Skopje

North Macedonia

Bridging Creativity and Civic Action

Young activists and artists in Skopje have been successfully harnessing the power of the creative arts in driving meaningful change in a way that resonates with their peers.

When Young Cities began its programming in North Macedonia in 2020, we introduced the programme to empower youth and the local government in Čair, a municipality within the capital city of Skopje, one of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse municipality in Europe.

After a year of successfully supporting the launch of three projects in the municipality, we expanded the programme in 2021 to tap into the talents and passions of young people in Skopje more widely. Since then, we supported the launch of five more projects, which have excelled in their creativity and impact, resonating with other young people and effecting meaningful change.

We work closely with our partner, Democracy Lab, a non-profit, nonpartisan organisation devoted to preserving democratic values in North Macedonia. They are instrumental in building networks and partnerships in the country, and supporting the development of impactful and innovative youth-led projects.

Watch: Youth, Cities and the Future of North Macedonia

Our Impact in Skopje

We aim for relevant and strategic impact at scale. Working closely with young people in identifying the needs of their communities and the challenges they face, we ensure that the solutions we support them in developing are targeted and sustainable.

Empowering a Generation of Creative and Courageous Civic Actors

Eight youth-led projects in Skopje have leveraged the creative arts and civic action to inspire and empower young people to be the city’s changemakers of tomorrow.

Since the launch of the Young Cities programme in in Čair in 2020, it was clear there was something special about the young activists we were working with in North Macedonia. They were passionate and dedicated to changing the attitudes, perspectives and circumstances of their peers – to denounce violence in all its forms and feel uplifted in participating more in the civic space.

The projects have included: films, spotlighting the lived experiences of those living in the city, from minorities to disaffected youth; digital campaigns on social media and podcasts to counter gender based violence; inspiring interviews and research to encourage greater cooperation between youth and local government; and projects equipping young artists and activists with the skills to deliver their messages more effectively.

The focus on uplifting young people to be the main drivers of change is a central component Čair municipality’s Local Preventing Violent Extremism action plan, drafted by their Community Action Team, which the Strong Cities Network has been actively supporting. They recognised that youth inclusion and empowerment are important factors in building a community’s resilience to violence, extremism and hate speech.

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Watch: Using Art for Activism in North Macedonia

A poster campaign and awareness-raising initiative by a group of young people from Čair addressing the normalization of discriminatory language towards women.

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Testimonials

“The best parts of the lab were gathering new knowledge and meeting new people – even though we live in the same municipality we didn’t know each other – and having the chance to talk with the Mayor.”

Participant

Čair Youth Innovation Lab, 2020

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Our partners

The organisations and municipal governments we work with are essential to the success of the Young Cities programme. Together, we continue to effect genuine, relevant change in the communities in which we work.

Democracy Lab

Democracy Lab is Young Cities’ newest partner. They provide youth the invaluable networks, skills, experience and resources to coordinate and support youth in developing their campaigns. Particularly, they provide youth the space for their creativity, at their central hub in Skopje and their affiliated community space in Gostivar – the Youth and Community Centre (YCC).

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Čair, North Macedonia

The municipality of Čair have been consistently open to working with youth from the Young Cities project. The mayor attended our Youth Innovation Lab to listen to and engage with the youth on policies that affect them, and the municipality continues to collaborate with campaign teams by providing permissions and welcoming youth to meet with its representatives.

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If you would like to find out more about our impact, or would like to discuss future opportunities, we would love to hear from you.

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