February 6, 2019 - Maskare costume balls and carnivals have been an integral part of the Mimosa Festival since the first edition of this manifestation held in Herceg Novi fifty years ago. For this segment of the program, NGO Maskare, an organization that Herceg Novi owes to listing this city on the map of European carnival cities, is traditionally in charge of this segment of the program. It is a map to which this city, as well as many other Mediterranean traditions, certainly belongs.
Herceg Novi is a recognizable carnival destination for five decades, primarily because of the winter carnival festivities, organized traditionally within the Mimosa Festival.
Ivan Peulic and his father, NGO Maskare Herceg Novi, Copyright: radio herceg Novi "We became an integral part of the organization of costume balls and carnivals in Herceg Novi. We are sorry there are no more carnival groups. Certainly, people slowly recognize energy, this year we have welcomed dozens of new members," says Ivan Peulic, president of NGOs Maskare Herceg Novi.
NGO Maskare was one of the partners in organizing the Mimosa Caravan- the promotional festival tour around the region and Central Europe. "We worked on the allegory for the presentation of the Jubilee 50th Mimosa Festival. We're currently preparing a new carnival mask. It is already the tradition of our NGO, for five consecutive years we come out with a new carnival mask, featuring Herceg Novi at the carnivals in the region. The next year Europe is waiting for us. We have been negotiating for carnivals in France, Belgium, and Italy. These are long-term plans, but negotiations are ongoing," explains the rule of the NGO Maskare its president, Ivan Peulic.
It is precisely because of NGO Maskare that Herceg Novi has once again found its place in the Federation of European Carnival Cities.
"In cooperation with carnivals from all over the world, thanks to the private connections of my father and then my own, we made a small introduction by organizing the international carnival in 2014. We have been dedicated to the organization of carnival and have shown ourselves as a quality organization that inherits everything that makes an important segment of the festival that is the oldest in the region. In our endeavors, we had great support from Herceg Novi Municipality, Public Institution Herceg Fest and Herceg Novi Tourist Organization, which enabled us to take Herceg Novi back to Rijeka on the Rijeka Carnival after 33 years. The co-operation continued five years later, with two years ago officially entering the Federation of European Carnival Towns, one of the largest carnival families in the world," Ivan Peulic proudly marks.
Federation of European Carnival Cities, Sabac, Serbia, private collection of NGO Maskare The NGO Maskare itself became part of the European carnival family in the category of organizations. Last year in Šabac, at the Convention of the Federation of European Carnival Towns, Herceg Novi as a city had full rights of participation and the right to vote in the election of a new board of directors of this organization. "It is up to us to work for the Federation, to work for the city, to work for the country. Wherever we go, we are ambassadors of our city and our country and strive to show ourselves in the best light," said Peulic, one of those dedicated who succeeded in preserving the tradition of masquerades and carnivals, which in the 1990s, due to war events in the region, was almost dim.
Within the 50th Mimosa Festival, one of the four planned costume balls has already been held. Traditionally, the first grand annual masquerade in Boka attracted groups from all four cities, as well as numerous guests from all over Montenegro and abroad.
By attracting guests from Russia, Japan, the UK, Germany, China, and the countries of the region, with more than 200 masks, 115 of which participated in the contest program, the Igalo Institute masquerade is excellent to introduce the other programs within the 50th Mimosa Festival.
"Of the four costume balls, three will be open to all interested parties, as well as non-masked guests who want to enjoy the great atmosphere that always accompanies the fun of the masks. One of the costume balls will be closed to the public and held for the diplomatic corps. We primarily focus on the costume balls we are organizing for Herceg Novi, but we also call on Tivat, Kotor, Budva, all the cities that want to participate," emphasize Ivan.
Traditionally, at masquerades in Herceg Novi tickets are paid only to those who come without masks. With masks, the entrance is free.
"The audience has a significant role in masquerades. They are the ones whose court is most important. They evaluate the mask, animation, whether it is an attractive mask, whether it is current, whether it is political, whether it speaks of a local or global topic," explains Ivan Peulic. With his team for two decades, Ivan makes very recognizable masks, which often conquer the awards, both at local and at masquerades and carnivals in the countries of the region. He says the recipe is in revelation, creativity, but also in a measure. Because, as he points out, the purpose of the mask is to laugh and conceive the audience without hurting anyone.
The winning mask of the costume ball in Igalo: Vucic and Putin, Copyright: Radio Jadran "We always make sure that our mask is about a current issue. We try to make a boom with the mask we are preparing to recognize what we wanted to say with our mask immediately," says the president of NGOs Maskare. "People love and reward us because we want to highlight the phenomena in our society. There were politicians and controversial businessmen, but we never offended anyone. A prize is not always essential," says Ivan, but the image of someone who is better or the best in what he does is important.
International Carnival in Herceg Novi 2018, Copyright: Herceg Fest As the most exciting part of this segment of the Mimosa Festival, citizens of Herceg Novi and their guests, for the finals of the festival, are expecting a great International Carnival. "By joining the Federation of European Carnival Cities, Herceg Novi received support and wind in its back from the board of the organization, and for the fourth year in a row, we organize an international show. We expect, given the great jubilee, that this will be one of the most significant events for the triumph of the Mimosa Festival," announced Peulic.
The indispensable part of the carnival festivals in Boka Bay (in the next month there will be carnivals in Donja Lastva, Radovici, Kotor, Budva) is the burning of a carnival doll, the culprit for all the inconveniences of the previous year, which is called "Krvevol" in Herceg Novi.
"We are still making the doll. We have until 23 March. So far, six international carnival groups have announced their arrival. This year, we have the support of local organizations and individuals from Herceg Novi - Cultural and Artistic Society Ilija Kisic from Zelenika, volunteers from the School Centre Ivan Goran Kovacic, students. Also, we are counting on the traditional support of our friends from other cities of Boka," says Ivan Peulic, President of NGO Maskare, partner of the Public Institution of Herceg Fest in organizing costume balls and carnivals within the Mimosa Festival.
