EU4Culture Network Festival: Human Stories, Diverse Voices showcased Baku as the highlight of its art festival, “Awakened Vision”

Creative industries and culture play a crucial role in driving local and national economic development, while the exchange of experiences between young creatives in Azerbaijan and those abroad can bring even more innovation back home.

These were the main conclusions of the festival, themed “Awakened Vision” which recently took place in Baku. The festival was organised by the European Union project – EU4Culture with support of “VarYox” – the first Azerbaijani and English Language art and culture platform in Azerbaijan. EU4Culture’s project partner Goethe Institute’s representative in Azerbaijan – Goethe Zentrum Baku gave an opportunity to hold this event in Kapellhaus Baku to celebrate art, in line with the EU project priorities as well as in adherence with Goethe-Institute’s focus on Culture. By utilizing the well-established EU4Culture network of creatives in Azerbaijan, the Local Festival in Baku lasted for two days and featured a variety of activities: project presentations, music and dance performances, audio-visual performance, panel discussions, workshops and music concert. The event highlighted the impact of the EU4Culture project, emphasising the results achieved within the project.

Over the course of two insightful days, the festival brought together project partners and beneficiaries, local artists and cultural professionals; civil society organizations; private sector organizations from the creative industries; children and youth; social and cultural activists; International organizations in Azerbaijan, as well as artists and cultural professionals from Georgia and Ukraine. This event was served as a platform for celebrating achievements and discussing the future of cultural cooperation within the region. 

On the first day of the festival, 3 December 2024, at the opening the festival European Union Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mr. Peter Michalko delivered a welcome speech.  

Dr. Anatoli Beifert, EU4Culture Team Leader stated: “Through the exchange of cultural and creative ideas, we are building stronger connections and unlocking new opportunities for growth. EU4Culture brings together creative voices from across the region, demonstrating how culture and creativity can drive positive change and empower local development”.

On 3 December, National Day of People with Disabilities featured inclusive dance performances by Nigar Yildirim from DanceAbility and the Georgian dance platform InForm. EU4Culture National Coordinator Firuza Baghir shared a video presentation highlighting the project’s 4-year achievements. The evening concluded with a collaborative performance by Azerbaijani musician Ibrahim Babayev and visual artist Timur Amirkhan.

On the second day, 4 December 2024, the festival has included a variety of creative and interactive sessions as an eco-fashion workshop by designer Aysel Sadygova, where young participants have explored sustainable fashion, and a dance workshop led by Nigar Yildirim of DanceAbility on the creative potential of dance. The day has also hosted a panel discussion titled “Can Art Initiate Change?” moderated by Afsana Tahirova, with insights from Sabina Shikhlinskaya, Zarif Bakirova, Jahangir Selimkhanov, and Ayna Moazzen. The festival concluded with a closing performance by the Ahmedowsky Trio and a presentation on the healing power of digital art by Svitlana Zhytnia, complemented by drinks and refreshments.

With a budget of €7.85 million, EU4Culture is a four-year project funded by the European Union to support the cultural and creative sector, with a particular focus on non-capital cities and localities in Eastern Partnership countries. The project is implemented by Goethe-Institut (Lead), the Czech Centers, the Danish Cultural Institute, and the French Institute in Georgia.