Project Background: In the same area as the Peace Park there are plans to renovate an ex-railway station and convert it into an exhibition space. This plan is on hold until the families who moved in as refugees in 1999 can be relocated. Podujeva is located in the north east of Kosovo in the valley of Gallapi and Llapi with a population of 134,000. There is the potential to create a bilateral exchange with the Kosovan artists and exhibit in Oxford.
Accommodation: In Podujeva there are apartments that Manchester Aid to Kosovo (MAK) use when they are in Kosovo which are arranged by Fazli. These are within ten minutes walking distance from the Peace Park and are very secure. The cost would be around £350 per week and the apartment can house up to ten people (based on people sharing rooms) so this works out at £35 per person. They are clean and well maintained.
Travel: If volunteers want to stay in Pristina (the capital) then there is a frequent bus service that runs all day and costs €1 each way. The travel time is about 40 minutes from bus stop to bus stop.
Funding: Securing funding from Art Councils and other large organisations that fund cultural development projects or art projects. The funding would be used for the materials used in the renovation of the building and for arts materials used by the artists and the children that come to the arts lessons. As regards the Kosovan exhibition in the UK, the costs may be more substantial. The Fragile State Exhibition put on by Kosovan artists in 2007 cost MAK £17,000 (according to the Charity Commission). However, a majority of the funding was used on transportation of the art and the flights for the artists. MAK had sponsorship from British Airways.
Skill base of the volunteer required: The students that rebuild part of the building may not need skills but the people involved in the interior design and the art exhibition creation would have to be artists. Once the building had been renovated the space could be used as an arts teaching centre. This would require artists to assist children and young people with drawing and painting.
Activities in the projects (possible daily routine): Fazli has already suggested using a building next to the Peace Park and MAK are waiting to hear back from the Podujeva municipality to see who has rights over the building. Fazli could be involved over the management of the project but the students would have the opportunity to work with other art students from Pristina University in developing the exhibition space. In addition, students could work on Peace Park.
Development and future opportunities: Once the exhibition space has been created there is a vast scope for teaching every year. There is the potential to create a bilateral exchange with the Kosovan artists and have exhibitions in Oxford. For this we would have to find sufficient exhibition space and funding from other organisations for the transportation of the art and the flights for the artists. Possible Partnerships: Pristina University, Ruskin Art School Societies, HandiKos
Possible security and safety concerns: Health and safety of any manual labour. Podujeva is a small town, population 134,000, outside Pristina and is safe and is very ethnically homogeneous (Albanian, 98%), reducing the likelihood of violence. One concern could be its proximity to the Serbian border, 15 miles to the north; however, this is heavily policed by the international community.
Last updated: April 26th, 2009