Applied Musicology and the Responsibility for Shaping the Cultural Scene in Serbia: On the Experience of Working for the Serbian Ministry of Culture

This article presents the first discussion of a musicologist’s work as a member of the commission appointed by the Serbian Ministry of Culture to select cultural projects in the field of contemporary music creation and performance for annual funding. The analysis draws from the disciplines of applied musicology and autoethnography. My appointment at the Serbian Ministry of Culture lasted five years, from 2018 to 2022, during which I observed first-hand the inner workings of the Serbian cultural scene and associated policies; more importantly, I utilized my musicological expertise to influence the very same cultural scene. The article also presents the legislative and practical challenges of working in a country that allocates less than 1% of its annual budget for culture.