“Creative mentorship” affirms mentoring as a tool of personal and professional development, strengthens the capacities of the cultural sector and provides support to prospective professionals interested in developing, networking and sharing knowledge and experience. We want to build, gather and support a community of motivated and socially responsible individuals that will contribute to the development of a society based on creativity, culture, knowledge and mutual cooperation.

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Regional Youth Cooperation Project: Fresh start in virtual environment

After a break we were bound to make due to the global pandemic, we met with the participants of the program “Transforming the Region One Conversation at A Time – Inspiring Youth Cultural Cooperation”, the first “Creative mentorship” regional program is taking part. On Tuesday, August 25, the participants had a chance to meet all together for an online coffee and less formal exchange. Since the “new normal” has put the project in a completely different context, initially planned dynamics and activities presently require rethinking and setting up new goals.  

Although the context of what was planned – workshops and meetings with mentors as well as to connect with each other during visits in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia – changed completely, we successfully adapted the program for the remaining part of the project to new circumstances. Now, all the activities will be transferred to online space and platforms, from workshops to participants’ collaboration and mentorship relationships. We are glad to say that we have all the support of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office to assure and ease this transition to participants both for their work in teams of three (one member from Serbia, one from Bosnia, and one from Albania) and for the work with their dedicated mentors.  

Even though the new context can be challenging and demotivating, we are looking forward to assuring an opportunity and space for youth for creative expression through exchange with their peers, experienced mentors, and online workshops. In order to assure a good foundation for further work, the first online workshop was led by Relja Dereta, alumni mentee, alumni mentor, one of the educational partners, and member of the Advisory Board of “Creative mentorship”. Relja assisted participants in expressing their impressions, needs, and expectations of the project in “new normal” and advised them how to handle easier the situation we are all facing now. 

Even though this new context requires almost daily adjusting in our lives and many things are uncertain, the idea of this project as a possibility to strengthen youth cooperation and dialogue stays unaffected. What’s more, this “new start” encourages us to continue working with participants and organize new activities despite the circumstances.