Reducing obstacles to young people's access to culture

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are no policies, programs, projects and initiatives organized or financed by the highest-level authorities that facilitate the access of young people to cultural environments. In relation to other European countries that implement the European Youth Card program, and financial support is provided by competent institutions, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not received financial support for that program from any level of government since 2019. Cultural institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even those on whose foundations cultural heritage is built, are not financially strengthened, and do not receive sufficient financial support for the implementation of activities that would provide quality cultural offerings to young people.

Although there is no unified national cultural access policy for youth, several programs, festivals, and initiatives help reduce barriers, particularly financial, geographical, and informational, that young people face in accessing cultural environments.

Demofest in Banja Luka provides a major platform for unsigned and emerging youth bands to showcase their talent in rock, hip-hop, metal, reggae and other music genres, thus offering young performers and their audiences wider cultural participation opportunities.

Juventafest, an annual international youth theater festival in Sarajevo, focuses on creative expression and young theater artists, helping lower barriers to participation by targeting youth creators and audiences alike.

Events like the Pop Art Festival in Sarajevo specifically bring visual arts and creative workshops to broader audiences, including students and youth interested in applied arts, storytelling, and urban culture.

There are several events and programs that offer international access and youth engagement.

The Peace Vibe Festival in Sarajevo brings together youth from across Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage in peace building through artistic and cultural expression, offering a space where young creatives can participate regardless of background.

Regional projects like the Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund, implemented by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office and financed by the German Federal Foreign Office, provide grants and micro-funding to young cultural practitioners and youth-oriented civil society organizations, enabling them to overcome financial obstacles to participation in cultural activism and creative production.

These initiatives help address financial and social barriers by providing free or subsidized access, creative platforms, or financial support for active participation in cultural events.

Dissemination information on cultural opportunities

According to the research presented in Voice of youth 2024 presented by UNICEF the majority of youth spend their free time browsing the Internet/Facebook/social networks, with more than 81% using the internet at least once a day. While there are no significant differences between different gender and age groups, the youth with disabilities tend to use internet and social networks less. Youth from rural areas typically spend their free time similarly to the general population, with few differences. Youth from rural areas more often report spending time with the family at least once a day (75%) compared to general population (65%). 

Furthermore, youth from rural areas more often report performing religious duties at least once a day (41%) compared to general population (30%). However, the youth from rural areas less often spend time on cultural activities (cinemas, theaters, concerts) as 55% have never attended cultural activities, while in general population 43% reported never attending cultural activities.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are no official websites and media that are specialized and focused on informing young people about their opportunities. Information about grants, cultural content and programs is an integral part of the official websites of relevant ministries, public institutions, non-governmental organizations and other organizations such as the Peace Building Network, as well as youth web portals such as mladi.bl, hoću.ba, lonac.pro, fontana.ba, etc. 

There are several internationally supported information and networking platforms to disseminate information on cultural opportunities for the youth. Europe House Sarajevo, supported by the European Union, hosts youth-focused programs linked to the Sarajevo Film Festival and offers information on opportunities such as Talents Sarajevo, a regional training program for emerging filmmakers that facilitates connection with international cinema networks. Information stands and events at the Sarajevo Film Festival inform young attendees about Creative Europe Desk Bosnia and Herzegovina, which provides guidance on EU cultural funding, calls, and project opportunities.

The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) organizes open calls and local workshops for artists and cultural practitioners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on creative skills, peace building through culture, and project development, and aiming to connect youth practitioners with cultural opportunities and networks.

These mechanisms help publicize cultural activities and funding opportunities, although they are often linked to international or regional cooperation programs rather than centrally coordinated national systems.

Knowledge of cultural heritage amongst young people

There are no policies, programs, projects or initiatives organized or financed by the highest-level government institutions to support the discovery and raise awareness amongst young people about the cultural and artistic heritage of European countries.

However, there are some international initiatives that help young people discover and appreciate Bosnia and Herzegovina’s diverse cultural heritage.

The International Summer School Youth and Heritage (ISSYH) offers a hands-on interdisciplinary learning experience where participants work in historically significant sites in Sarajevo, Mostar, and Stolac, blending practical workshops and seminars to deepen understanding of cultural heritage and post-war societal recovery.

The European Heritage Hub organized peer-learning visits to Sarajevo focusing on heritage conservation and cultural challenges, strengthening young stakeholders’ knowledge and engagement with local and regional cultural heritage practices.

International youth exchange events such as Youth Bridges Europe – Bosnia and Herzegovina bring together young participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe to explore themes of conflict, memory, and identity through visits to historical sites and interactive cultural workshops, thereby integrating cultural heritage with educational exchange.

Direct public funding data specific to youth participation in cultural activities is limited at the state level. However, entity-level bodies such as the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports in the Federation allocate resources to key culture and youth activities as part of public interest projects. While their 2025 project list includes broad cultural initiatives and support for youth sport, it reflects structural mechanisms that could indirectly benefit youth cultural participation. 

Regional and international funds such as the Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund, financed by the German Federal Foreign Office, act as supplementary public funding to support youth culture sector stakeholders and CSOs.