In the heart of the Municipality of Kisela Voda, at the “Biljana Belicanec” Cultural Center and the surrounding park – Macedonia Park, from September 7 to 10, a celebration of humanity, unity, and acceptance was held as part of the Second Festival of Inclusion on the theme “Cultural Inclusive Policies".
The festival was organized by the "Association for the Affirmation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities-Equality", together with the partner organization "Vizija-Plus"and supported by the Municipality of Kisela Voda.
This, the second consecutive edition of the Festival of Inclusion,fulfills its mission of connecting people with and without disabilities and once again in the most vivid way proved the fact that in every heart lies boundless potential, support, genuine love, and empathy.
The first day, September 7th, the official opening we began it with the awarding of certificates of appreciation to all who made the festival a reality — socially responsible companies such as KB First Pension Company, Halkbank, Salveo, Denmak, Nova International School — which further motivated us to create an unforgettable event and left lasting memories in the hearts of all those present.
The opening of the festival was accompanied by a performance by the revelation of the Macedonian music scene – Pajak, who sent a powerful message from the Municipality of Kisela Voda and the City of Skopje, that inclusion of all is a right guaranteed by all supernatural rights, and that music is an excellent medium for achieving unity and understanding, regardless of age, origin, or social status.
In the background of the stage and the audience area, artistic photographs were exhibited as part of the exhibition on the theme “Meeting and Acceptance”, photographic memoirs from the archives of Dragi Nedelchevski and Nebojša Gelevski, which throughout the festival peeked at all the curious visitors.
On September 8th, the second day of the festival, the first part of the two-day workshop for the youngest participants began, drawing on the theme “What is happiness?”, under the mentorship of Sonja Abadzhieva. The beautiful and calming energy that the children provided while creating their artistic feats with their little hands was captured on paper in various colors, shapes, and undoubtedly with much admiration and love.
All children, with and without disabilities, know how to be friends together when they are not burdened by external prejudices, as demonstrated by the drawing workshop on the theme of happiness, as well as the drawing and flower planting workshop, held over two consecutive days and led by Simona Tripkova and Tanja Aleksovska Popovska.
The children during this afternoon also had the opportunity to learn ballet under the mentorship of the school "BS Ballerina."
The evening program on the second day of the festival was opened with a performance of the anthem by an inclusive choir on the occasion of the national holiday, September 8th, Independence Day. The children from Elementary School Kuzman Josifovski Pitu, under the guidance of teacher Vera Angelovska, intoned the anthem accompanied by sign language interpretation. The performance was described by the mayor of Kisela Voda, Orce Gjorgjievski, as "the most beautiful greeting on the occasion of Macedonia's independence!”
We continued the evening program on the second day of the festival with an unforgettable musical experience presented by the four-member band Funk Shui.
The concert musical enjoyment was followed by screenings of the films “10 Tips for Polite Behavior with Children with Disabilities”, produced by Prkos, “Include, Don’t Exclude”, produced by Plakart and Equality, and “Touch”, directed by Stojan Vujićkić. Each frame was etched with testimony of human strength, motivation, and the life stories of people with disabilities, leaving all attendees with a feeling of connection and open hearts.