The winner of the annual Heritage Hero/Heroine Award was announced at the ceremony during the European Opportunity Week. This year, the award winner is Svetlana Spajić, who deals with the preservation and promotion of Serbian traditional music.
The Heritage Hero/Heroine Award was established to recognize and celebrate the individual efforts of citizens in the preservation of cultural heritage. The initiative was launched by the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, in partnership with the organization Europa Nostra Serbia, so the award winner was announced by the EU Ambassador to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, in the company of Slavica Vujović, President of Europa Nostra Serbia.
Each of the nominees this year is a true custodian of heritage in their respective fields, said Ambassador Giaufret – whether it is architecture, music, traditional crafts or the preservation of forgotten customs and traditions.
“Therefore, I am pleased to congratulate Mrs. Svetlana Spajić, traditional singer, performer, advocate of intangible heritage, pedagogue and cultural activist, on being declared the Heritage Heroine in 2024. Svetlana Spajić has shown exceptional and long-term commitment to research, documentation, interpretation, preservation and promotion of Serbian traditional music. Her work in education, advocacy and policy development has made her a leading figure in the protection of intangible heritage.
Svetlana works every day to preserve cultural heritage and inspire others to action. With her long-term commitment, she motivated many young people to engage in traditional singing and help preserve their heritage,” said the Ambassador.
He announced that the official presentation of the award will take place in December, and on that occasion he thanked the important partner – Europa Nostra.
Slavica Vujović, President of Europa Nostra Serbia, said that it was an exceptional honour for her to be part of the jury, which voted for Svetlana Spajić as this year’s Heritage Heroine.
“Certainly, the key argument that Svetlana is the best candidate was that she contributed in all areas required by this award. From preservation, and preservation of completely authentic elements of heritage – ethnomusicology, she is a guardian, she is an interpreter, she works on popularization… Through the voice of Svetlana Spajić, we hear our ancestors”, concluded Vujović.
About the winner:
Svetlana Spajić, a native of Loznica, is recognized for her many years of work to preserve the Serbian and Balkan vocal heritage. Her work not only revives ancient musical traditions, but successfully connects them with contemporary musical trends and presents them to a broader European and world audience. Throughout her career, Svetlana has collaborated with internationally recognized artists such as Marina Abramović, Robert Wilson and Boris Kovač, further strengthening the bridge between the Serbian cultural traditional and global art scene.
Photos of Svetlana Spajić – Europa Nostra Serbia
Let’s remember that the first Heritage Heroine 2022 was Stanka Čoban from “Didina kuća” in Bač, a small multicultural town in Vojvodina that was largely financed by the EU, transformed into a lively municipality, through persistent and dedicated work on the preservation of intangible and tangible cultural heritage.
Last year, Dr. Viktorija Aladžić – an architect, researcher and activist in the field of architectural heritage, historic urban landscapes and conservation, received the award. She is associate professor and head of the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Subotica, University of Novi Sad. The jury recognized her contribution to the preservation of Art Nouveau in Subotica.
The European Opportunity Week, the second one in a row, is being held this year from September 23 to 27. The first four days cover the topics of business and innovation, culture, civil sector, media, education, youth and sports, local development, and the activities take place in the European House Belgrade. On the last day, panels on local development, territorial cooperation and green transition, as well as formal ceremonies and networking are held in Niš, at the “Tami” Hotel.
Find the detailed agenda and other details of the European Opportunity Week on the following page: https://eumogucnosti.rs/evropska-nedelja-mogucnosti/
During this event, you will have the opportunity to hear all about the most important European programs, projects and funds that are available in Serbia. Opportunities are numerous and include public calls, grants, loans, youth opportunities, student exchanges, competitions, skills development and free training.
If you are not able to follow the program live or online, you will be able to find all the sessions on the EU YT channel in Serbia, after October 7.
