Curated Place and UMPAKI Represent the Moving Classics Sonic Bridges and Western Balkans Creative Economy at the Berlin Process Summit Reception
London, 21 October 2025, St James’s Palace
Thanks to the British Council and at the personal invitation of His Majesty King Charles III, representatives from Curated Place (Ireland) and UMPAKI – the Union of Macedonian Professional Associations in the Creative Industries (North Macedonia) attended the Berlin Process Summit reception at St James’s Palace on 21 October.
The event, held alongside the 2025 Western Balkans Summit in London, brought together European leaders, ministers, and civil society to strengthen cooperation across the region on shared priorities such as migration, green transition, and economic development.
Against this backdrop, Curated Place and UMPAKI were invited to highlight the cultural and creative economy’s role in connecting Western Europe and the Balkans, presenting the success of their Moving Classics: Sonic Bridges (MCSB) collaboration, a Creative Europe–funded project linking artists, producers, and researchers from Iceland, Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
Culture Over Division
Developed through the long-running Creative Producers training and development programme, first launched in the Western Balkans in 2021 with support from the British Council, Moving Classics: Sonic Bridges exemplifies how cultural cooperation can strengthen dialogue and opportunity across Europe’s frontiers.
The project brings together multidisciplinary creative teams – composers, filmmakers, and social researchers – to explore the Skopje 2028 European Capital of Culture theme “Culture Over Division” through new music and moving image. Ten original sonic films are being created and will premiere as part of Skopje’s European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2028.
Both organisations emphasised that cultural production and collaboration are essential tools for diplomacy and sustainable growth, building long-term connections between creative communities in the EU, EEA, and candidate countries, while providing professional pathways for emerging artists across the Balkans.
The Berlin Process Context
The 2025 Berlin Process Summit, hosted by the UK for the first time since 2018, gathered Western Balkan leaders and European partners to renew commitments to regional cooperation, migration management, and economic integration.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European leaders, and the King of the United Kingdom joined the proceedings, underscoring the importance of cultural engagement alongside political and economic dialogue.
As reported by Balkan Insight and The Independent, the Summit placed special emphasis on migration and shared European values, themes directly echoed in the Moving Classics partnership, which uses artistic collaboration to address identity, belonging, and the experience of borderlands in contemporary Europe.
A Shared Vision for the Future
Speaking after the event, Andy Brydon, Director of Creative Placemakers, said:
“It was a privilege to represent our partners and creative networks at this historic gathering. The King’s recognition of cultural collaboration within the Berlin Process shows how vital creative exchange is to peace-building and regional development.”
Kiril Gjozev, President of UMPAKI, added:
“Our partnership with Curated Place demonstrates the strength of collaboration between Western Europe and the Balkans. Together, we’re building the foundations of a sustainable creative economy that speaks across languages, histories, and borders.”
About Moving Classics: Sonic Bridges
MCSB is a Creative Europe cooperation project (2024–2028) led by Einkofi Productions (Iceland) with partners in Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. The project achieved one of the highest evaluation scores (91 out of 100) under the 2024 call for medium-scale cooperation projects, recognised for its innovation, inclusion, and artistic quality.
The initiative builds on a decade of transnational collaboration and training through the Creative Producers programme, which has supported over 100 creative professionals across the Western Balkans and wider Europe.
For more information:
www.sonicbridges.com
www.curatedplace.com
umpaci.com/en/
www.berlinprocess.de
