What can emerging designers learn from a city with a long tradition of making textiles? At Mikser Festival in Novi Pazar, Serbia, the film takes us from embroidered textiles to a gallery where young designers share their work.
Design Link, an initiative by Mikser and the UK platform Arts Thread, helped emerging designers from the Western Balkans develop their portfolios and find ways to present their work to wider audiences. At the festival, which ran from 5 to 7 June 2026, participants presented their projects and received feedback on their portfolios. Read how the Design Link Camp was structured, from training sessions to the festival portfolio review, via this link.
In the film, Mikser founder Maja Lalić explains why Novi Pazar was chosen to host the festival. Design Link participant Lazar Đokić talks about learning from other young designers and making new work together. For emerging designers, meeting peers and showing their work in public can open up professional opportunities while keeping them connected to the places that inspire them.
The British Council supported Design Link through Creative Growth Western Balkans, a programme developed in partnership with BEYOND Studio.