The launch of the Queer Art Academy program in Belgrade

News Queer Art Academy

The first segment of the Queer Art Academy program took place from April 14 to 19, 2026, in
Belgrade, at Hartefakt House, marking the beginning of a multi-month process. This initial gathering set the tone for the program’s first phase, which continues in the coming months through mentorship, online sessions, project development, and regional networking among
artists.

During the five-day residential week in Belgrade, participants developed their own artistic projects through workshops, lectures, and mentorship. Alongside the work at Hartefakt House, the program included a theatre visit, a guided city tour, a panel discussion with artists, and presentations of platforms and festivals such as Queer Zagreb and Mladi levi. Participants also took part in sessions focused on pitching and public speaking, with an emphasis on clear and confident presentation of their work. The program centered on articulating ideas, shaping artistic concepts, and presenting them professionally within a contemporary cultural context.

Mentors leading the program included Zorana Đaković Minniti, assistant to the program director at the Belgrade Cultural Centre; Jelena Milašinović, PR manager of the Belgrade Philharmonic and member of the Hartefakt Board; Mojca Jug, co-programmer of Mladi Levi; Zvonimir Dobrović, artistic director of Queer Zagreb and Perforations; and Stevan Marić, theatre director. The program also featured conversations with the poet Radmila Petrović, the actress Eva Voštinić, an actress, and the theatre director Patrik Lazić.

Ten young artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and North Macedonia formed the first cohort, bringing together diverse practices across performance, theatre, visual arts, and dramaturgy. Their collaboration focused not only on individual development, but also on exchanging experiences and building a support network that extends beyond national and institutional boundaries. The program responds to the long-standing marginalization of LGBTIQ artists in the Western Balkans, who often work without stable support and under precarious conditions-factors that contribute to the fragmentation and limited visibility of the queer arts scene.

This first segment marks the starting point of a broader program that continues through online mentorship and workshops in the months ahead, offering ongoing professional support and real- time project development. The final phase is scheduled for September, when participants will present works in progress at a regional showcase event in front of relevant cultural institutions and key stakeholders.

In this way, the Queer Art Academy operates not as a one-off event, but as a long-term framework for artistic development, professional empowerment, and regional networking among queer artists-with its Belgrade segment laying the foundation for everything that follows.

Funded by the European Union.

The project Queer Art Academy – Building Safe Artistic Futures in the Western Balkans, implemented by Heartefact, is supported through the programme Working Safe: Socio-economic Inclusion of the LGBTQI+ Community in the Western Balkans and Türkiye, implemented by ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, in partnership with Queer Montenegro, Tuzla Open Center (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Open Mind Spectrum Albania, Center for Social Group Development (Kosovo), Coalition Margins (North Macedonia), Izađi (Serbia), and Kaos GL (Türkiye). This project is funded by the European Union.

This material was produced with the assistance of ERA and the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Heartefact as the implementing organisation and do not necessarily reflect the views of ERA or the European Union.

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The exhibition “There’s Room for Everyone”, part of the campaign of the same name, was officially opened on Thursday, September 4, in the lobby of Heartefact House and will be available to visitors until the end of September. Photographs of various marginalized communities in Serbia, staged inside an elevator, are accompanied by personal testimonies of participants, highlighting that diversity should not be a reason for exclusion, but rather an opportunity for solidarity.

Students from Serbia visited the Short Theatre Festival in Rome within the European project Fabulamundi – New Voices

As part of the final phase of the European project Fabulamundi – New Voices, in which Heartefact and partners from about ten countries have been participating over the past two and a half years, we organized a visit of students from Serbia to the partner festival Short Theatre in Rome. The visit took place from September 5 to 7, during the 20th anniversary edition of this renowned festival.

The project “Culture for Development” announces to the public the names of the projects that received support within the first call!

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.