Final partners’ meeting and poetry performance in Ljubljana as part of the POT-VOT project

News POT-VOT

From November 25 to 27, 2024, in Ljubljana, in Pionirski dom, the last partners’ meeting was held as part of the Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow project. After more than two years of various activities dedicated to the promotion of contemporary poetry among young people and the general population, the last meeting of 5 partners from Slovenia, Serbia, Finland, Hungary and Poland was used to recapitulate and evaluate the project, as well as for future plans: how the partners can continue to work on the promotion of local contemporary poets and apply the methodology they came up with during the project.

On the second day of the meeting, November 26, a conference “Poets of today, voices of tomorrow” was held as part of the Ljubljana Book Fair. The first major topic of the international conference was the methodology of presenting contemporary poetry in schools, and the director of Heartefact, Andrej Nosov, also a member of our artistic team in this project, along with actress Vanja Ejdus, composer Draško Adžić and poet Radmila Petrović, participated in that panel, along with representatives of all partner organizations. The conference also discussed positive examples of presenting contemporary poetry in UNESCO cities of literature, and Slovenian teachers shared successful stories from the POT-VOT project in schools.

The finale of the day was a poetry performance in the Pionirski dom, in which poets from all partner countries participated: Harri Hertell from Finland, Małgorzata Lebda from Poland, Márton Simon from Hungary, Anja Zag Golob from Slovenia and Radmila Petrović from Serbia. The specificity of this performance is that high school students also participated in it, presenting their vision of their poetry alongside the poets and in that way practically implementing the main goal of the project – bringing the poetry of living and contemporary poets closer to young people.

On the last day, at the Slovene Book Fair in Ljubljana, books published as part of the POT-VOT project were presented with poems by all the poets who participated in the project, as well as the methodology that the artistic teams came up with to present poetry to young people in a different and innovative way.

“Poets of Today – Voices of Tomorrow” or POT-VOT is a joint project of organizations from Slovenia (Pionirski dom), Poland (ARTeria), Hungary (Pro Progressione), Finland (Association of Finnish Cultural Centers for Children) and Serbia, which brings poetry to schools in an innovative way, bringing it closer to young people and local communities. The project, co-financed by the European Union through the Creative Europe program, lasts until March 2025, and is coordinated in Serbia by Heartefact.

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Norwegian Premiere of “They are All Gone” at the International Ibsen Scope Festival

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Beyond Borders: Join Us in Shaping the Future of Independent Culture in Skopje 2026

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Open Call for Playwrights: Playground for Emerging Playwrights – Kosovo

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Culture for Democracy: Supported Projects within the Call for Cultural and Artistic Project Implementation in Serbia

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Call for Concept Notes: BOOST GRANTS (Republic of North Macedonia)

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Call for Project Proposals: Grants for the Implementation of Artistic Projects by Young and/or Emerging Artists (My First Time)

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Heartefact’s Play “They Are All Gone” Directed by Andrej Nosov Premieres in New York

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Premiere of the play “Art&Money” by Swedish director Freja Hallberg at Heartefact House

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The grants for cultural and artistic projects are awarded for the development and implementation of socially relevant contemporary art projects that contribute to the enrichment of culture and promote diversity in artistic practices and expressions, address critical social issues, and encourage community development.

Young Artists and Activists from Serbia Visited Festivals in Pristina and Prizren as Part of Heartefact’s Visiting Program

As part of Heartefact’s Kosovo–Serbia Visiting Program, we organized a visit in early August to festivals in Pristina and Prizren for a group of young artists and activists from Serbia. During the visit, the participants had the opportunity to attend three major cultural events in Kosovo – the 24th edition of the DokuFest International Documentary Film Festival in Prizren, the 6th edition of the Sunny Hill music festival in Pristina, and the 5th edition of the Autostrada Biennale, an international contemporary art festival.

OPEN CALL: GRANTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA)

Public presentation of the play Doughnuts held as part of the New Voices workshop

On Sunday, July 6, a public presentation of the play Doughnuts (Buhtle) was held at Heartefact House, marking the conclusion of the four-day Playground for New Voices workshop. The workshop took place within the European project Fabulamundi: New Voices, which Heartefact implements with partners from nine European countries. It was led by director and playwright Patrik Lazić, in collaboration with emerging playwright Jelena Krdžavac, the acting ensemble, and translator Olja Petronić.

Exploring and developing contemporary drama through process: Doughnuts by Jelena Krdžavac in the spotlight of the Playground workshop

As part of the Fabulamundi project, implemented by Heartefact in collaboration with partners from nine European countries, the Playground workshop is taking place in Belgrade from July 3 to 6. Led by director and playwright Patrik Lazić, the workshop brings together a cast of actors and emerging playwright Jelena Krdžavac to explore and further develop her play Doughnuts (Buhtle), which was shortlisted in last year’s Heartefact Competition for Best Contemporary Socially Engaged Drama.

Culture for Democracy: Supported Projects within the Call for Cultural and Artistic Project Implementation in Serbia

An exceptional response—totaling 273 applications—reflects the critical position of the cultural sector in Serbia in the context of the current political and social climate. Based on the Commission’s evaluation, 22 projects have been selected for support, with a total budget of 21,500,000.00 RSD. Although this amount exceeds the originally planned budget for this call, we believe that, amid the ongoing crisis and with public calls for cultural funding either canceled or indefinitely postponed, such support is more necessary than ever.

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.

First Seminar for Youth from Serbia Held as Part of the Regional VIBE Program

From June 20 to 22, 2025, Heartefact organized a three-day seminar for young people from Serbia in Belgrade as part of the regional program VIBE – Connecting Young People. The program brings together youth from Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation and exchange. Designed as a space for learning, dialogue, and connection, it focuses on human rights, regional cooperation, the shared history of the region, and reflections on the future that young people wish to shape through activism and civic engagement.