Registration is now open for the ŽIVA 2026 conference and award ceremony.
The 12th edition of the ŽIVA Award will take place from 30 September to 3 October 2026 in Bled, where striking natural landscapes meet cultural heritage. Bled – with its lake, island, and castle – is considered one of the most prominent symbols of Slovenia.
For more than a decade, the ŽIVA Award has been connecting outstanding museums and heritage institutions from Slavic countries and the broader European space. It is dedicated to the recognition of good practices in museology, the development of contemporary heritage interpretation, and the promotion of openness, accessibility, and the social impact of cultural institutions.
This year’s theme draws on Slavic mythology as a fragmentary and unevenly preserved system of representations, disrupted over time, forgotten, and partially reconstructed in different cultural contexts. Traces of these mythological narratives survive in the landscape – on mountain pastures, along rivers, in caves and forests – and appear as fragments in collective memory and museum interpretations. The title Myth and Memory in the Slavic Cultural Space also refers to a specific historical connection between the goddess Živa, after whom the award is named, and Bled. According to local tradition, a sanctuary dedicated to this Slavic goddess once stood on Bled Island.
The conference programme will include presentations by nominated institutions, keynote lectures, discussions, and numerous networking opportunities. A dedicated museum marketplace will provide space for institutional presentations and exchange of best practices, alongside a professional excursion. The registration fee includes participation in all official events, the accompanying programme, refreshments and meals, evening receptions, the gala dinner, conference materials, and a full-day excursion.
The event is organised by the Forum of Slavic Cultures in cooperation with the Bled Culture Institute and the Municipality of Bled, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, which provides the financial award for the winning museum.
Early Bird registration: until 20 August 2026
Final registration deadline: 20 September 2026