“Joy of Europe” is the biggest and the oldest international event of children’s creativity, organised ever since 1969 on the occasion of the Children’s Day. Every year at the beginning of October the children from a range of European countries come to Belgrade to dance, sing, act, display their works of art, but first of all, make friends and have a good time. There is almost no European country whose children have not been here as a guest at this 46-year long event “Joy of Europe”.
A part of “Joy of Europe” since 1998 has been the international art competition under the same name, with the topic always being “The Dictionary of Friendship”. A great writer and children’s friend Duško Radović put together fifteen universal symbols (child, Europe, bread, play, book, love, mother, peace, father, song, friend, bird, joy, freedom, sun) connecting children all around the world by dancing, singing and finally by image.
For the eighteenth time since its foundation, the exhibition of the International Art Competition presents the most successful works of young artists from Serbia and abroad who with their colourful palette of artwork make the international event Joy of Europe even more beautiful. Every year, the prized works evidence the authenticity of visual culture of childhood, developing sensibility of both the audience and the professional public for this form of artistic expression. At the contest, the children works are divided into five categories for children between four and eighteen. Over the time, the contest expanded much beyond the boundaries of Europe, bringing together children and youth from the entire world. The best works find their place also on the special issue stamp “Joy of Europe”.
