Supporting Social Inclusion Through Art
Naš most Zenica is a non-profit organisation in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina that supports the social inclusion of vulnerable groups - older people, women, persons with disabilities and children - through art and culture. We are a group of volunteers, most of whom are pensioners who started exploring their creativity when they retired. Our association is one of the most active promoters of healthy ageing through art in the country.
We have established various local and international art-focused initiatives in partnership with cultural organisations from all over Europe. Our partners and friends are the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship Switzerland, Insha Osvita Ukraine, Kino Úsmev Košice Slovakia, Art Aparat Belgrade Serbia, Artistic Union Vlaho Bukovac Split Croatia, MitOst e.v. Germany, Cittadini del mondo Italy, City of Zenica, and many other institutions and organizations.
Arts and Crafts Workshops
We offer various arts and crafts workshops to older persons, women, persons with disabilities and children. They learn new skills, create beautiful art, and showcase their work to the public at our Može Bazaars, monthly open-air arts and crafts fairs that we organize in the centre of Zenica. Our activities provide a supportive environment and we help our members promote and sell their creations through our social media campaigns.
Creative Initiatives for Healthy Ageing
Our activities for healthy ageing are focused on the transformative power of art and creative socialization. These programs are designed to engage older people in various art forms, fostering new connections, personal growth and self-expression. One of our signature programmes is the Iron Painting Programme which has empowered many older women to explore their creativity through experimenting with an unusual artistic technique - painting with clothes iron and wax.
Art Exhibitions of Our Members
Our art gallery, situated in the heart of Zenica, hosts hundreds of works of art - paintings, souvenirs, sculptures, and hand-dyed clothing - created by members of our associations (older persons, persons with disabilities and children) at our arts and crafts workshops. This permanent collection is constantly updated with new works. In addition, we have made our space available to other artists and their art projects, as long as they match our values and principles.
International Promotion of Local Artisans
As the ambassador of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship from Switzerland, Naš most Zenica supports the inclusion of artisans from Bosnia and Herzegovina in HomoFaber.com, the global online platform dedicated to the promotion of craftsmanship from around the world. We have so far enabled the presentation of more than twenty Bosnian-Herzegovinian artisans to the international audience.
So far, we have received numerous