The International Children’s folklore dance festival “Licider heart” was organized for the eighth time by the Association of citizens “Era” from Uzice. So far, the festival brought together around 5.500 children from 38 countries, from 4 continents.

This year, the festival was held from 15^th – 19^th August. The central event was organized in the City of Uzice and festival activities took place in the municipalities and famous tourist destinations of Western Serbia: Zlatibor, Bajina Basta, Pozega, Mokra Gora and in Visegrad (Andrićgrad), Bosnia and Herzegovina. This year’s festival gathered around 1.000 children from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Lithuania, Italy, Russia, the Czech Republic and Tunisia.

It is estimated that this year’s festival activities, which consisted of opening ceremony of the festival, 7 festival concerts, 5 parades, 6 folklore games, an exhibition of traditional costumes of the participating countries, were visited by nearly 65.000 visitors, less than the last year, due to the bad weather conditions, where the final festival concert and closing ceremony of the festival was canceled.

Accompanying activities included organization of exhibition of costumes of the participating countries, humanitarian activities “Licider heart for children”, a pottery workshop and presentation of traditional costumes and gastronomy of Western Serbia in the rural households in the village Zlakusa, as well as public debates and exchange of experience on the methodology of work with children in preserving tradition at the international level.

A sightseeing tour was organized in Uzice -Introduction of the City of Uzice through the game “urban safari”, where participants were tasked to independently, with the help of maps, find 5 marked points (Hydropower plant on Djetinja River, National Theatre, the fountain on the main street, the old wooden Church, National Museum) and perform specific tasks, and all that documented when they reach the final point at the City Cultural Center. This year the winners of the game were the participants from the Czech Republic.

Also, for the participants was organized a boat ride from Visegrad to Perucac in Bajina Basta. They visited cultural and tourist sights of Western Serbia (Potpec Cave, Kraljeve vode) and in Visegrad (Monastery Dobrun, UNESCO Bridge over the Drina river and Andrićgrad where the festival activities were organized).

“Since the festival “Licider heart” was for the first time organized as a part of the International CIOFF festival network, participants evaluated the quality of the festival through technical capacities, artistic level and overall organization of the festival, all ensembles gave an excellent reviews on all the aspects of the event. Proof that we were good and that the festival left good impressions are touching farewell scenes, where one could see the tears on the faces, not only guides, volunteers and participants, but also their managers. On our address we already received wonderful letters of gratitude and wishes to come again”, stated Gordana Paunovic, organizer of the event and President of the Association of citizens “Era”, Uzice.

The organization of the regional event 8th International Children’s folklore dance festival “Licider heart” was supported by SWG, jointly with GIZ, within the project: “Strengthening regional capacities for rural development through integrated forest and water resources management in Southeast Europe (LEIWW)”

The event was also supported and facilitated by the European Union funded project “Fostering regional cooperation and balanced territorial development of Western Balkan countries in the process towards EU integration” implemented by the SWG.

http://www.liciderskosrce.com/

http://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/361368/

https://www.facebook.com/Udruzenje-gradjana-ERA-Uzice

http://eramedia.rs/2016/08/14/iz-meksika-na-licidersko-srce/