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1. Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

2. Main concepts

Main trends in young people's creativity and cultural participation

In North Macedonia, young people’s participation in culture is recognized as important, yet it remains limited. Cultural offerings specifically targeting youth are often scarce: around 40% of young people report that cultural content is rarely available in their place of residence, and over 14% do not attend cultural events at all. Concerts (36%), cinema (17%), exhibitions (13%), and theater (9%) are the most commonly missing activities locally (Youth Trends in Republic of North Macedonia). Participation is strongly influenced by the availability of cultural spaces, visibility of events, and access to information.

The National Youth Strategy 2023–2027, the main policy framework for youth development, includes a dedicated thematic area on culture. It aims to create an enabling environment where young people can actively participate in cultural life and develop their creative potential. Through Strategy's measures, it recognizes culture as a vital element of youth development, personal growth, and social cohesion. While participation in cultural activities is currently low—only one in five youth engages in shaping cultural programmes or policies, and only 33.7% participate in cultural-artistic activities—interest is high, with 77.6% expressing willingness to get involved if adequate opportunities exist.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and youth associations play a significant role in creating cultural opportunities, although only 19.7% focus primarily on culture or sports. The private sector contributes as well through event organization, sponsorship, and independent initiatives, including music bands, theatre groups, and creative collectives.

Cross-sectorial cooperation exists mainly through participatory consultations rather than standardized mechanisms. While no permanent framework for collaboration is established, national institutions, local authorities, CSOs, artists, experts, and young people are regularly involved in strategy development and programme design. These processes ensure that youth perspectives are considered, cultural offerings respond to real needs, and institutional support aligns with strategic goals.

Main concepts

  The Constitution of North Macedonia guarantees cultural rights as fundamental human rights. It protects freedom of cultural, scientific, and intellectual creation, affirms cultural heritage, and ensures all communities can develop their cultural identity and establish cultural institutions or associations.

Key legislation includes the Law on Culture (1998, amended), which defines culture as a fundamental value, regulates its creation, dissemination, financing, and protection, and provides measures such as scholarships, awards, insurance for artists, and preservation of works of art. The Law on Protection of Cultural Heritage (2004, amended) defines material and immaterial heritage, protection methods, and responsibilities for safeguarding cultural assets.

The National Strategy for Development of Culture 2018–2022 emphasized culture as a human right and promoted democratic, plural, and sustainable development. Youth-focused measures included special programmes to increase participation, adapt institutions to youth needs, encourage literary work for children and youth, and strengthen cultural education.A follow-up National Strategy for Development of Culture 2023–2027 has been drafted, but it is not yet formally adopted.

The Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism 2025–2027 sets the framework for cultural development and youth engagement. It includes six programmes and seventeen sub-programmes covering cultural development, heritage protection, upgrading cultural infrastructure, supporting independent cultural initiatives, and fostering youth participation. Implementation is coordinated by the Ministry, with support from municipalities, national cultural institutions, universities, and civil society organizations.

The National Youth Strategy 2023–2027 is the main policy framework for youth development and includes a dedicated thematic area on culture. It aims to create an enabling environment for youth participation in cultural life and development of creative potential. Key objectives include:

• Youth participation in cultural policy and decision-making: Young people are encouraged to contribute to planning and evaluation of cultural programmes at local and national levels through consultations, participatory budgeting, and cultural councils.

• Access to spaces and resources for cultural creation: Emphasis is placed on youth cultural centers, libraries, multimedia hubs, and local creative labs, where youth can experiment, perform, and collaborate.

• Support for employment and professional development in culture: The Strategy encourages young people’s inclusion in cultural institutions, independent projects, and creative industries.

• Education and informal learning in arts and culture: Young people are supported to develop skills through formal curricula, extracurricular programmes, workshops, mentorship, and online creativity platforms.

• Inclusive cultural participation: Equal access is prioritized for marginalized groups, youth with disabilities, children without parental care, and those from rural or underserved areas.

• International and cross-cultural opportunities: Young people are encouraged to engage in cultural exchanges, international collaborations, and mobility programmes to broaden their creative horizons and connect North Macedonia with global trends.
   

Through these measures, the Strategy recognizes that culture is vital for youth development, personal growth, and social cohesion. While participation remains low, the Strategy provides a framework to increase engagement, foster creativity, and ensure that young people are both beneficiaries and active contributors to cultural life in North Macedonia.