On September 11, 2026, in Berlin (in a hybrid format: offline and online), an international conference dedicated to the bandura tradition as a unique phenomenon of Ukrainian cultural heritage and an important tool of cultural diplomacy will be held as part of the Berlin Bandur Fest.
🔹 Conference topics include:
• the history of the bandura and the kobzar tradition;
• intangible cultural heritage and historical memory;
• traditional and contemporary performance practices;
• the Ukrainian diaspora and transnational transmission;
• the bandura as an instrument of cultural diplomacy;
• the decolonisation of Ukrainian musical heritage;
• the bandura in times of war, migration, resilience, and cultural identity.
📌 Conference language: English.
📅 Important dates:
• 31 July 2026 – submission deadline;
• 5 August 2026 – notification of acceptance;
• 11 September 2026 – conference.
✅ Participation is free of charge.
The conference is organised by Berlin Bandur Fest in cooperation with the Institute of Musicology at Humboldt University of Berlin, the Ukrainian Free University (Munich), the M. T. Rylsky Institute of Art Studies, Folklore and Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Estonian Literary Museum, and partner institutions.
We warmly invite scholars, ethnomusicologists, musicologists, performers, educators, cultural practitioners, and members of the Ukrainian diaspora to participate in the international conference.
Join us for an international dialogue on the past, present, and future of the bandura tradition!
Текст оголошення / Conference call за посиланням тут
