theme, rigor during the documentation process, enthusiasm in writing and drawing! We know you CAN do it!

We will make sure to exhibit the selected comic strips in Romania, Serbia, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Belgium. The best ones will be published in the project catalogue while the best of this selection will be awarded a prize.

The Balkans Throughout History

“CAN for Balkans” means the convergence between HISTORY, ART and PROPAGANDA. However, given its call to the worldwide artists “CAN for Balkans” will create the comics legacy of the History and Art without Propaganda.

The resulting works portfolio will stand for an intercultural “dialogue” on Balkan history and will constitute the basis for both the exhibition and the catalogue design.

The new, original and historically themed comic strip concept should be about what brings together the Balkan world not about what divides it, about positive examples in the shared history, about unity in diversity. The comic strips should be genuine reconciliatory artistical messages meant for peace and trust consolidation, for tolerance and respect.

This is why we invite you, dear artists, to contradict the negative clichés as well as the cultural and social stereotypes on and from the Balkan world.

The exhibition opens in Brasov, on the 14th of October 2022, during the International Historic Comic Strip Festival 2022 and will be toured to Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and Belgium.

A jury consisting of 5 comic strip experts, designated by the 5 cultural organisations participating in “Can for Balkans – Comics Alliance Networking for Balkans” project, will select the works presented in the itinerant exhibition, published on the online platform and in the project catalogue. The number of the works selected out of the total received during the call is not limited.

However, the same jury will appoint 9 winning comic strips (4 awards and 5 mention awards). The designated artists will receive money prizes and will have the possibility to present their works during the festivals and events proposed by the project partners during October 2022 – March 2023.

“CAN for Balkans” welcomes applications from worldwide artists until the 17th of July 2022!

• Producer: Brasov County Museum of History
• Main partners: Albania National Museum, Comics Art Museum Bruxelles, Strip Centar na Makedonija, Leskovac comic school ,,Nikola Mitrovic Kokan”
• Partners: Asociația Forums; Coresi Shopping Resort; Revista Historia; Agenția Națională de Presă ,,AGERPRES”.

Project financed through the programme “Creative Europe” by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) – Bruxelles, as part of the call Consolidation of the Cultural Cooperation and Competitiveness of the Cultural and Creative Industries in Western Balkans (EACEA 39/2019).