The Slovenian Youth Orchestra, ART BSA and Peace Child International express their heartfelt gratitude to all partners, institutions and individuals whose support made possible the realization of the international initiative SIT DOWN and the musical Peace Child.
Special thanks go to Ms. Nataša Kos and the team at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia for their invaluable support, strategic guidance and recognition of the broader significance of the project in the fields of international cooperation and cultural diplomacy.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Ms. Tamara Zajec Balažič and the teams of SPIRIT Slovenia and the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, who recognized the project’s potential to strengthen the links between the creative sector and economic development.
To both ministries and SPIRIT Slovenia, we give thanks for their support in connecting art, diplomacy and sustainable development – a foundation we see as essential for future cooperation.
Our deep appreciation also goes to Mr. Darko Brlek, Festival Ljubljana and the City of Ljubljana, in particular Mayor Zoran Janković, for their longstanding trust and support of the Slovenian Youth Orchestra and for their invaluable contribution to recognizing the importance of young musicians on one of Slovenia’s most prominent cultural stages.
We are grateful to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia for its institutional support and ongoing investment in the development of young creators and artistic initiatives.
A warm thank you also to SPAR Slovenia, who provided refreshments for the young musicians on the day of the concert, ensuring they could shine on stage with full energy.
Finally, we extend sincere thanks to all colleagues in the above-mentioned institutions who, with dedication and professionalism, co-created every step of this project.
We also thank all the music mentors and workshop leaders, who helped lay the foundations of the Peace Child musical – foundations upon which the orchestra, choir and narrators were able to shape, build and complete this powerful story.
We wish to highlight in particular Matej Filipčič, director and scriptwriter, who brought the story to the stage; Matija Krečič for his exceptional arrangements; and Luka Božič for sound design.
And last but not least, our heartfelt thanks to Živa Ploj Peršuh, our conductor – a force of artistic vision, who in just ten days transformed young musicians of different ages, backgrounds and social contexts into a unified whole that shone at its premiere on 23 August on the grand stage of Križanke.
