About
How it started, how it worked, what it left behind.
The story of BarCamp Ferizaj in five chapters, from the first edition to the pause after the fiftieth.
The beginning
On 14 September 2013, the first BarCamp Ferizaj took place in Ferizaj: open to everyone and run by volunteers.
BarCamp Ferizaj was created to give people a place to present ideas and innovations and to talk openly about all kinds of issues. The meetings were open to everyone, each with a different theme, and we tried to hold one every month.
The aim was to build an informal community where participants learned from one another in the fields they shared an interest in.
A BarCamp is an informal gathering where people make connections, exchange ideas and learn about what others in Kosovo are doing and starting. Supporting innovation and networking mattered a great deal to BarCamp. The monthly meetups brought people together in informal places and became an important part of young people's life in their community.
The format and its rules
The format stayed the same for 50 editions. It was simple on purpose: less stage, more conversation.
- One theme per meetup.
- Two or three speakers.
- Personal stories from work, not lectures.
- After every talk, questions and discussion.
- No commercial promotion on stage.
- Open to everyone, run by volunteers.
- Speakers came mostly from the team, often suggested by the community.
The city and its people
People came from all over Kosovo. Topics ranged from technology and education to theatre, music and painting, from civic life and public institutions to entrepreneurship, NGOs, mental health and gender equality.
For many young people in Ferizaj, BarCamp became an important part of life in the city.
Year by year
Seven years, 50 editions.
- 2013 #1 · 4 editionsThe first edition, on 14 September. The start.
- 2014 8 editionsThe community's monthly meeting, also held at n'dritare 2 and the city theatre.
- 2015 10 editionsThe busiest year, from open data to the first Albanian supersonic jet pilot.
- 2016 6 editionsINPO takes over the organising, with the support of IPKO Foundation.
- 2017 9 editionsFrom volunteering to freedom of expression, with the people behind DokuFest and Hardh Fest.
- 2018 7 editionsThe 40th, jubilee edition with President Atifete Jahjaga, and BarCamp Shtime #1.
- 2019 0 editionsNo editions: a long break.
- 2020 #50 · 6 editionsAn online return during the pandemic, up to edition #50. Then, a pause.
The pause and the legacy
After edition #50 the meetups paused. This archive gathers them so they aren’t lost: the themes, the speakers, the photos and the conversations.
Now we’re planning the return.
[“A quote from an attendee or speaker, with their permission”]