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Jovanas Project
Jovanas Project
Introduction
Introduction
Context
DUK Festival takes place in a small, homogenous city with a population of 72,000, where a lack of cultural offerings and youth policies has led to a growing trend of young people leaving. With no murals or significant art scene, the city struggled to provide a creative outlet for its residents. Our project emerged as a response to these challenges, aiming to revitalize the local cultural landscape and offer young people a reason to stay, engage, and express themselves through art, music, and community-driven events.
DUK Festival is an annual cultural event that takes place every spring, bringing together street art, music, and community-driven activities. Founded in 2015, the festival has grown into a cultural movement, engaging a diverse group of young people bringing creativity in a city that was once lacking in cultural offerings. Our mission is to revitalize public spaces, create opportunities for artistic expression, and build a sense of community through music, murals, workshops, and competitions. The festival operates as a non-profit organization, funded through a mix of project-based funding, funds from local municipality budgets, private donations, and sponsorships. With a focus on youth engagement, DUK Festival attracts a wide range of local and international artists, making it a key event for both the city and the broader cultural landscape.
Collaborative Project
DUK Festival (Dani Urbane Kulture (Days of Urban Culture) identified a lack of female representation in the street art scene. Based on this, together with other partners who work in this sector, they are thinking about strategies and projects how to empower female street artists. The Female Street Art Incubator is a collaborative project where one partner will function as a role-model to organize a capacity-building training for the remaining partners, presenting good practices of street art production, achievement of visibility and gender-equality, as well as the process of organizing street art awards. Afterwards, all partners will organize an open call for female artists, and organize a 5-10 day educational camp “Female Street Art Incubator” for 10 selected artists. Each artist has to produce a mural proposal at the end of the education camp, and participate in nomination for BSAN Award in the category “Female Rising Star”. The jury will select 3 finalists, who will paint 3 murals in 3 partner countries.
Photo: Vuk Djuric
Further ideas to be developed:
Female Street Art Incubator for girls to have mentors who help develop their street arts skills, and empower them to participate in street art festivals.
Work on a Creative Europe proposal within our network Stadt Van Kunst (festival that gives our festivals visibility) to be more competitive in the street arts market
To empower female street artists, whole Europe is lacking female street arts
To include a 50/50 quote in our festival but it is challenging to reach/find female artists
Female street arts artists need to be connected, within a male dominated discipline
To organise a camp (first open call) open to artists from Balkan region to learn techniques, methodologies to be an artist, workshops, painting murals all over the Balkans.ical to tie the participants/artists to our organisations with representation contracts and if so, what is the percentage of the fee for further commissions?
Is it necessary to create a cultural politics of the Balkan Organisations based on the context of the region in order to use murals further created by the artists to advocate for certain topics concerning Balkans?
How do we help these artists gain visibility in the home region?
Are they becoming the ambassadors?
Leading Questions
Leading Questions
Sustainability question: how to do this in the next years?
Is it ethical to tie the participants/artists to our organisations with representation contracts and if so, what is the percentage of the fee for further commissions?
Is it necessary to create a cultural politics of the Balkan Organisations based on the context of the region in order to use murals further created by the artists to advocate for certain topics concerning Balkans?
How do we help these artists gain visibility in the home region?
Are they becoming the ambassadors?
Mentor Orwa Nyrabia mentored Jovana. In their conversation they focused on grant writing and donor community buidling and worked together examplary on one smaller tangible project - a crowdfunding campaign for a 10- years anniversary book and how to succesfully lead a crowdfunding campaign.
Mentor Orwa Nyrabia mentored Jovana. In their conversation they focused on grant writing and donor community buidling and worked together examplary on one smaller tangible project - a crowdfunding campaign for a 10- years anniversary book and how to succesfully lead a crowdfunding campaign.
Outcomes
Outcomes
How did the mentorship process support or inspire you in developing your project or professional growth?
"It confirmed for me something we are all very familiar with - that field of culture is possibly the hardest one to work in, but also very one of the most worthy to be indulged in. I think that for me as a young person talking with experienced mentors brought more than just information and ideas on how to do something, because I realised that all these people have the same ideas and values as I do, and they found a way to succeed. It inspired me a lot, because usually this idealistic worldview is reserved for the inexperienced and rebellious youth."
Through the conversation with Orwa Nyrabia, Jovana gained not only motivation but also concrete insights into how to translate that idealism into sustainable practice. The mentorship focused on a crowdfunding campaign for the 10-year anniversary book of DUK street art festival - a project that celebrates a decade of creativity and collaboration. The discussions explored how to shape the campaign’s narrative, build transparency with donors, and ensure the book’s content reflects the artistic and social values of the festival.
What was inspiring for Jovana was the realization that crowdfunding is not just about raising money, but also about community-building and communication - making people feel part of something meaningful. The mentorship emphasized that transparency, authenticity, and strong storytelling are key to earning trust and engagement. This reframed her view of fundraising from a transactional process into an act of creative and ethical storytelling, one that deepens relationships between artists, audiences, and supporters.
What is one valuable piece of advice or insight you would like to share with a wider global community of festival leaders?
I would advise everyone to try to connect with each other as much as it is possible, because sometimes it can feel like you’re against the whole world in your efforts, but the truth is that there are many similar people out there and connecting with them comes with so many unexpected beneficiaries.
Advise for Festival Leaders for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
Advise for Festival Leaders for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
1. Strengthening the storytelling and purpose of the project
Communicate a clear message about the festival’s artistic and social value.
The storytelling should focus on the artists, their experiences, and the community transformation through art — not just the event itself.
The crowdfunding campaign should frame the book as a meaningful cultural contribution, not merely a decorative product.
2. Designing a realistic and transparent crowdfunding strategy
Increase the fundraising goal to reflect the international reach and real effort behind the campaign.
Emphasize transparency in explaining how donations will be used, so contributors feel their support has tangible impact.
Ensure the crowdfunding platform and campaign structure are accessible and adaptable (payment methods, flexible goals).
3. Simplifying and humanizing donor engagement
Keep the communication concise, personal, and easy to share — a short 5-sentence pitch that captures the heart of the project.
Consider non-material ways to thank donors (e.g., digital rewards or acknowledgments) to reduce logistical strain.
Focus on building relationships with supporters rather than transactional exchanges.
4. Reinforcing community and collaboration
Use the campaign as an opportunity to strengthen networks with artists, alumni, and international supporters.
Encourage artists and partners to share the project and act as ambassadors.
Treat crowdfunding as a community-building process that deepens engagement and shared ownership.
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