After evaluating more than 100 applications from North Macedonia, Guatemala and Ukraine, the panel of three qualified judges, appointed in agreement with the Salzburg Festival, selected 45 young talents to participate in the 2021 @creative.fellowship talent showcase.

Along with their online applications, entrants were asked to introduce their talents in music, dance, performing or visual arts by providing a short video or link to their social media accounts. The contestants were judged in the following categories: overall impression/”wow factor”, level of ability, age, and showcase of talent.

In 2021, in response to the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers completely transferred the fifth edition of the program into an online format making it possible to extend the program’s reach and engage residents from a broader geographic area.

In addition to English language tuition, the 2021 curriculum features the interactive “Art Academy”, a series of sessions introducing opportunities for cultural exchange. At the end of the course, the participants will create a “Virtual Museum of Happiness” – an exhibition of students’ artworks created during the course. Run as a cooperation between @creative.fellowship initiative and SAAS Gallery (London), the “Virtual Museum of Happiness” will showcase studies on the similarities and differences in cultural perceptions of happiness and how this perception has changed over the centuries.

For those fellows enjoying the English language tuition and art sessions, @creative.fellowshp will also offer a further opportunity to take part in an eight-week music and dance online residency run under the supervision of experts from the Salzburg Festival. This multicultural cooperation in music and dance will result in a virtual performance video which will be premiered during the Salzburg Festival’s opening event in July 2021.