Better Together - Europe Day in Novi Sad
"World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it."
This is the first sentence of the Schuman Declaration, adopted on May 9th, 1950, which represents the beginning of the unification of Europe. The anniversary of this important document is marked as Europe Day, celebrating peace and unity in Europe, and is one of the most important and largest holidays of the European Union (EU).
On that occasion, the "Festival of Europe" will be organised on Trg Slobode in Novi Sad, the city chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2022, on Monday at 5 pm. The event will feature EU Member States, the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia and the European Movement in Serbia.
The festival will be opened by H.E. EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, Novi Sad Mayor Milos Vucevic, European Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimovic and Ambassador of France to Serbia Pierre Cochard.
The program will be broadcast live on the Second Channel of Radio Television of Serbia and First Channel of Radio Television of Vojvodina from 8 pm.
During the "Festival of Europe", which will last until 8 pm, attendees will be able to get acquainted with interesting content that will be presented at their stands by EU Member States.
However, that's not all, because fans of the game under the hoops will be able to compete in free throws and 3x3 basketball. Novi Sad is widely known as a city that has some of the best players in the world, and the competition will be closely monitored by famous national team and basketball players - Novica Veličković, Aleksandar Ratkov and Mihailo Vasić.
A large number of physically less demanding activations are also planned. The youngest participants will be able to have fun in the children's corner, and the slightly older ones will win interesting prizes in a quiz on knowledge about Europe. Will you paint me the future of Europe is a motto that inspires young European artists from Italy, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. Their mobile mural, created as part of the "Artist in residence" initiative, will be officially unveiled on Monday, and citizens will be able to see what this work of art created by the joint work of eight very creative people looks like.
The concert "Better Together" by the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra will start at 8 pm, bringing together 60 young musicians from Serbia and the Western Balkans under the baton of artistic director Desar Sulejmani, who will be joined on stage by special guests: Ivana Peters, Frajle, Ana Stanić, Zoe Kida, Bilja Krstić, Kiki Lesendrić and Stevan B. Karanac. The concert program includes several music genres and includes works of classical, film, rock, pop and ethno music.
The programs within the celebration of Europe Day are free and open to all visitors. During the month of May, a large number of events are planned throughout Serbia and in the online environment, marking the common past, present and future of Serbia and the EU.
The celebration of Europe Day is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia. The celebration of this holiday in May 2022 marks the slogan We are better together.