The present paper deals with the “ECHO III: For Memory’s Sake,” a Creative Europe project implemented by Inter Alia NGO, which explored tradition and culture of arranged marriages in four Balkan countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania) through research and artistic creation in the fields of theatre, music, visual arts, and literature. The ECHO III project attempted to explore gender roles and norms in the Balkans throughout history and how they affect the lives of people.
Contemporary research shows that Balkan identities are full of ambiguities, similarities and differences, in a constant process of redefinition and reconstruction. In specific, the traditional practice of arranged marriage is a common element between different societies and cultures across the Balkans. However, the extent to which they are practised has varied over time and country. In some communities, arranged marriages were more common in the past, but have declined in recent years as younger generations have adopted more westernised ideas about love and relationships. In other communities, arranged marriages remain a strong cultural tradition, and are seen as a way to preserve family and cultural values.
In the framework of the project, interviews with people that have experienced arranged marriage themselves were conducted. Based on these interviews, a creative process that followed, produced artworks aiming at a sensory, emotional approach to the dark heritage practice of arranged marriages. Research showed that arranged marriage practices in the Balkans bear commonalities and differences influenced by cultural and historical factors, and that there is an intergenerational transmission of trauma related to marriage in the aforementioned countries.
The artistic results offered artistic interpretations and reflections on the subject of ECHO III providing insights on arranged marriages and their cultural significance in the Balkan space. Overall, research and artistic creation point at a shared cultural heritage in the region which, despite individual differences, transcend national and linguistic boundaries.
