Some call us Balkans 

Reimagining the Balkans beyond borders and nationalisms

Myths and misconceptions of the ‘Balkans’ produce biases which shape the way we talk, feel and think about it both on the inside and the outside of the region.​

Some Call Us Balkans aims to traverse, contest, investigate and create different notions of the Balkan as a tangible and intangible territory beyond stereotypical representations and narratives, envisioning new ecologies, modes of inhabiting and coming together on a common ground.

"BL(K)N RES(T)" cultural residency, Some Call Us Balkans, Berlin, 2021, photograph by Milly Reid, CC BY-SA 4.0

Some Call Us Balkans (SCUB) is a cultural cooperation project co-funded by the European Union, forming a transdisciplinary research and community that aims to co-create knowledge and reimagine the Balkans beyond borders and nationalisms.

To Balkan, exhibition in ZK/U, Berlin, Some Call Us Balkans, photograph by Milly Reid, CC BY-SA 4.0
To Balkan, exhibition at ZK/U, Some Call Us Balkans, Berlin, 2021, photograph by Milly Reid, CC BY-SA 4.0

Concepts

Participatory Art-Based Research

We use art as resource for interacting with the public, examining social issues through creative and cooperative research.

Open Traveling Practice

We travel as an open-scripted action, negotiating the meaning and roles of the host and the guest as co-creators of the journey.

Socially Engaged Art

We create art involving people and communities in debate, collaboration or social interaction, to foster cultural democracy and diversity.

Mythography

Myths form narratives and views of the world. We seek to uncover and debunk contemporary myths and misconceptions of the Balkans.
Community mountain expedition, Some Call Us Balkans, Zagori, Greece, 2022, photography by Tamara de la Fuente, CC BY-SA 4.0

Activities

Events

A series of participatory actions that foster mutual learning, awareness and investigate the urban, social and traveling ‘Balkan’ cultural context.

Ethics-in-Action Framework

Open and reusable resources, aimed to raise critical awareness and form an accessible and inclusive space within the project and beyond, published under a CC BY-SA 4.0 open license.

The words we use everyday shape the ways we think and talk. Open Glossary is a living vocabulary with terms of interest for the cohabitating communities, aiming to resituate our territorial understanding. 

The Code of Conduct is a living document co-edited and enriched throughout the project, with the vision to support ethical research and foster a safe environment for this and other Balkan arts and cultural projects.

The Digital Group Library gathers literature resources relevant to the Balkans, sociocultural issues and artistic practices in Southeastern Europe, supporting open-access digital scholarship.

BLKN Mobile Forum, Some Call Us Balkans, Sarajevo, 2022, photograph by Tamara de la Fuente, CC BY-SA 4.0
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