Banner reading “Different Memories, Shared Futures: Towards Inclusive Memorialisation”, featuring a purple background and a photograph of two people attentively watching an event or presentation in an audience setting.

Why inclusive memorialisation matters?

More than two decades after the wars of the 1990s, societies across the Western Balkans continue to grapple with deeply divided interpretations of the past. Memorialisation practices often reflect these divisions. Public remembrance is frequently shaped by dominant political narratives, privileging certain experiences while excluding others, and reinforcing rigid categories of “us” and “them”. In this context, memory can become a source of tension rather than a foundation for understanding.

Yet across the region, artists, educators, researchers, and civil society organisations are working to expand the space of remembrance. They are documenting stories that have been overlooked, creating platforms for dialogue, and experimenting with new ways of engaging with the past that prioritise empathy, inclusion, and reflection. These efforts do not seek to replace existing narratives, but to widen them - adding voices, perspectives, and experiences that have too often remained invisible.

The Different Memories, Shared Futures programme was developed in response to this reality. It recognises that how societies remember the past shapes how they imagine their future, and that inclusive memorialisation can contribute to resilience, democratic culture, and peaceful coexistence.

The programme supports locally rooted initiatives that address the legacy of conflict through culture, education, research, and dialogue. Its central aim is to strengthen inclusive approaches to memorialisation - approaches that acknowledge the plurality of experiences during and after conflict, and that create space for learning across ethnic, national, gender, and generational lines.

At its core, the programme is guided by a simple but demanding question: Who is remembered, how, and for what purpose? By engaging with this question, the supported projects challenge narrow or exclusionary forms of remembrance and explore alternatives that are participatory, ethical, and future-oriented.

The programme is particularly attentive to forms of exclusion that persist across memorial landscapes in the Western Balkans. Women’s experiences of war, including survival, resistance, care, and loss, have often been marginalised or instrumentalised. So too have the experiences of children, minority communities, displaced persons, Roma and other marginalised groups, and those who resisted violence or helped others across ethnic lines. Addressing these absences is not only a matter of historical justice, but also of creating a more inclusive civic space in the present.

 The Different Memories, Shared Futures programme is built on several interlinked principles that shape both its design and its implementation.

First, it approaches memorialisation as a living social practice, not a fixed outcome. Rather than focusing solely on monuments or anniversaries, the programme supports processes: oral history projects, artistic practices, educational tools, archives, exhibitions, and public conversations. These processes invite participation and reflection and allow memory work to evolve in response to social change.

Second, the programme places strong emphasis on inclusivity. This includes intentional engagement with women’s experiences of conflict and its aftermath, recognising gendered forms of violence, survival, and resilience, as well as women’s roles as memory-keepers, activists, and community leaders. It also involves amplifying the voices of marginalised groups whose experiences have been systematically excluded from dominant narratives and ensuring that young people are not only audiences but active participants in shaping how the past is understood.

Third, the programme is grounded in conflict and trauma sensitivity. Working with contested histories and lived experiences of violence requires care, ethical reflection, and responsibility. Supported projects prioritise consent-based storytelling, participant agency, and non-sensational forms of representation. They seek to create spaces that are safe enough for difficult conversations, without forcing consensus or retraumatisation.

Finally, the programme is explicitly future-oriented. While it engages deeply with the past, its ultimate concern is how memory work can support dialogue, learning, and cooperation across the region. By linking local initiatives to regional exchange and international perspectives, the programme contributes to a broader conversation about how societies deal with difficult legacies in democratic ways.

A defining feature of Different Memories, Shared Futures is its regional scope. The programme brings together initiatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo, recognising that the conflicts of the 1990s cannot be meaningfully addressed within national silos. Narratives, experiences, and responsibilities are interconnected, and so too must be the processes of reflection and learning.

In this sense, the programme aligns closely with the spirit and objectives of the Berlin Process, particularly its emphasis on regional cooperation, people-to-people exchange, youth engagement, and the strengthening of democratic culture in the Western Balkans. By supporting cross-border learning and dialogue on inclusive memorialisation, the programme situates memory work within a broader European framework focused on reconciliation, civic engagement, and shared futures.

The programme supports a diverse portfolio of projects that reflect different contexts, methodologies, and audiences. Together, they illustrate the many ways in which inclusive memorialisation can be practised: through museums and archives, storytelling and art, academic research and education, community dialogue and public space interventions.

Some projects focus on documenting and preserving testimonies that risk being lost, creating digital archives and educational resources that can be used by future generations. Others use theatre, film, exhibitions, or participatory art to engage wider publics in reflection on the past. Several initiatives invest in capacity building, equipping professionals, students, and activists with the knowledge and tools needed to develop inclusive and democratic memorial practices in their own contexts.

Across this diversity, a shared commitment is visible: to move beyond zero-sum memory politics and towards forms of remembrance that recognise complexity, acknowledge harm, and affirm shared humanity.

Beyond individual initiatives, the programme seeks to create lasting connections and shared learning. Key programme-wide elements include:

  • a regional conference bringing together grantees, practitioners, experts, and potential partners to reflect on challenges and future directions;
  • a study visit to the United Kingdom, enabling participants to engage with comparative approaches to memorialisation and public history;
  • a series of expert webinars addressing key themes such as inclusive museum practice, ethical storytelling, and capacity gaps in memorialisation work.

Together, these elements aim to lay the groundwork for a network of collaboration for organisations and individuals committed to inclusive memorialisation in the Western Balkans.

Different Memories, Shared Futures is not conceived as a closed or final intervention. Rather, it is an invitation - to practitioners, institutions, and communities - to continue exploring how memory work can contribute to more inclusive, reflective, and resilient societies. By supporting experimentation, dialogue, and cooperation, the programme aims to strengthen the foundations for long-term engagement with the past that is grounded in democratic values and oriented towards shared futures.

Through this work, the British Council reaffirms its commitment to cultural relations as a means of building trust, understanding, and cooperation across borders, even - and especially - where histories are difficult and contested.

GRANTEE PROJECTS

Art for Peace

Art for Peace is a regional cultural initiative led by Drama Studio Prazan Prostor (Montenegro) that uses theatre and participatory arts to confront silence, denial, and unresolved trauma related to the wars of the 1990s. Building on the documentary theatre performance Death in Dubrovnik, the project creates safe, reflective spaces to explore Montenegro’s role in the conflict and its wider regional implications. Through performances in Pristina, Zagreb, and Banja Luka/Novi Sad, combined with facilitated post-show discussions, the project brings together audiences across borders to engage with difficult histories through empathy, dialogue, and human stories rather than ideology.

Alongside the performances, Art for Peace engages young people aged 16–26 through a series of multimedia workshops across the Western Balkans, enabling them to reflect on war, memory, and responsibility using theatre, photography, and video. By combining artistic expression with education and regional cooperation, Art for Peace strengthens the role of culture as a tool for inclusive memorialisation, reconciliation, and long-term social cohesion in the Western Balkans.

Deconstructing Dehumanisation: Building the Foundations for Memory and Reconciliation in Prijedor and Beyond

Deconstructing Dehumanisation: Building the Foundations for Memory and Reconciliation in Prijedor and Beyond is a multidisciplinary that addresses one of the most difficult legacies of the 1990s wars: the persistence of dehumanising narratives that continue to obstruct acknowledgement, empathy, and inclusive memorialisation. Focusing on Prijedor, a place with an extensive body of judicially established facts but deeply polarised public memory, the project combines rigorous research, public dialogue, and artistic expression to explore how dehumanisation enabled violence and how it still shapes contemporary attitudes toward the past.

Through analytical reports, public forums, exhibitions, and creative performances, the project by Youth Centre Kvart (Bosnia and Herzegovina) seeks to integrate factual, human-centred narratives into local and regional memory cultures, creating space for reflection across divided communities. By positioning Prijedor as a pilot case, the project contributes to broader regional learning on how societies can move beyond denial and polarisation toward more inclusive, humane, and future-oriented approaches to dealing with the past.

Between Remembrance and Oblivion

This project builds on more than two decades of Documenta’s (Croatia) work documenting war crimes, human losses, and civil resistance in Croatia, while addressing a critical gap: the limited public visibility of this knowledge and its potential for inclusive memorialisation. Drawing on extensive archival collections and independent documentary film production, the project re-imagines how civil society legacies from the 1990s can be presented, connected, and understood today. Through innovative digital tools, critical essays, and public engagement, it brings marginalised victim groups and under-recognised peace-building efforts into the centre of public conversation.

Key outputs include an interactive web platform mapping the Anti-War Campaign of Croatia, a monograph reflecting on influential documentary films, didactic materials for educators, and a public festival titled No Oblivion. Together, these elements create new ways for citizens - especially young people, educators, and journalists - to engage with contested histories in a reflective and non-polarising manner. By emphasising dignity, plural perspectives, and the contributions of civil society, the project promotes a future-oriented culture of remembrance that strengthens democratic values and offers sustainable tools for learning, dialogue, and inclusive memorialisation beyond the project’s lifetime.

Capacity Building for Inclusive and Democratic Memorialization in Kosovo and the Region

This project responds to the fragmented and highly politicised memorialisation landscape in Kosovo and the wider Western Balkans, where remembrance is often dominated by exclusive, militarised narratives and lacks clear institutional standards. The Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo addresses this challenge by focusing on people rather than monuments - strengthening the knowledge, skills, and ethical frameworks of professionals who shape memorial practices. Through a structured hybrid programme combining online seminars with international experts and an in-person study visit across Prishtina, Belgrade, and Sarajevo, the project introduces comparative perspectives and practical tools for inclusive, democratic, and fact-based memorialisation.

The initiative places strong emphasis on gender sensitivity, community participation, and the inclusion of marginalised groups, encouraging practitioners to move beyond heroic narratives toward shared, plural remembrance. By fostering regional cooperation among civil society actors, cultural institutions, and public bodies, the project also lays the groundwork for sustained professional networks and policy-relevant learning. In doing so, it contributes to a shift from divisive memory politics toward memorialisation as a space for dialogue, accountability, and civic engagement - strengthening the foundations for reconciliation and democratic culture across the region.

AI Against Femicide (Algorithm of Care)

AI Against Femicide explores how technology and memorialisation can be reimagined through feminist ethics of care, empathy, and solidarity. Using art, participatory practices, and critical engagement with artificial intelligence, the project by ŠkArt (Serbia/Montenegro) challenges both the invisibility of women’s experiences in memorial culture and the biases embedded in supposedly neutral digital systems. Through exhibitions, an artistic showroom, and regional collaboration, it amplifies voices affected by gender-based and war-related violence.

Rather than treating technology as a detached tool, the project proposes “technologies of care” as alternative infrastructures of memory and prevention. By linking artistic experimentation with social justice concerns, Algorithm of Care expands the boundaries of memorialisation and introduces new ways of thinking about how societies remember, respond to violence, and imagine more inclusive futures.

Histoire pour la Liberté 2.0

Through multimedia storytelling, public debates, podcasts, exhibitions, and cultural events across Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, this project foregrounds women, peace activists, and resistance movements that have been marginalised in dominant narratives. The project builds on KROKODIL’s (Serbia) long-standing work at the intersection of literature, civic engagement, and critical memory.

By contrasting glorified figures associated with violence with overlooked examples of courage, solidarity, and dissent, the project invites audiences to reflect on the values embedded in public remembrance. Its emphasis on youth engagement, dialogue, and cultural participation contributes to a more inclusive and democratic understanding of the past, while remaining firmly rooted in regional exchange.

Memories of Resistance

Memories of Resistance, project by Integra (Kosovo), documents and disseminates stories of peaceful civic resistance and interethnic solidarity during the 1990s - narratives that are largely absent from dominant war-centred memorialisation. Through oral history research and archival work, the project develops a series of in-depth case studies that highlight moral courage, nonviolence, and cooperation across ethnic divides in Kosovo and Serbia.

These stories are brought together in a trilingual memory book and shared through public dissemination and media partnerships. By foregrounding examples of humanity and civic action, the project broadens public understanding of resistance and challenges the idea that the past can only be remembered through violence and victimhood. It offers alternative reference points for dialogue, education, and reflection in the present.

Ona, Srebrenica

This project establishes the first permanent memorial space dedicated to women’s experiences of the Srebrenica genocide within the Srebrenica Memorial Centre (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Building on the successful Ona, Srebrenica awareness campaign, it integrates women’s testimonies, archival materials, and artistic interpretation into a dedicated exhibition that foregrounds women not only as victims, but as agents of resilience, justice, and community rebuilding.

Alongside the memorial room, the project develops educational materials and participatory activities with women survivors and educators. By institutionalising women’s voices within one of the region’s most significant memorial sites, the project addresses a long-standing gap in genocide remembrance and contributes to a more inclusive and truthful culture of memory.

Memory for Peace

Memory for Peace expands inclusive memorialisation in Kosovo by focusing on civilian experiences, particularly those of children, refugees, women, and minority communities. Building on YIHR KS’s existing Children of War Museum and Virtual Museum of Refugees, the project collects new oral histories, develops digital and mobile exhibitions, and creates spaces for community dialogue through Post-Memory Talks.

In parallel, the project strengthens media capacity for memory-sensitive reporting and engages institutions in discussions on a national memorialisation strategy. By combining documentation, public engagement, and advocacy, Memory for Peace contributes to a more people-centred and dialogic approach to remembrance that supports reconciliation and shared understanding.

Generation Memory

Generation Memory by Post-Conflict Research Center (Bosnia and Herzegovina) works with young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to transform how the past is understood and communicated. Through training in storytelling, citizen journalism, and civic activism, youth participants document underrepresented narratives and engage critically with denial, revisionism, and selective remembrance. Their work is shared through articles, public events, and a Peace and Memory Festival.

By placing youth at the centre of memorialisation processes, the project encourages empathy, interethnic dialogue, and shared ownership of memory. It demonstrates how inclusive remembrance can move beyond institutional settings and become a tool for civic participation and peacebuilding in divided communities.

Behind the Front Lines: The Invisible Heroines

This project by Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights – Osijek (Croatia) documents and presents the wartime experiences of women in eastern Croatia whose stories have been marginalised in public memory. Through recorded testimonies, multimedia exhibitions, and public dialogue events, it creates space for women’s voices to be recognised within local communities affected by the war. The project adopts a trauma-informed and gender-sensitive approach throughout.

By bringing these stories into public view, the initiative challenges male-dominated narratives of heroism and contributes to a more empathetic and inclusive understanding of the past. Its travelling exhibitions and methodological outputs also support local capacities for gender-aware memorialisation beyond the project’s lifetime.
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