The Queer Culture Marathon Festival celebrated LGBTQI+ art, activism, and community resilience through a vibrant cross-border cultural program held across Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. The project began with an online inception meeting in October 2024, aligning all partner organizations and setting the groundwork for a successful implementation.
A dedicated promotional campaign ensured strong visibility and participation, engaging audiences via social media and a newly created website. The festival’s official opening gathered artists, activists, and supporters, launching a rich program of exhibitions, performances, and screenings.
In Montenegro, the Queer Art Industry event brought together 25 participants from civil society, government, and the cultural sector to explore queer expression through literature, music, drag, and visual arts. In Kosovo, the same activity took the form of “Queer Archive of the Future,” a creative workshop and panel that explored the intersections of queer identity, activism, and art, culminating in a symbolic archive of personal stories and artifacts.
In Tirana, four queer-themed films were screened, each followed by engaging panel discussions with artists and public figures. The screenings featured titles such as The Summer with Carmen, Queer Japan, More Films for Freedom, and Consequences, attracting broad interest and fostering conversations on LGBTQI+ representation in media and film.
During the IDIHOT Festival of Diversity in May 2025, several activities supported by this project further elevated queer voices. A joint photography exhibition by Aleksandar Crnogorac and Jutta Benzenberg explored identity and resilience through powerful visual narratives. The festival also featured a highly anticipated drag show and a series of DJ performances that brought energy, visibility, and inclusion to the community.
Through art, performance, discussion, and digital outreach, the Queer Culture Marathon Festival built bridges across the Western Balkans. It amplified LGBTQI+ perspectives, strengthened regional solidarity, and used creativity as a tool for visibility, empowerment, and change.
Implementing partners: Queer Montenegro (Montenegro), Open Mind Spectrum Albania (OMSA), IKMK (Kosovar Institute for Media and Communication.
Queer Culture Marathon Festival project was supported by the British Council through the “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” project, funded by the European Union. CC4WBs aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.