Held in the town’s historic Rrokat quarter, the festival is built around “Buka e Horës,”( “the town of the Arbëreshë” or “city of the Albanians”) the traditional Arbëreshë bread that has long symbolised the community’s identity and its roots dating back to the migration of Albanians to southern Italy in the 15th century.

Conceived as a “festival of bread and street arts,” the event transforms the neighbourhood into an open-air cultural venue, with music, theatre, circus performances, poetry readings, creative workshops and activities for all ages bringing together residents, artists and visitors over two days.

Organisers say the festival seeks to strengthen the connection between the local community, its cultural heritage and contemporary forms of artistic expression, while encouraging wider public engagement with Arbëreshë traditions.

They hope Buka Buskers Fest will become an enduring annual tradition, promoting dialogue, participation and a renewed sense of belonging through shared cultural spaces.

At the heart of the initiative is the revitalisation of the historic Rrokat neighbourhood, which organisers describe as both a cultural landmark and a shared public space deserving of preservation and community care.

The Arbëreshë are descendants of Albanians who settled in southern Italy after fleeing the Ottoman advance across the Balkans in the 15th century. Today, their communities continue to preserve the Arbëresh language, Byzantine religious traditions and distinctive customs, making them one of the oldest Albanian diasporas in Europe.

/j.p/u.sh/

Bringing together over 100 participants from six regional and neighboring countries, the conference showcased 95 research papers. Thought-provoking sessions spanned the arts, cultural heritage, and education, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence is transforming scientific and artistic research.

The conference aimed to promote scientific and artistic research, strengthen inter-institutional and international cooperation and foster interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary challenges and developments in the arts.

During the conference, there was highlighted the need for greater interaction between tradition and innovation, expanding the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in creative and research processes, strengthening research on cultural heritage and further developing academic cooperation at regional and international levels.

The conference demonstrated that art, education and research are deeply interconnected, further solidifying the University of Arts as a premier hub for academic and creative exchange in Albania and beyond.

/p.s./

Attending the meeting were also the representatives of the management level of MAXXI, such as Eleonora D’Alessandro, Lorenza Baroncelli and Pippo Ciorra, as well as the Italian Institute of Culture in Tirana, represented by director Alessandro Ruggera, together with representatives from the National Gallery of Arts and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports.

In a post on social networks, Gonxhja wrote that, “The document presents a forward-looking vision for the Gallery: developing capacity, improving institutional support, driving joint projects and adopting European standards”.

“The new four-year partnership will accelerate the modernization of Albania’s cultural infrastructure, arts education and creative scene,” Gonxhja emphasized.

We aim to address core institutional challenges by evaluating contemporary management models, restructuring the organization and building a sustainable financial model.

The report aims to identify the main institutional challenges, analyze contemporary models of administration and management, propose a new organizational structure and build a financial model for long-term sustainability.

Based on the memorandum of cooperation, signed in Rome between the MAXXI Foundation and the National Gallery of Arts of Albania, the institutions will have an independent three-year institutional cooperation (2025–2028).

Through the partnership, Albania benefits from the many years of expertise of a leading institution in the field of contemporary art and architecture, such as the MAXXI Foundation – National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

The delegation of the University of Arts was headed by the rector, prof. dr. Erald Bakalli and had the opportunity to hold high-level meetings of institutional representatives in Lamezia Terme, such as with the president of Catanzaro Academy, Professor Stefania Mancuso, president of the International Cultural Fondation, etc.

The University of the Arts said that, within the framework of the inauguration of the “Culture Med Hub” network with the motto “Art, Science and Creativity for the Mediterranean”, there was described the ICF vision for a cycle of cultural and scientific activities with a high international profile that will be dedicated to Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, focusing on the idea of ​​a Mediterranean capable of generating innovative forms of recognition, dialogue and common growth and where traditions and new visions meet to shape a common language of beauty.

During this visit, there were signed agreements between the two artistic institutions, UART and ABA Catanzaro, as well as a joint Memorandum of Understanding with ICF, where, among others, there also signed University of Lebanon and Salah Boubnider Constantine 3 University (Algeria).

A documentary project entitled “The Language of the Heart” was also discussed. /j.p/r.e/p.s./

Chairman of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha promised a more than double budget for culture and art.

“DP considers this dramatic situation in the field of culture and arts to be urgent and guarantees Albanian citizens, writers, artists, sculptors, painters and all personalities of culture and art that there will be a radical change in the first year of its governance in the attitude of the state and government towards arts and culture.

“Our objective is double budget for culture and art and full restructuring of the Ministry of Culture in function of art and culture, their protection and development”, Berisha emphasized.

Berisha added that there will also be a special legal status for artists, writers and people of culture.

“We also promise the adoption of the law on transparent sponsorship of art and culture by businesses”, Berisha said.

Berisha emphasized that we will encourage businesses and businessmen to sponsor with transparency by proportionally reducing the taxes they pay to the state. /r.e/ /a.f/p.s./

The old building, dating back to 1970s, had serious structural problems, and no longer met any standard for the exhibition and preservation of works of art, or for the development of cultural events.

According to the project designed by “Atelier 4” studio, there is also increased the exhibition space, the space for preservation of works of art and digitization and the space for social-cultural activities. In addition, there are added special rooms for sculpture, painting, drawings, ceramics, etc., as well as restoration rooms with direct access from the elevators for the large works of arts.

Minister Gonxhja highlighted that about 40% of the works have been completed, but it has been the most difficult part. Hence we are at a satisfactory moment in the progress of the works. Work is underway on both buildings, the old building and the new building.

“According to the project, the space of ​​events and activities from the project has increased tenfold compared to what the Gallery of Arts once had the capacity to do. The exhibition area has almost tripled. The archive area has increased by four-fivefold”, said Minister Gonxhja.

For his part, PM Rama was interested in the technical details of the project, which foresees a communication between the two buildings: the old and the new.

“The new building was added respecting the old object and keeping this glass gallery. The visit starts from the existing building and then the visitors cross into the other building, where there are other added spaces. There will also be restore the skylight,” explained the representative of the design studio.

The works at the National Gallery of Fine Arts are expected to be completed by the end of the current year. /r.e/p.s./

This is a multifunctional hall that opened in the presence of dozens of students of the University of Arts and will serve as a cinema, lecture hall, training and events place.

On occasion of opening of this hall, the Directorate of Archives and the University of Arts signed a cooperation agreement which paves the way for implementation of a series of artistic and cultural projects.

The representatives of the two institutions, Prof. Dr. Assoc. Ardit Bido and Rector, Prof. Kastriot Çaushi agreed on the terms of a 5-year agreement which stipulates holding of joint activities.

This agreement also aims to provide easy access for students of all cycles, as well as for the University of Arts lecturers, to the archival property owned by the Directorate of Archives.

In his speech to the event, Bido said that this hall offers a very good opportunity for the Albanian youth to reveal their talent in several artistic genres.

On his part, Çaushi expressed his appreciation and surprise for this initiative, which has transformed the Archive into a cultural alternative. /p.s./

According to Education Minister, the government decision aims at transforming the arts and sports education institutions by granting them a special status based on meeting a set of certain criteria in these schools.

Manastirliu said that a specific curriculum will be adapted to the needs of pupils and students in specialty schools focused on arts and sports.

“The special status of these schools means a level of autonomy in terms of the financial capacities and the teaching staff,” Education and Sports Minister said in a press statement after a regular cabinet meeting, adding that more than 2700 students will benefit from today’s government decision.

/u.sh/

Attending the meeting was the rector of the University of Arts Kastriot Çaushi, deans, and heads of departments of this university, distinguished professors and artists.

During the meeting, they talked about the challenges that the University of Arts is currently facing and what needs to be improved in the art schools.

Manastirliu also announced the new policy that will be undertaken by the Ministry of Education and Sports, in the direction of art schools, to give them a special status, with a dedicated budget, for the best training of the talented people.

“In our estimation, you are one of the universities with the greatest potential and you are a unique university, so we are working to support you also for scientific degrees and titles, based on what you have proposed”, Minister Manastirliu said.

The lecturers of the University of the Arts also discussed on improvement of the curriculum in schools of art and continuation of qualification of the teachers of these schools at the University of the Arts./k.s/r.e/p.s./

This reconstruction was realized thanks to the fruitful collaboration and expertise with specialists from the University of Florence, representatives of the Italian Cooperation, TAP, the University of the Arts and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, at the same time a former student and then a former teacher of the Academy of Arts, participated in the opening event of the hall where many talents emerged. This is a monument of culture, of hope and dreams, said the prime minster.

“I am delighted. This is not very easy work that has been done here because it is not a new hall; it is not even an ordinary old hall, that has been reconstructed, but it is a cultural monument for which a very fine search had to be made in the archives and then a very careful work had to be done to restore it to its full size, as it should be”, emphasized Rama.

I just want to say, continued Rama, that today this hall is made available to those who have the mission to convey their experience to others and to the coming generations who have the mission to create the new experience and all together to continue keep alive and strengthen the passion of this country, the creative passion, the performing passion, the communicative passion.

Famous artists such as Timo Flloko, Luiza Xhuvani, Kastriot Tusha, Vikena Kamenica, etc. took to the stage of the new theater hall at the University of Arts.

The new hall at the University of Arts does not only meet international standards and the demands of artists, but on the other hand, it preserves intact its initial project, an architectural ornament of the 30s-40s, when it was built.

The building of the Academy of Arts, today the University of Arts, is a monument of cultural heritage, of the “Architecture” type. /k.s/p.s./