Come to a multicultural festival where you can connect with people of various cultures, learn about the history, origin, customs and current situation of minorities in Slovakia’s society. Join different workshops, public discussions, enjoy various concerts, exhibitions and listen to life journeys of interesting people. All this and more is offered by this multi-genre event that will be held in Bratislava from 20th to 27th April 2018, organized by the Milan Simecka Foundation, and theme of this year will be trust.

Trust is built, lost, replaced, deepened or weakened. It is understood as a dynamic part of interpersonal as well as of intercultural relations. It is constantly changing based on how we perceive individuals or groups. Trust is the result of an inconspicuous process in which there is no fear and it  grows based on the feeling of security when we are accepted the way we are. In Slovakia, the trust towards the institutions is very weak and it is also missing among the people. If we do not trust people around us, it is very difficult to start trusting people we do not know and who come from other cultural environments. Everything that is associated with trust and its influence on diversity in Slovakia, will be explored during the 13th year of the festival [fjúžn].

WHAT IS FJUZN?

[fjuzn] is a festival of new minorities that offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience life and culture of foreigners living in Slovakia. The title [fjuzn] is a phonetic transcription of ‘fusion’, a term which stands for a mix of different music styles or for adding Asian spices to European meals.

[fjuzn] is the most exotic multicultural festival in our country. It is held annually in Bratislava and this year we celebrate its 13th anniversary.

WHY JOIN FJUZN?

The festival’s aim is to connect people of various cultures which is done through many ways. You can taste different meals or admire people dressed in their traditional costumes.

Many people’s stories are presented to visitors in the form of photos and videos.

Concerts of various themes are held during the whole week.

You can join film screenings or creative workshops…

…informal meetings and public discussions about migration and multiculturalism.

And a rich program is always prepared for kids as well :)

In the early years when the festival took place it was called Week of New Minorities. Initially it was a chamber music event which grew each year until it became a small city festival, which is now one of the regular spring cultural events of our increasingly growing capital. In order to emphasize its main idea – to combine. People, ideas, projects.

2018 PROGRAMME

The programme events are continuously being added here.

THURSDAY 19.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
18:30 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
opening exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Colectivo Panamera + Bad Karma Boy + special guest – Spanish-Argentinian band warm-up event
20:00 KC Dunaj / Nedbalova 3
Concert / 5 € / Tickets
Facebook event

FRIDAY 20.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
14:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Padina Intimate Stories – exhibition of the naive works of the Slovak minority in Serbian Vojvodina together with the book launch Slovaks in Vojvodina
17:30 Kalab / Zamocka 5
Exhibition opening / free entry 
Facebook event

Nazeeha Saeed – Literary Society
18:30 Nova Cvernovka / Racianska 78
Discussion with a journalist / free entry / in English
Facebook event

Joke’s on you – English speaking circle of comedians who perform comedy all around Central Europe
20:00 Nova Cvernovka / Racianska 78
Comedy / 5 € / in English
Facebook event

Kutmah & Sofie & Petijee & Biomat – Party night with DJs mixing various tracks with different cultural influences
22:00 Nova Cvernovka / Racianska 78
Party / 4 € / Tickets
Facebook event

SATURDAY 21.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
10:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Festival [fjúžn] with Mareena at Dobry trh  – understanding the community aspect during the market Dobry trh with rich programme
10:00 Mareena / Lazaretska 32
market / check the accompanying programme in the FB event description
Facebook event

Workshop with Verbua – leather accessories 
10:00 LAB cafe / Namestie SNP 25
workshop / 10 € / Tickets
Facebook event

Colectivo Panamera – Spanish-Argentinian band 
15:00 Art Cafe / Akademicka 2, Banska Stiavnica
Concert 
Facebook event

Asian days at Hviezdoslav’s Square
19:00 Hviedzoslavovo namestie
chill-out zone, food,  stage, workshops / free entry
Facebook event

TiNG + Medial Banana & special [fjúžn] guest – reggae, ska and fusion of different genres
21:00 Majestic Music Club / Karpatska 2
concert / 9 € / Tickets
Facebook event

Caribe Band, DJ Emeterio, DJ Petak – The Cuban Night 
21:00 KC Dunaj / Nedbalova 3
party / 7 € /
Facebook event

SUNDAY 22.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
10:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Asian days at Hviezdoslav’s Square
10:00 Hviedzoslavovo namestie
chill-out zone, food,  stage, workshops/free entry
Facebook event

Sunday brunch – The Open Communities Day – cuisine of Afghanistan, Somalia or Japan. 
11:00 Mareena / Lazaretska 32
brunch
Facebook event

Nitra Jews – guided tour in Nitra
13:00 Jewish Cemetery in Nitra / Klokocina, Nitra
guided tour / in Slovak
Facebook event

The Open Communities Day
17:00 Kalab / Zamocka 5
commented exhibitions + movie screening
Facebook event

MONDAY 23.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
14:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Childhood books – foreign families living in Slovakia talking about books of their childhood
19:00 Karloveska kniznica / Jurigovo namestie
reading /  in native languages (Persian, Arabic and Somali) with Slovak translation 
Facebook event

Gasparego – theater and discussion about religious aspects
19:00 Ticho a spol / Skolska 14
theater, discussion & exhibition / 7 € / in Slovak / Tickets
Facebook event

Sunday Chess with Silvester Lavrik – discussion with the author
19:00 Kalab / Zamocka 5
discussion / in Slovak 
Facebook event

TUESDAY 24.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
14:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Evening with Mareena: Trust between us
18:30 Kalab / Zamocka 5
discussion / in Slovak
Facebook event

Duo Dinovski&Schuberth + Wild Strings Trio – concert combining various musical influences
19:00 Ifjú Szivek Dance Theater / Mostova 8
concert / 8 € / in Slovak / Tickets
Facebook event

WEDNESDAY 25.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
14:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Cinema evening with Mareena
18:30 Mareena / Lazaretska 32
documentary movie screening
Facebook event

THURSDAY 26.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
14:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Children’ Choir Superar –  to support trust between people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds
18:00 Velky evanjelicky kostol / Panenska 28
Concert / free entry
Facebook event

FRIDAY 27.4.

Women Who Stay – a photography exhibition portraying the Mexican, Senegalese and Ethiopian women  who stayed – a new angle of the migration issue
14:00 Open Gallery / Bastova 5
Exhibition / in Slovak and English /  exhibition lasts 19.4. – 27.4. 2018
Facebook event

Creative afternoon – migrating rucksacks 
15:00 Mareena / Lazaretska 32
workshop 
Facebook event

Ciganka Lorda Stanleyho – Theater with French actors (also for kids)
17:30 Dom kultury Luky / Viglasska 1
Theater / 7 € / Tickets
Facebook event

Wojciech Gorecki on the Planet Caucasus – discussion with a Polish historian, journalist and reporter
18:00 Bukowski Bar / Namestie SNP 24
Discussion / free entry / in Slovak and Polish
Facebook event

The Movie Screening in Nitra 
18:00 Fotogaleria Trafacka / Janka Krala 65, Nitra
documentary movie screening 
Facebook event

Apples&Hrušky –  LGBT + foreigners in Slovakia
19:30 FUGA / Namestie SNP 24
Discussion / free entry / in English
Facebook event

Rock’n’Roll Night
21:00 KC Dunaj / Nedbalova 3
Party / 5 € 
Facebook event

Mäss x [fjúžn] w Lotic, Soda Plains
22:00 FUGA / Namestie SNP 24
party / 7 € / Tickets
Facebook event

Festival’s official PROGRAM page.

NOTE: All photos featured in this article are from festivals from previous years. Source – [fjuzn]’s FB page.

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