We Launched the Playground!

Playground

PLAYGROUND is a dynamic development program dedicated to supporting a group of 12 talented emerging European playwrights to further their creative practice. PLAYGROUND offers a unique platform for writers to translate their plays into one of the languages of the network and workshop them with a team of professional directors and performers.

Coordinated by PAV (IT) in collaboration with Ariel Children and Youth Theatre (RO), Euradia (IT), Heartefact (SR), and La Mousson d’ètè (FR), PLAYGROUND brings together five diverse European institutions to promote and nurture emerging playwrights and their compelling stories.

PLAYGROUND’s innovative training program aims to foster stronger interconnections between the various professions within the theatre sector, including playwrights, directors, translators, and performers. Central to our mission is not only to interrogate the script and characters as they appear on the page but also to delve into the broader issues of translation and adaptation across different cultural contexts.

The workshops activated by PLAYGROUND connect two European countries, fostering shared, interactive participation and establishing an international, multicultural hub of exchange and artistic growth.

PLAYGROUND’s mission is multifaceted:
• We aim to map and cultivate an international community of playwrights, providing them with the necessary skills and a robust EU network to support their future careers.
• We strive to amplify the voices of underrepresented playwrights and shine a spotlight on contemporary dramaturgy through an extensive observatory in each national context.
• We embrace digital tools to ensure sustainable and inclusive distribution of our work.
• We are committed to developing and strengthening skills for sustainable and inclusive touring and presentation of the performing arts.

Don’t miss out on the PLAYGROUND community and be part of a transformative journey in European theatre.

PLAYGROUND is a project co-funded by the European Union.

There's more

Supporting Albanian-Language Playwrights: The Playground Mentorship Programme Begins

Following a highly competitive open call and selection process earlier this year, Fatbardha Zyberi and Ardit Dragusha have been selected to develop their original dramatic texts through the programme.

Director Tara Mitrović at the Playground Residency in London

Our young director Tara Mitrović is currently in London, where she is taking part in a seven-day residency exploring a new original work she developed in collaboration with dramaturg and writer Sofija Dimitrijević.

Playground Workshop for the Development of the Play “Don’t Run Hamlet” by Francesca Garolla Held at Heartefact House

The Playground workshop for the development of a dramatic text was held in Belgrade, at Heartefact House, from November 3 to November 9, 2025. The workshop was led by actress and professor of acting Marija Milenković, with director Patrik Lazić accompanying and facilitating the process. The workshop focused on developing the new play by Italian playwright Francesca Garolla.

Playground Workshop for the Development of the Play “…lead us not into temptation…” by Mark Oltean Held at Heartefact House

The Playground workshop for the development of a new play was held in Belgrade, at Heartefact House, from October 27 to November 2, 2025. The workshop was led by theatre director and author Patrik Lazić, and it focused on the development of a play-in-progress by the young Hungarian-Romanian playwright Mark Oltean.

Artistic Residency and Public Presentation of Gaelle Axelbrun’s Play Held as Part of the Playground Project

From June 22 to 28, 2025, an artistic residency of French playwright Gaelle Axelbrun took place at Heartefact House in Belgrade, as part of the European project Playground. During this intensive seven-day working period, Gaelle, together with director Tara Manić, translator Olja Petronić, and the acting ensemble—Nevena Kočović, Jana Bjelica, and Andrej Nježić—explored the dramaturgical and performative potential of her play Far from the Mud in Which We Sink into Sleep.

Residency of French Author Gaelle Axelbrun in Belgrade as Part of the Playground Project

From June 22 to 28, 2025, the Heartefact House in Belgrade will host a residency for French playwright Gaelle Axelbrun as part of the European project Playground. This intensive seven-day residency, organized by Heartefact, is part of an international collaboration focused on the development of contemporary dramatic texts by emerging European authors.

Jana Milivojević at the residency in France as part of the Playground project

Our young author Jana Milivojević stayed in France, in Pont-a-Mousson, where during the one-week residency she developed and publicly presented her text “We don’t have a camper, and even if we did, we wouldn’t tell you”.

Nađa Mišković at the residency in Romania as part of the Playground project

Our young playwright Nađa Mišković spent last week in Romania, in Targu Mures, where during her residency at Teatrul Ariel she worked on her text “Will we see the sun?” based on the motifs of the Turkish folk tale “80 eyes”.

Sofija Dimitrijević at the Playground residency in Rome

At the beginning of November, playwright Sofija Dimitrijević participated in the first of 12 residencies within the Playground project, which Heartefact implements with partners from Italy, France and Romania. The innovativeness of the project lies in the fact that it was designed with the idea of establishing a more complex and comprehensive cooperation between the various professions involved in the theater process – playwrights, directors, translators and performers.

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