Contact: Marijan Majin, Violeta Đerković
FCN member since: 2019
Profile: activism, participatory urban planning, artistic interpretation of cultural heritage
Membership status: Active
Context
The Almašani association is a group of active citizens of the Almaški kraj - the oldest part of Novi Sad founded in the 18th century. Almaški kraj is like the DNA of Novi Sad, containing all the historical and cultural layers of the city's development. It is a village-like neighborhood, consisting mainly of individual houses, which implies close social interaction between neighbors. At the beginning of the 20th century Almaški kraj was endangered by an announcement by local authorities that a road would run directly through the neighborhood. This announcement triggered the collective action of the locals which after years of dedicated work was surprisingly successful. It was the first successful citizen initiative in Novi Sad’s recent history.
Description of Activity
The Almašani Association founded in 2005 focuses on preserving and interpreting the cultural heritage of the Almaški neighbourhood and management of sustainable development of the local community. All activities depend on the participation of members of the local community. Here are some of the results of the activities to date:
- Raising general public awareness of the importance of and threats to the Almaški neighborhood through a series of artistic, publishing and activist undertakings;
- Rehabilitation of the silk factory and its conversion into the "Svilar Cultural Center" as part of the Novi Sad European Center of Culture project;
- Acquisition of Ambient Assemblage status at the state level in 2019;
- Participation of the local community and other citizens in urban planning processes usiDevelopment of micro-businesses in cultural tourism based on a cultural heritage - organization of local arts bazaars where food, art and souvenirs are sold;
- Development of community cohesiveness and awareness of the importance of solidarity at the local level.
