A State of Exit Foundation presents: Sounds from The Cities on The Edge The organizers of the EXIT Festival have managed to transform it from a student political protest into one of the most prestigious European music festivals. In the year 2000, three students organised the very first EXIT Festival as a protest against Milosevic’ isolationist regime. In its first year as celebration of freedom and change EXIT lasted ONE HUNDRED days and contributed to democratic changes in Serbia – to EXIT out of 10 years of madness. Through 13 years of its existence, EXIT has changed the image of Serbia and put small city of Novi Sad on the map, bringing more than two million tourists and more than 250 million EUR into local economy. Set inside the incredible Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia, EXIT Festival is a four day/night experience like no other. Sounds from the Cities on the Edge is a special showcase designed by A State of EXIT Foundation especially for Music City! In a form of a one day festival within a festival, it will present the vibrant musical lives of the cities that have been condemned to life at the cultural periphery – either in the shadows of megalopolises – big western centres of cultural production, or in faraway countries we often hear in the news only as conflict zones. In western media, these Cities on the Edge are frequently observed through the prism of traditionalism and hitherto have been labeled as flamboyant and colorful ‘ethno’ locations. This ethno aesthetics is very often a mainstream political concept enforced and imposed by the government as part of building politically correct local identities. In a global village, the creative industries are developing rapidly. Trends spread and shift much faster, technology and information are ubiquitous, cultures are intermixing and migrations of capital, services and people are occurring at higher pace than ever and in various directions. Creative industry is one of the culturally most diverse industries as well as one of the most ‘democratized’ industries in the world. A lot of it is owned to the spirit DIY (Do It Yourself) culture where today it is enough to have a computer, (pirate?) software and access to internet – and one has a potential to become a serious production unit. These initiatives are reshaping the World today, changing the understanding of both local and global. Cities on the Edge will dive deep into the musical underground of these periphery places, often conflict zones, and present the artists and their music as well as the progressive messages which are embedded within. Cities on the Edge will introduce musicians from Beirut, Tel Aviv, Sao Paolo, Harare, Havana, Novi Sad, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Tbilisi.