In recent years, many public spaces across Kosovo that were once unused and abandoned have been revitalized and transformed into vibrant hubs for community organization. We have also seen public spaces, once central to community life, fade in two senses: physically due to neglect and in terms of the purpose they once served. Despite this, there are vocal communities working tirelessly to either reclaim lost public spaces or to preserve those that exist.

Among the spaces that remain strongly in Prishtina’s memory is the Hivzi Sylejmani library. Closed for a while, the library opened its doors again when the biennial Manifesta 14 landed in Prishtina in 2022. After organizing the 100-day artistic and cultural program, the biennial transformed the library into a Center for Narrative Practice (CNP). The CNP, an interdisciplinary cultural institution, became home to the biennial’s educational program — workshops, literary events and musical performances were held there. The CNP was also the main legacy that Manifesta would leave to Prishtina.

At the end of January 2024, the CNP announced its temporary closure, primarily for financial reasons. The press release stated that the CNP would reopen in the spring. However, this did not happen. In May 2024, the Directorate of Culture of the Municipality of Prishtina started using some of the CNP spaces as offices. This aroused opposition among independent cultural workers, artists, art and culture organizations, and civil society groups. They reacted through a public letter addressed to Prishtina’s mayor, Përparim Rama, the director of the Directorate of Culture in Prishtina, Sibel Halimi and members of the Municipal Assembly. The letter called for, among other things, for the library space to be returned and the initiation of a participatory process to decide its future.

At the end of June, municipal representatives and members of the public met to discuss the future of the space and the use of other public spaces in the capital and beyond. This discussion occurred as the parliament prepared to vote on the Draft Law on the Allocation for Use and Exchange of Municipal Immovable Property, which the Government of Kosovo approved in December 2023. Civil society organizations voiced their opposition to the law’s content, stating that their recommendations had been ignored.

To continue the discussion, K2.0 asks: What ambiguities exist in the community regarding this issue? What role does the municipality play? What role does the community play? What does the new law entail? What does the landscape of public space access look like in Kosovo?

Aulonë Kadriu, senior editor at K2.0, will moderate the discussion.

The following speakers will join us in the discussion:

Përparim Rama – Mayor of the Municipality of Prishtina

Dren Puka – Director of the Department for Research and Advocacy, Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF)

Rozafa Maliqi – Representatives of Workers in Art (PART)

Yll Rugova – Board Member at Manifesta 14 Prishtina

Translation will be provided in English and Serbian.