[Skopje, June 24] From June 4 to 20, the jubilee fifth edition of Infusion – Festival of Inclusion transformed Skopje into an open platform for culture, art, education, entertainment and new ways of connecting.
Through workshops, exhibitions, a march, musical performances, technologies, board games, a bazaar, awards, and a moving theater performance, the festival created a space in which people with disabilities, youth, families, artists, institutions, and the general public were not just audiences, but active participants in a shared story. The fifth edition once again confirmed the core message of Infusion: accessibility is not an addition, but a culture of living, communicating, creating, and sharing public space.
The festival opened on June 4 with the workshop “We Embroider Stories, Sew Memories”. Through needle, thread, colors and imagination, participants created unique works, but also new friendships, memories and moments to remember. The workshop once again showed that the creative spirit lives in each of us and that art can be a simple, yet powerful way to connect, collaborate and create together.
Day 1
The second day of the festival, June 5, was dedicated to culture and accessibility in art. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, participants visited the tactile exhibition and had the opportunity to explore the works through touch. This experience offered a different approach to art and showed that it is not only experienced with the eyes. By opening the senses, visitors felt culture in a deeper and more intimate way, confirming that art should be accessible to everyone.
Day 2
On June 6, the “March of the Excluded” united citizens in support of equal rights, free sidewalks, safe paths, and public spaces accessible to all.
The march began in front of the Government and City of Skopje, sending a clear message that accessibility must not be a privilege. People with disabilities, families, youth, cyclists, friends and supporters of the idea that the city should belong to everyone marched together.
The program continued on the Summer Stage “Fan” in the City Park with VR experiences, board games, fun and new friendships. The musical part brought energy and atmosphere with performances by DJ Ficho, Aleksandar Tarabunov and Ilija i Divite.
On June 13, the Summer Stage “Fan” was transformed into a full-day festival zone filled with movement, communication, creativity and music through morning yoga, the workshop “Silent Friendships”, inFusion Bazaar, the street art workshop “Feel in Color” activity and the activity “Look Through My Eyes” in collaboration with DURDMOV “Dimitar Vlahov” through which visitors had the opportunity to get acquainted with Braille, smart canes, speech programs and assistive technology, as well as to experience different perspectives on accessibility and the everyday challenges faced by people with visual impairments.
The award ceremony was held in the presence of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Mrs. Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, as well as numerous representatives of institutions, organizations, companies, guests and supporters of the festival.
The evening continued with a rich musical program with Dragi Ivanov, Mia Perevska, Dimitar Ivanoski, Tina Ruseva and Martina & Meto Acoustic. Under the open sky, the music transformed “Fan” into a space for socializing, dancing, smiling and celebrating diversity.
Day 4
The festival concluded on June 20 with the interactive moving theater performance “Three Worlds Plus One.” Over 20 participants, starting at the Central Park Café in the City Park, walked through three different worlds that opened up questions about physical accessibility, visual impairment, hearing impairment, and accessible communication.
In the finale, at the Summer Stage “Fan”, everyone together created the fourth world – the world of togetherness. The performance sent a clear message that inclusion is not just a law or a project, but a daily choice and responsibility of every person.
This closed the jubilee fifth edition of the Infusion Festival, leaving behind new encounters, experiences, and a strong message that culture, the city, and public space are truly open only when everyone has an equal opportunity to participate, create, enjoy, and live.
