Rise and Fall of Cultural Policy Participation in Novi Sad, Serbia

This exploratory study examines cultural policy participation in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. Policy participation was observed throughout the creation process of the first cultural development strategy of the city. Official strategic documents, in-depth interviews with members of cultural associations and observant participation have been employed to document this study. Six key themes reflect the consecutive phases of the cultural participation development process, namely initial restraint from participation, building trust and agency in decision making, inducing the creation of different spaces for participation, and disappointment and alienation of cultural actors. Although cultural policy participation has proven challenging, this attempt at fostering democratic decision-making has provided an invaluable experience to the cultural associations that participated in the process.