pictures from new dom mladih....

here are some pictures to get an impression of how the
brandnew dom mladih looks from outside...






.....and inside....

Dom Mladih - first concert

Yesterday evening was the first time that the new Dom Mladih officially opened its gates to young people, music and party - about ten bands from the region played in the newly renovated space (complete with the elaborate plastic flower-creations, cream leather seats and glass tables that gerrit already reported about). Entrance was free for the happy few who managed to secure tickets, altough not all of the ticket-holders were allowed inside by the very enthusiastic security men. We had our own problems getting in, but once they were solved we were allowed to enter and speak to a few visitors.
The impression we got was very varied - most of the younger visitors (17-20 years) were extremely impressed by the new space, but at the same time thought it maybe "a bit much", referring to the poncy design. Some of the older visitors were a bit disappointed, having known the old Dom Mladih and not believing that the new venue could offer the possibilities and space for creativity of before. There were a couple of complaints concerning the sound, and some distressed smokers, fleeing the building because of its no-smoking-rule...
All in all - what to say.. It remains to be seen what will evolve in the new Dom Mladih, what will happen in the other parts of the building still beeing renovated, which used to be rehearsal rooms for bands etc. It is certainly good for the city to have another space for concerts, and hopefully the young people of the city will manage to find a place here.

this is not a revival festival

My plane left berlin yesterday with one hour delay and i missed my connection to sarajevo in milano. So I arrived here after spending the whole day in Milano and Vienna with 10 hours delay, and i missed the official opening ceremony of Dom Mladih :(
Doesn't matter as we have our sources, and they say that there was nothing to see but some older men talking about themselves.
There was not one person invited who could represent something worthy of the name "youth" - and when you enter the ExYouth House you can see that no young person at all was involved in making a concept for the renovation.
And there was not one word spoken about the REVIVAL Festival 2005, not one word about the energy of the young people in sarajevo given to it, not one word about ASK SARAJEVO and its initiators - who got the stone rolling, who came up first with the idea of reviving the old, damaged building.

A bit sad. And even more sad is the fact that it was expected to be like this by everyone here, and obviously there was no other way.
Today I took the chance to go inside Dom Mladih and i did not recognise it. At all. Somehow they managed to make a different place out of it. You can't say it's not nice - it is just for another target group than most young people here expected it to be.
They took the trashy but sympathetic spirit and exchanged it for expensive wood, glass, leather, screens, lights, projectors - and plastic flowers.

But as this is still a story about hope: the people who will come here to see bands and have parties can change a lot, and hopefully breath some life into new Dom Mladih - if they let them in!

so long, i am having a good time here anyway, and we will find out more during the next days!

gerrit

FTV tonight at 18.00

Tonight at FTV, 18.00, our documentary "Revival" will be shown in occasion of the long waited reopening of Dom Mladih, Sarajevo.

1-2-3! Run to your tv :-)

All the best from Copenhagen,

Kirsten.

Dom Mladih reopens

On Monday we got this letter and the information that Dom Mladih - Sarajevos youth house - reopens. There's an opening ceremony on thursday the 8th - and we will be there. We keep you all informed about what is happening now and how everything is going on...

Doc. Team "This-Is"
Trace of Green Production
Copenhagen, Denmark

Sarajevo, 05.02.2007.

Subject: Documentary film "Revival"

Dear Sir/Madam,

On behalf of Radio and Television of Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, I would like to thank you for your excellent work, and for giving us permission to broadcast it on our television.

I must say that this documentary is made on highest professional standards, and that we shall proudly broadcast it on February 8th, on the day of official opening of youth house "Dom Mladih" in Sarajevo.

We hold that, together with foundation "ASK Sarajevo", you gave a huge and important help to action of reconstructing of youth house "Dom MLadih". After so many years of doing nothing, our government was forced to start rebuilding, by your work and your enthusiasm.

Finally, our youth has it's youth house back.

I wish you success in your future work and hope that, in the future, we shall do something together.

Best Regards,

Boris Siber

Radio and Television of Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina
Head of Programming for children and youth

sarajevo photo safari online

after we finally made it to send all pictures back to sarajevo
we have a first bunch of them online on our website by now!

we all like the pictures a lot and will continue working with
them - we keep you updated here.
thanks again to everybody who joined and helped us!

enjoy the safari, warm greetings from berlin,

gerrit