Failure is not an option, path to success – Helem neise

Culture is freedom of expression, tolerance and a serious job. “Culture is the freedom of expression; it allows you to express yourself. At the same time, culture is tolerance. You are a multicultur...

Culture is freedom of expression, tolerance and a serious job.

“Culture is the freedom of expression; it allows you to express yourself. At the same time, culture is tolerance. You are a multicultural, multiethnic society, which is great because the European Union   itself is like that”, said the Ambassador Lars – Gunnar Wigemark at the event with the Sarajevo hip hop crew Helem neise in the EU Info Centre on 13 December.

Culture and tolerance were the key topics of the event involving young people from Istočno Sarajevo, Busovača, Kreševo, Pale and Sarajevo in an open discussion. They asked the members of the Sarajevo hip hop crew whether they should make a step forward from the perception and views of the older generations and create their own world. For them, the stagnation is an unnatural phenomenon, just like hatred and disagreement – they wish to move on, to follow their façon, as they say, to feel not only as BiH citizens but also the citizens of Europe and the world. They do not want to live the problems of older generations, they want their own life. They want to live in the united borderless world.

The members of the Helem neise band tried to guide the young people to generate their activism and to answer their questions regarding whether art today can resist some trends like the one of young people leaving the country or to explain why young people think that they will not succeed in this country. “We are the best example. We are engaged in many activities and we hope to make a success. Actually, failure is not an option.  We wish to work and earn a living. So for example, regarding our theatre show, we have only two vacant seats to make the theatre overcrowded”, the band members said jokingly.

Two hours of the event were not enough to answer all the questions raised. “Multimedial and multitalented” as they, the members of the Helem nejse band call themselves, in their own manner they directed the attention of the audience to the topics that are important for their generation in the contemporary BiH society. Their message to young people was to be more engaged if they want to get good job and also to artists if they want audience.

The EU Info Centre organises a series of cultural-thematic evenings on committed art under the title “Committed Art Today – a generator or a follower of changes in the society” and through the discussion with artists tries to answer the question whether their engagement can start changes in the contemporary society. In this series of cultural events, we wish to gather young people and culture and art community. We engage in discussion with directors, musicians, actors, designers, writers across Bosnia and Herzegovina. We continue searching for answers.