During our last activity “Voice it” in Groznjan, Croatia, the communication group took the chance to make an interview of Mojca MAKOVAC, head of the international youth meeting centre of Jeunesses Musicales International in Groznjan and former Y-E-N Board Member.
Thank you Mojca for answering our questions!
Can you give us a brief history of your organisation?
Jeunesse Musical Croatia is part of a bigger network called Jeunesses Musicales International which has its headquarters in Brussels.
The association was founded in 1969 in Belgium. Little by little it expended to many European countries. The main objectives are for young people, musicians and audiences to have access to music. We advocate for quality formal and non-formal music education for young people and greater music learning for young audiences.
All along those years, Jeunesses Musicales have organised different classes, masterclasses, workshops, in more than 90 countries. They are now collaborating with many international organisations, Youth Express Network being one of them.
When and why did you join Y-E-N?
Personally I was doing social studies with a master in pedagogy and there was a seminar organised by Y-E-N. It was a project related with art and other bigger issues. As I am a dancer, I joined the project and I got really interested in their work. Afterwards, I decided to become a member and it is now 19 years that we are part of Y-E-N.
How did this affect the organisation JMC?
It contributes to keep the international dimension for Jeunesses Musicales Croatia. We were more involved in international projects, we participated to many projects. We are already a big part of the culture in Croatia, we are a big organisation and being part of Y-E-N enables us to extent this.
How was it for you to have us in Groznjan?
I like it a lot, this is a great opportunity for us to have you here. It is always pleasant to see the dynamic of the participants here in Groznjan. The group is very active and the interaction with the inhabitants is very interesting to see.
Can you mention some of the most important project that you have carried out?
We organised a lot of projects as part of the international youth work. All of them are important, and not only for the music. Jeunesses Musicales places empowerment at its core and emphasizes on social inclusion and cohesion.
We launched a project called « Groznjan outside of Groznjan » with the aim of expanding the work of the artists of Groznjan outside to other cities in Croatia. In this way we aim at widening the education in terms of culture and wish to contribute to the artist’s development.
This summer was organised a big event which happens every summer, called the « World Orchestra from Jeunesses Musicales ». It has been going on for many years already. Young artists from all over the world gather and go on the road to play music. The JM World Orchestra represents part of the history of the organisation. It enables young musicians with the opportunity to travel to share their passion and act as ambassadors for intercultural understanding.
What is the importance of Y-E-N with regards to Youth Social Politics?
In term of organisation, Y-E-N has its importance as it provides young people with education, whether it is formal of non-formal. I think that those parts of opportunity should be a part of every youngster’s life. No matter if the project is only short-time, it enables to bring different lives together and contribute to the personal and professional development of the youngsters.
What is the future plans for JMC?
We will continue to be actively involved at the international level and we will also work on tools to tackle more on the social issues at the European level. During the year, in Zagreb, we will carry on with our project “Groznjan outside of Groznjan” in order to introduce the people of Groznjan in other cities and also introduce Groznjan to the people outside of Groznjan.
By Vanessa Deweer (Y-E-N Office intern)