The British Albanian Culture & Arts Association (BACA) proudly participated in Muse-X – The Premiere Music & Arts Expo Fest in the Balkans, a landmark three-day event held in Tirana that combined a high-level conference, industry expo, and a multi-day arts and music festival. Muse-X brought together leading voices from the UK, Europe, and the Balkan region to explore the future of creative industries, offering a unique platform for collaboration between artists, institutions, and cultural organisations.
BACA’s participation was led by Altin Gjoni, a BACA board member and creative director at OneRiff Studios, who curated and directed the Muse-X conference program, ensuring a balance of international expertise and regional relevance. BACA’s board members also featured prominently across several influential panel discussions, sharing their knowledge and advocating for deeper engagement between the Albanian diaspora and the cultural ecosystems of the Balkans.
PANEL HIGHLIGHTS
Do We Need Managers in the Balkans?
Moderated by Altin Gjoni, this dynamic panel explored the shifting role of music managers in the digital age — and what that means specifically for artists in the Balkans.
Tomorr Kokona, also a BACA board member and longtime advocate for professional development in the arts, brought forward critical insights from the UK industry while drawing comparisons with the Balkan market. Drawing from his book “Successful Artists Mean Business”, Tomorr stressed that artistic success is deeply tied to business acumen. He emphasised the importance of entrepreneurial thinking, long-term planning, and capacity-building for both artists and managers in the region.
Panelists included:
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Ade ‘Uncle Adé’ Adefolalu (GrooveUP / All-Star Music Group)
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Piotr Pucylo (Globaltica Festival)
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Victor Conradsson (Believe Music)
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Milica Cvijetić (EXIT Festival)
- Altin Gjoni (BACA)
Key topics:
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Do we have managers in the Balkans, or only booking agents?
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How can managers support monetisation, branding, and artist development?
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What funding routes can be explored beyond live gigs — such as grants, sync, and sponsorship?
The session concluded with a call for a new generation of skilled and visionary managers to help Balkan talent break through internationally.
The Start of It All: Music & Arts Education
This panel tackled one of the most important roots of artistic ecosystems: education.
Mariela Cingo, Principal of Stage Talent Academy and a BACA board member, shared her passion for early music training and personal development. Drawing from her experience as an arts educator and academy leader, she stressed that exposure to music at a young age helps students build confidence, empathy, discipline, and communication — skills that extend well beyond the stage.
David Cummins, BACA board member and producer of the FFusion Project and lecturer at FutureWorks University, highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between education and industry. Through FFusion, a cross-genre collaborative project. He advocated for experiential, industry-linked learning models that give students real tools to succeed in creative careers.
Other panellists included:
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Craig Burgess (dBS Institute, UK)
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Klodeta Burri (Akademia Hollywood)
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Petar Bazalac (Club Kult)
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Mikaela Minga (Institute of Cultural Anthropology)
Key topics:
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The impact of arts education on youth development
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The role of community initiatives and academies in Albania and the Balkans
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How to modernise creative curricula to reflect industry realities
Do Folk and Classical Music Still ‘Rock’? Cultural Preservation vs. Innovation
David Cummins, representing BACA and Futureworks University, joined this thoughtful panel focused on the tension and synergy between heritage and modern creativity. As a cultural producer and educator, David spoke about innovative ways to keep folk and classical music relevant, including through digital storytelling, multimedia collaboration, and cross-genre work.
The panel examined:
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How traditional music can survive in the age of streaming
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Why collaboration and fusion are vital for modernising heritage genres
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What role do festivals, art centres, and public funding play in cultural continuity
Panellists included:
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Aulon Naçi (TKOBAP)
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Ema Popivoda (Artist)
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Nicolas Wieërs (Balkan Trafik)
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Christine Semba (WOMEX / Piranha Arts)
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Edit Pula (Cloud Fest / Home of Polyphony / Oda3)
This panel underlined BACA’s mission to preserve and reimagine Albanian and Balkan musical identity through international dialogue and innovation.
A Cultural Bridge Between the UK and the Balkans
Across all panels, BACA’s board members brought UK-based expertise into dialogue with the evolving Albanian cultural scene. Their contributions were rooted in a shared goal: to foster knowledge exchange, support emerging talent, and build meaningful partnerships between institutions in the diaspora and in Albania.
Muse-X was not only a milestone event for regional creative industries but also a powerful platform for BACA to reaffirm its mission, connecting cultures, strengthening creative networks, and amplifying Albanian voices on the international stage.
