CAST Project

The 20th edition of Petrovac Jazz Festival took place from 3–6 September in Petrovac, Montenegro, bringing four evenings of jazz to the coast. 🌊

The anniversary programme included performances by Belgrade Jazz Collective, Birds of Unknown, JFF Little Big Band, Oridano Guitar Duo, Jure Pukl Analog AI and Nisville Jam Orchestra. The festival programme also included exhibitions, a music workshop and a book presentation by Ivan Blagojević, director of Nišville Jazz Festival. 🎷

It was also a special moment for the CAST partnership. After the CAST study visit and project meeting in Montenegro, partners attended the festival and experienced the event together. 🫂

For Urbani Kult, the organisation behind Petrovac Jazz Festival, reaching its 20th edition is also about maintaining a cultural event that has been part of Petrovac and Budva's cultural life for two decades.

As part of the Danube Festival Caravan, we were happy to see the CAST partnership come together at the festival and celebrate this milestone with our Montenegrin partners. 🇲🇪

Hey, you there, reading this right now...

The CAST Project is for you.

Yes, you.

Why?

Because it’s about bringing people together. In cities, towns and villages. It’s about making where you live an attractive place to be. It’s about creating jobs, learning new skills, improving mental health. ➕

It’s about discovering the potential of your local cultural heritage to transform your life.

Swipe through to see what this can look like in practice. ➡️

Throughout August, KultFest brought cultural events to different places around Sremski Karlovci, with the aim of making the town’s cultural heritage and local creative scene part of everyday life.

The sixth edition opened with the Karlovci Film Festival, organised by young people as a space for local and international films and emerging filmmakers. Over the following weekends, the programme continued with traditional crafts and skills, a day dedicated to children, the W**e Salon and an evening of poetry and w**e.

More than 60 performers and cultural practitioners took part and around 4,000 people visited the festival. Local artists, cultural associations, young people, craftspeople and w**emakers all contributed to the programme.

As part of the Danube Festival Caravan, KultFest brought together people already active in the town’s cultural life and gave them a shared space to present what they do. 🇷🇸

August brought the Danube Festival Caravan to Slovakia and Serbia. 🇸🇰🇷🇸

In Kolárovo, the 41st Fair brought thousands of residents and visitors together over four days. The programme included the international Kolárovo CUP handball tournament alongside concerts and cultural events. 🔖

During the workshop “2035: Let’s Design the City of Tomorrow!”, participants from Kolárovo and its twin towns discussed the future of the town and possible directions for its development.

In Sremski Karlovci, the 6th edition of KultFest took place throughout August across several weekends and locations. The programme opened with the Karlovci Film Festival before continuing with events focused on traditional crafts, local w**e and activities for children and families. More than 60 performers and cultural practitioners took part in the festival and around 4,000 visitors attended. 👏🏻

Congratulations to our partners .travel .kolarovo for creating such special opportunities for people to meet and engage with the places around them. 💛

📣 You are invited to the development conference and society fair ‘Regions 2030+: Building Resilient, Competitive and Investment-Ready Communities’.

𝐎𝐧 𝟐𝟑–𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, our lead partner is bringing together cross-sectoral representatives in Celje, 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚 to discuss how regions can prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead. 💯

The focus is on what comes next: 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. With the EU’s next financial perspective for 2028–2034 on the horizon, the event will look at how regions can turn cooperation into concrete development and investment opportunities. The event starts on 23 September with a cultural evening, featuring a Danube Dance Alliance artistic performance and a screening of Dancescapes 360°. The main programme continues on 24 September.

When: 23–24 September 2026
Language: Slovenian and English with simultaneous interpretation
Admission: Participation is free, but registration is required.
Registration: Until 16 September 2026.

👉 Register now and join the discussion on what future-ready regions should look like.

https://iskriva.net/en/2026/08/27/development-conference-society-fair-regions-2030/

Zavod Iskriva, iskrišče za razvoj lokalnih potencialov

CAST partners in Montenegro 🇲🇪

On 3 and 4 September, CAST partners met in Budva for a project meeting and study visit hosted by Urbani Kult. Across the two days, we looked at the progress of our 𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, discussed the next steps for implementation and explored how the experiences from the pilots are feeding into the development of the CAST Model.

In the storytelling workshop, partners explored how to find the story behind their pilots and communicate their local meaning in a more engaging and people focused way.

We also reflected on the first season of the 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒃𝒆 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒏, sharing highlights and lessons from the festivals. The conversation continued on the bus as we made our way to Cetinje. 🚌

The study visit took us to the Museum of King Nikola and then up to Mount Lovćen and Njegoš Mausoleum, giving us a chance to experience Montenegro's cultural heritage and tourism offer together.

We also joined the opening of the 20th 𝑷𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒄 𝑱𝒂𝒛𝒛 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍, connected to Urbani Kult's pilot and enjoyed some music along the way. 🎷🌊

And between the sessions: coffee, long conversations, getting to know each other's work better and a little time by the sea.

From the Danube to the Adriatic: next stop, Petrovac! 🌊🎷

The Petrovac Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th edition this September, with four days of jazz and cultural events in the coastal town of Petrovac, Montenegro.

From 3–6 September, the main programme will feature performances by Belgrade Jazz Collective, Birds of Unknown, JFF Little Big Band conducted by Toni Kitanovski, Oridano Guitar Duo, Jure Pukl Analog AI and the Nisville Jam Orchestra. 🥁🎺🎻

The programme goes beyond the evening concerts. Visitors can also explore the Jazz Note and texture exhibitions, join a music workshop or attend a book presentation during the festival.

📅 When? 3–6 September 2026
📍 Where? Petrovac, Montenegro
🎟️ Admission? Free for all events

As part of the Danube Festival Caravan, Petrovac Jazz Festival is our next September stop, taking us to the Montenegrin coast. 🌊

For the full programme and updates, visit the Petrovac Jazz Festival page.

Hard to believe, but we're already down to our last two stops for the year. 🍂 After a full summer across the region, we’re wrapping up the 2026 Danube Festival Caravan while heading to Montenegro and Serbia.

🎷 3–6 September — Petrovac Jazz Festival
📍 Petrovac, Montenegro

This year marks their 20th edition. You can catch evening jazz shows, check out art exhibitions or drop by a music workshop and book presentation.

🍷 26 September — Fruška Walk&W**e
📍 Sremski Karlovci / Fruška Gora, Serbia

A simple day outdoors in Fruška Gora, spending time walking through the landscape and tasting local w**es at your own pace.

We hope you've enjoyed following the festivals with us so far. 💛 Stay tuned, as we’ll be sharing more details about each of these stops soon!

So, for September, are you more in the mood for seaside jazz or a quiet w**e walk in the hills?

**e

According to Eurostat, 29% of people in Bulgaria are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest rate in the EU. Behind this figure are communities facing unequal access to opportunities and participation in local life.

This is exactly the kind of challenge CAST wants to address. 🌍

Through initiatives that connect culture with social inclusion, local development, business and employment, our partners are exploring new ways to create opportunities and make communities more inclusive.

In Bulgaria, our partner The Collective Foundation Колективът is working in Lyulin, Sofia, exploring how culture can strengthen local identity and bring new energy to community life. Their pilot is one of 11 taking place across the Danube Region, each responding to local needs in its own way.

Together, the CAST partnership is testing the CAST Model in real communities, bringing different organisations and local partners into the process. The aim is to learn from these experiences and show how culture can become a practical part of building more inclusive places. 🌱