Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

According to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs, culture is one of the areas in which the priorities of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are reflected. In relation to culture, "the main challenges when it comes to young people are legal disorder, lack of a strategy, i.e., a strategic framework for investments in the development of culture and sports, lack of a programmatic approach, absence of appropriate institutional capacities, weak coordination and cooperation between different levels/institutions of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina and financial difficulties.

According to the research presented in the Youth Study: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024, the migratory movements, primarily of young people, that we have witnessed in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past ten years have also had a major impact on social relations and culture, changing the dynamics of relationships among different ethnic, cultural and religious groups, which could lead to future challenges in integrating labor migrants into Bosnian-Herzegovinian society and creating an inclusive environment that respects diversity.

Also, according to Youth Voices 2024: Insights from Bosnia and Herzegovina, around 50% of youth spend their free time socializing with their friends and in walking/recreation/sport/gym. Youth tend not to go to cultural activities (going to the cinema, theater or a concert). Just about half of the youth (43%) stated that they never go to cultural activities 

In addition, the culture sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to other sectors, was significantly marginalized in the past period. Institutions of culture, science and art in Bosnia and Herzegovina are in a difficult material, personnel and organizational situation and require significant support from government institutions. The participation of the non-governmental sector in the creation of cultural policy is significant, but it is insufficiently supported by systemic measures and cultural policy. Bearing in mind the real economic and social situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is not realistic to expect that the liberalization of the market and the complete surrender of culture to the free market will enable the intensification of its development without the presence of institutional support from all levels of government.

The complexity and decentralization of Bosnia and Herzegovina's political system does not contribute to improving the position of young people when it comes to their cultural and creative development. At the state level, there are no enacted laws, nor developed strategies that encourage this segment while simultaneously focusing on young people. The fragmentation of jurisdiction in this matter leads to inconsistent policies and complicates the decision-making processes related to the development of cultural and creative content that specifically young people can access. Even the existing content is not sufficiently consumed by young people, since the increasing focus on modern technologies, the Internet, as well as the low-quality spending of free time affect the reduction of the degree of their cultural, artistic and creative socialization.

The biggest incentives for young people for their cultural and creative expression and participation in events that promote it come from outside, that is, through programs of the European Union, international organizations, programs of non-governmental organizations, associations, and local public cultural institutions.

The authorities are responsible for providing young people with unimpeded development and improvement through creative, artistic, sports and cultural activities. Therefore, the authorities are responsible, among other things, for the cultural and spiritual needs of young people. However, the work of cantonal administrations is very modest in relation to this issue, since not all cantons have developed youth policies.

Main concepts

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, “access to culture” is not yet defined as a unified statutory concept at the state level. Responsibilities for cultural policy and youth support are largely fragmented across entities, cantons, and local governments. This institutional fragmentation often means that conceptual frameworks around youth cultural rights, access, and participation vary by administrative unit and are not consistently referenced in national legislation. Certain strategic documents, such as the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Strategy on Culture, Sports and Environment, explicitly address the need to create enabling frameworks for youth cultural engagement. The strategy calls for legal and institutional support to expand opportunities in culture and creative sectors across the Federation, including performance measurement systems for youth programs.

At the programmatic level, international and CSO-led concepts such as the inclusion of youth voices in peace building and creativity are emerging. For example, projects under the United Nations and youth exchange initiatives aim to empower youth as designers and leaders of cultural content, integrating creative expression with social change, leadership, and community building.