EU PROGRES

FEDES, Children’s Creativity Festival, was successfully held from 5 – 9 November 2012 in Prokuplje, Blace, Kuršumlija and Žitorađa with support from the European Union and the Government of Switzerland through the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme EU PROGRES. Toplica District primary school pupils had five days of competition to display their skills in prose and poetry, painting and sketching, playing, singing and folklore.

For the fifth consecutive year this festival has gathered the youngest schoolchildren from the Toplica District municipalities and gave them the chance to express their creativity. As a support to FEDES, EU PROGRES contributed to the improvements in visual identity through redesign of the logo and development of promotional materials including billboards, city light advertisements, posters and flyers, as well as radio and TV ads. Intensive marketing activities enabled the festival to outgrow existing bounds in the future.

The professional jury split the first prize between Radomir Ivezić and Milica Mijailović. Second place was also split between Denis Sušica and Aleksandra Radovanović, while Jovana Budić and Maja Bulatović took third place. The pupils were included in decision making (which is one of the principles of good governance) and according to the opinion of the audience the award for best children’s song went to Radomir Ivezić. He won 436 out of 1,982 children’s votes and was presented with the digital camera donated by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland through EU PROGRES.

“This year we broke the attendance record for the Children’s Song Finale,” member of the Festival Organisational Board Biserka Milosavljević said. “The audiences gave us an excellent reception throughout the Toplica District and Žitorađa, where we had our first guest appearance. The assistance of the EU and the Government of Switzerland through EU PROGRES meant a lot to us in successfully organising this year’s FEDES.”