The folklore season thus far has been the most successful since the foundation of the Austrian Association of Serbian Folklore (AASF). Many members, that is, societies achieved enviable placements in all the held competitions.

This is supported particularly by the fact that the member clubs achieved top results and exhibited high quality in preserving the Serbian language, tradition and culture at all festivals held in Austria and Serbia – European Children’s Folklore Festival, Austrian Festival of Serbian Folklore and European Festival of Serbian Diaspora Folklore. In addition, many gold, silver and bronze plaques were won in different categories, which taken together makes the Austrian Association of Serbian Folklore the most successful organization in Europe.

‘We are proud of all our children and youth and their achievements. All these achievements prove that there is a harmonious atmosphere and good communication in the Association, that we strive to be as good as possible and to best present our organization. Although this is a holiday season, we are working hard and already preparing for the Austrian Children’s Folklore Festival to take place on 18 November. We had a very successful Austrian Festival of Serbian Folklore for performing ensembles, we are preparing and working to become recognizable also by this second event both in the Serbian and Austrian public, and to best present the wealth of Serbian tradition and culture’, said Aleksandar Stanković, president of the Austrian Association of Serbian Folklore.

‘Given that our mission is the preservation and nurturing of Serbian tradition, culture and language, we will make use of contemporary trends precisely to further nurture those values that have been preserved among our people for centuries and thus take a new big step forward in the work of the Association. It is of particular importance that we will continue our endeavors and, in cooperation with Serbian and Austrian institutions, to educate a new generation of artistic directors and thus ensure the survival and development of our cultural and artistic societies, and on the other hand, to secure the status of the existing artistic directors’, added Stanković.

Source and photo: Srpska dijaspora