A Milestone for Creative Mentorship: Celebrating the Wrap-up of a Regional Mentorship Journey
Participants of the Creative Mentorship for Young Professionals Programme gathered in Belgrade to reflect on a year of mentoring, celebrate achievements, and mark the conclusion of a three-year regional initiative supporting creative professionals across the Western Balkans.
After a year of mentoring conversations, educational workshops, and collaboration across the region, participants of the Creative Mentorship for Young Professionals Programme gathered in Belgrade for the programme’s final Wrap-up workshop.
More than simply marking the end of a mentoring programme, the event became a moment to pause and reflect on the journey participants had undertaken together. Over the course of a year, mentors and mentees dedicated time, energy, and curiosity to their personal and professional development, building new skills, expanding their networks, and deepening their understanding of their own creative practices.
The Wrap-up workshop offered an opportunity to recognise and celebrate these achievements. For some of the participants, it was also the first time meeting in person after months of online mentoring conversations. The atmosphere was marked by openness, trust, and the kind of genuine exchange that emerges when people share not only professional ambitions but also a commitment to learning and growth.
The gathering also marked an important milestone for Creative Mentorship, concluding a three-year journey and two mentorship cycles, the Creative Leaders Mentorship Programme and the Creative Mentorship for Young Professionals Programme, bringing together 110 creative professionals from across the Western Balkans working in arts, culture, and the creative industries.
Opening remarks were delivered by Richard Masa, First Counsellor at the EU Delegation to Serbia, Clare Sears, Director for Serbia and the Western Balkans at the British Council, Milena Dragićević Šešić, Professor Emerita at the University of Belgrade and Chair of the Creative Mentorship Honorary Board, and Dragana Jevtić, Co-Founder and Director of Creative Mentorship.
Their reflections highlighted the broader significance of mentorship initiatives such as this one: strengthening leadership capacities in the cultural and creative sectors, encouraging collaboration across borders, and supporting a new generation of professionals working across the Western Balkans.
Reflecting on the Mentoring Journey
The central workshop of the gathering, “Wrapping Up the Mentoring Relationship,” was led by Dragana Jevtić.
The session focused on how to close a mentoring relationship with intention, by reflecting on the goals achieved, acknowledging both successes and challenges, and recognising how the mentoring process contributed to each participant’s development. Participants were encouraged to approach the final mentor–mentee meeting not simply as the conclusion of a programme requirement, but as a meaningful conversation about what had been learned and how that learning might continue shaping future paths.
In many ways, the message of the session was clear: mentorship does not end when a programme ends. It often evolves into new forms of collaboration, friendship, and continued professional support.
Learning, Visibility, and Exchange
Alongside reflection on mentoring experiences, the programme also included sessions focused on professional development and knowledge sharing.
In the lecture “Basics of Branding,” psychologist and communication expert Ana Mirković, CEO and Co-Founder of the Digital Communications Institute, explored branding as a strategic and reflective process, one that shapes how creative professionals communicate their work, values, and professional identity.
Participants also took part in a networking and speed-dating session led by Relja Dereta, trainer of public speaking, Argentine tango teacher, and activist. Through a series of structured conversations, the session explored how meaningful professional relationships are built through curiosity, listening, and understanding the perspectives of others.
The workshop “Communication and Visibility in Practice: Making Connections Count,” facilitated by Adna Alihodžić, Programme Manager of the Creative Leaders Mentorship Programme, focused on how digital platforms and social media can support collaboration, visibility, and regional dialog and exchange.
Carrying Mentorship Forward
Another key moment of the programme was the “Pay It Forward” session, facilitated by Dragana Jevtić. Participants were invited to reflect on how the mentorship experience had shaped them and how they might now share that knowledge and support with others.
Having completed the programme, mentors and mentees alike were encouraged to see themselves as ambassadors of mentorship: individuals who can contribute to nurturing a culture of knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and mutual support within the creative sectors.
Learning from Cultural Practice
Beyond the workshop sessions, the programme also included visits to cultural spaces and institutions that illustrate different models of cultural practice.
Participants visited Magacin, a self-managed independent cultural space in Belgrade. Guided by Miloš Janjić, mentee and representative of the BRINA collective, they learned about the principles of collective governance, shared responsibility, and long-term commitment that sustain this unique cultural initiative.
The group also visited the Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade, where curator and mentor Miroslav Karić guided participants through the exhibition “Inventory: Matter, Art, Capitalism” by artists Irena Lagator Pejović and Jelena Mićić, opening a thoughtful discussion about art, value, and contemporary social realities.
A Space for Exchange Across Generations and Cycles
The gathering also welcomed alumni mentees and mentors from the Creative Leaders Mentorship Programme, creating a valuable space for dialogue between different programme cycles.
This intergenerational exchange allowed participants to share experiences from different stages of their professional journeys, reflecting on where they are today, what mentorship has contributed to their work, and how the programme continues to influence their professional paths even a year later.
Bringing together participants from both cycles also created fertile ground for new connections and potential collaborations across the Western Balkans. Conversations during the workshop and informal networking sessions opened possibilities for future joint initiatives, reinforcing one of the programme’s central goals: strengthening regional cooperation and building a more connected creative ecosystem.
Connecting with the Wider Community
Alongside the workshop sessions, the programme also included a Creative Mentorship community networking gathering, designed to connect participants with the wider network that has grown around the programme over the years.
Today, the Creative Mentorship community brings together more than 500 professionals across the Western Balkans working in arts, culture, creative industries, media, science, diplomacy, business and related sectors. The gathering therefore created an opportunity for participants to expand their professional circles, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations beyond the immediate mentoring pairs.
Looking Ahead
While the Wrap-up workshop marked the official conclusion of this programme cycle, it also highlighted one of its most important outcomes: a growing community of professionals connected through mentorship, shared values, and a commitment to collaboration.
By bringing together participants, alumni mentees and mentors, partners and friends, all members of the wider network, the gathering created new spaces for exchange and cooperation across the Western Balkans, reinforcing the programme’s broader goal of strengthening connections, knowledge-sharing, and long-term collaboration within the region’s creative sectors.
The Creative Mentorship for Young Professionals Programme is supported by the British Council through the Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans (CC4WBs) project, funded by the European Union. #CC4WBs aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.
Foto: Marko Risović
