WOFA to send a new invitation to Artsakh cultural groups to participate in festival in Vienna in 2027 — Artsakh Culture Preservation Center

ArmInfo. The World Association of Festivals (WOFA) officially announced its decision, adopted at an extraordinary meeting of the organizing committee, to send a new invitation to Artsakh ensembles to participate in the festival, which will be held in Vienna in March 2027. This was reported by the press service of the public organization “Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture” following the cancellation of the participation of Artsakh ensembles in the international festival in Vienna in November this year amid the intervention of several foreign embassies.

The organization described the measures taken by the World Association of Festivals following the incident as positive changes. “Another important development was WOFA’s appeal to the European Union for relevant clarifications and recommendations on how to act in similar situations. We consider these developments important progress achieved thanks to our consistent work, public coverage of the issue, and the support of many individuals and organizations. They confirm the importance of protecting cultural rights, fair treatment, and fact-based decision-making,” the organization emphasized. In this regard, it thanked the media and journalists for their professional and consistent coverage of the issue, public figures for their principled position and public support, as well as cultural organizations and individuals for their solidarity and assistance.

At the same time, they pointed out that the decision to send a new invitation does not yet mean that the problem has been fully resolved. The “Center for the Preservation of Artsakh Culture” assured that it would continue to demand clarification regarding which diplomatic representatives made allegations of alleged “separatist activities” against their organization and on what factual grounds. “We are also demanding clarification regarding the statement conveyed to the organizer in separate correspondence, according to which our cultural ensembles were portrayed as a ‘dangerous group.’ The question of how these statements influenced the decision to cancel the ensembles’ participation is of particular importance. We welcome WOFA’s willingness to continue dialogue and cooperation and expect clear, complete, and substantiated answers to the questions raised. Culture should unite peoples, and cultural rights should not be restricted on the basis of unfounded accusations,” the organization concluded.

It should be recalled that on October 23 it became known that the participation of the State Artsakh Ensemble of Folk Instruments and the State Song and Dance Ensemble “We Are Our Mountains” in the international festival in Vienna in November this year had been canceled following the intervention of several foreign embassies. As the organization reported at the time, Zoran Strezovski, president of the World Association of Festivals (WOFA), said that in a letter received from an embassy, Artsakh cultural groups had been portrayed as “dangerous,” and it had therefore been proposed that the invitation be withdrawn. On October 23, he additionally explained that, according to his information, several embassies had intervened in the process, accusing the Artsakh ensembles of engaging in “separatist activities” and insisting that they not be invited to the festival. In this regard, the organization demanded that the WOFA president name the embassies that had intervened in the situation and provide the factual grounds for the allegations made.