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Bosnia and Herzegovina

8. Creativity and Culture

8.10 Current debates and reforms

Last update: 15 August 2025

Since 2023, no cultural reforms or youth creativity initiatives have been launched at the national level in BiH, due to institutional fragmentation and the absence of a state-level ministry for culture.

In RS, the Youth Policy 2023–2027 was adopted and includes the promotion of cultural participation and potential support for creative youth initiatives, although implementation mechanisms remain unclear.

In FBiH, a new Youth Strategy 2025–2034 was introduced in 2024, with plans to restructure the relevant ministry, and allocate funding for youth artistic mobility.

The BD’s Youth Strategy 2022–2026 recognizes the importance of culture and aims to improve services and spaces for youth participation, but no dedicated reforms in the cultural field have been initiated.

At the cantonal level, particularly in Sarajevo Canton, vibrant cultural scenes continue to thrive through initiatives such as the Sarajevo Youth Film Festival (OFF), Juventafest, Europe House programs, and PitchWise. These provide platforms for youth creativity, despite limited formal institutional support.

Overall, while progress has been made at the entity and cantonal levels, a comprehensive national framework for youth culture and creativity remains lacking.