Over the past few days, the delegation of the International KotorArt Festival, led by the director Ratimir Martinović, she stayed in Shanghai where she participated in the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF) - the only national arts festival in China and one of the most important cultural events in Asia. KotorArt has a long-standing partnership and active cooperation agreement with this festival, thus continuing to build bridges between Montenegro and the global art scene.
The festival also hosted the 5th annual conference of the Silk Road Art Festival Network, which brought together representatives of 196 institutions from 52 countries around the world. This year's theme, "Connectivity, Consensus, Opportunities", was dedicated to strengthening international cultural ties, exchanging experiences, and opening up new opportunities for cooperation between European and Asian cultural organizations.
KotorArt also had the opportunity to present itself for the first time at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Performing Arts Fair (ChinaSPAF) - the largest performing arts market in the Asia-Pacific region, which brings together more than 500 institutions and 2.000 representatives from all over the world. At this event, the festival presented projects and initiatives that connect Montenegro with the global cultural network, with a special emphasis on programs that promote cultural heritage and contemporary creativity.
During their stay in Shanghai, the KotorArt team also participated in meetings of the European Festival Association (EFA), of which the festival is a member. New joint projects were discussed, including the EFA Annual Conference, which will be held in Budva in May 2026, organized by the Budva City of Theatre Festival.
"Partnership with the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and participation in the Silk Road Festival Network represents an exceptional opportunity to position Kotor and Montenegro on the map of world cultural flows. Such encounters confirm that art transcends borders and becomes a universal language of cooperation, mutual understanding and common progress," said the KotorArt Festival PR service.
The stay in Shanghai brought the KotorArt team new partnerships, valuable experiences and inspiration for future projects. The ongoing cooperation with Chinese institutions continues to grow, opening up space for new guest appearances, co-productions and international initiatives that connect Kotor, a World Heritage city, with the global art scene.
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