Mitrovica Rock School

Over the past year, the city of Mitrovica and young people on both sides have been impacted by rising tensions in Northern Kosovo. But despite political escalation, Mitrovica Rock School was able to continue to bring people together. 

In June, the Rock School formed four new ethnically mixed bands, who participated in a training week led by Fontys Rockacademie. In August, we organized a summer school for six ethnically mixed Mitrovica Rock School bands, as well as four bands from Roma Rock School. All bands wrote, rehearsed, recorded and performed original songs.

During these past two years of growing tensions, Mitrovica Rock School has been one of the very few Mitrovica initiatives that was able to continue to bring together youth from the two sides without interruption. This is thanks largely to the 16 years of trustbuilding in the city, and the strong leadership  by musicians and cultural organizers from both sides of the city. The school has become a true landmark within the city, where youth from all communities feel safe and welcome.

At the time of writing, five mixed bands are preparing for a concert: the first concert of ethnically mixed bands to take place at our South Branch in six years.

Over the past year, Mitrovica Rock School's reconciliation work has been impacted by rising tensions in Northern Kosovo. Twice, we had to temporarily halt mixed activities. In October 2023, we had to move a training week to Skopje, in neighboring North Macedonia, at the last minute.

But we lived up to our mission. A growing number of students attended classes on both sides of town, crossing the bridges that connect - or divide - the city's communities. Our ethnically mixed bands wrote original songs and performed in Mitrovica, Skopje, Brussels and Berlin. Rock School teachers and student-trainees travelled together to the Netherlands for training at Fontys Rockacademie. And we worked closely with our partners, Musicians Without Borders, Roma Rock School, Fontys Rockacademie, Clash!, and Balkan Trafik! Festival, to implement our Creative Europe project to promote reconciliation through state-of-the-art rock music education. 

In the summer of 2023, mixed band Affinity released its first music video. In April 2024, Affinity travelled to Brussels to perform at Balkan Trafik Festival in the city center. 

We remain concerned for the future of our city, but brightened by the talent and promise of our young musicians, and committed to continuing to make Mitrovica a better, more livable place for all. 

A summary of what our project Music Connects achieved in 2023: 

• 110 young musicians (68 from North and South Mitrovica, 42 from Skopje) participated in 2,848 music lessons, mixed band rehearsals and workshops.
• 17 teachers and trainees from Mitrovica Rock School and Roma Rock School received teacher training at Fontys Rockacademie in the Netherlands.
• 10 ethnically mixed bands with 52 members rehearsed, recorded, and performed their original songs.
• Four supergroups with 20 students from Mitrovica Rock School, Roma Rock School, and Fontys Rockacademie performed in Brussels and Berlin.
• We organized 80 workshops, 15 concerts, and spent 12 days in the studio.