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1. Synergies between public policies and programmes

2. Partnerships between the culture and creative sectors, youth organisations and youth workers

Synergies between public policies and programmes

Creativity and culture are addressed across several national policy frameworks, most notably:

• National Youth Strategy 2023–2027

• National Strategy for Development of Culture 2018–2022

• Education Strategy 2018–2025

• Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
   

A new National Strategy for Development of Culture 2023–2027 has been drafted, but is not yet formally adopted. Until its adoption, cultural policy priorities are guided through the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which defines annual and mid-term objectives, funding priorities, measures for supporting cultural institutions, and special programmes for children and youth.

At present, there is no standardized mechanism ensuring systematic cooperation between all these policies. However, synergies are mainly created through participatory consultations during strategy development, involving ministries, national institutions, municipalities, cultural actors, civil society organisations, and youth representatives.

The National Youth Strategy 2023–2027 integrates cultural participation as one of its priority areas. It aims to increase youth involvement in cultural life, improve access to cultural contents and spaces, and support youth creativity and cultural expression through both formal and non-formal learning. Its development followed a wide participatory process, engaging relevant ministries, national agencies, municipalities, youth organisations, and independent experts.

Coordination between national and local levels is also important. Many municipalities have adopted local youth strategies aligned with the national framework, including measures related to culture, creative expression, and cultural education. For example, the Strategy for Youth of the City of Skopje 2021–2025 identifies culture as one of the core priorities for youth development at local level.

Partnerships between the culture and creative sectors, youth organisations and youth workers

Public institutions, civil society organisations, private cultural actors, and youth organisations often cooperate in the areas of:

• visual arts, architecture and design

• dramatic and performing arts

• protection of cultural heritage (museums, libraries, audiovisual archives, intangible heritage)

• interdisciplinary cultural projects

• literature and publishing

• cultural events and festivals

• music and stage production

• international cultural cooperation

• folklore and traditional creative practices
   

Civil society organisations and youth associations play a key role in organising festivals, workshops, concerts, exhibitions, and creative training programmes. Private cultural actors—such as event organisers, creative agencies, and independent art collectives—also contribute to expanding cultural opportunities for young people.

In 2018, the Ministry of Culture formed an intra-sectoral working group for youth participation in culture, gathering representatives from state institutions and youth organisations. Its goal was to support greater youth involvement in cultural life through measures such as scholarships for talented students, reduced-price cultural tickets for pupils and students, and international cultural projects. There is no publicly available information on follow-up activities or continued work of the group.

Today, cooperation most often happens through project-based partnerships, EU-funded initiatives (e.g., Creative Europe, Erasmus+), and local cultural programmes supported by municipalities.