Mitrovica Rock School

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.