Team Members
Andrej Nosov
Director and founder
Theater director and human rights activist. He founded Heartefact in 2009 with the idea of supporting critical awareness and artistic engagement on current social and political issues. He studied at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade and at DAS Graduate School in Amsterdam – DAS Theatre Master (formerly Das Arts). As a theater author, Nosov creates works based on contemporary plays, as well as on collaboration processes with actors, dramaturgists, and other collaborators, opening up space for unusual language, forms, themes, and methods in the local context. Andrej Nosov uses his directorial engagement in plays such as Bent, Hunger, Hinkeman, Ghosts, Black Box, Kiddo, Uncle Vanya, In the Jaws of Life, (Izopačeni, Glad, Hinkeman, Aveti, Crna kutija, Balava, Ujka Vanja, U raljama života) and others to speak out about the problems that afflict contemporary people, without giving up their political and (poetic) dimensions. In collaboration with dramaturgist Biljana Srbljanović, he launched the Belgrade Biennale of New Drama, which will follow the legacy of Neue Stucke aus Europa in Wiesbaden. He is the founder of the Heartefact Festival and the Pride Theatre Festival. As the author of Heartefact’s theater production They Have Already Gone, he was awarded the prestigious Ibsen Scope award for 2022. He is the leader of the Obama Foundation for Europe and a Regan Fascell fellow.
Biljana Srbljanović
Program advisor and editor
Author, playwright, tenured professor at the University of Arts, Belgrade, chair of the Department of Dramaturgy at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts., Fullbright alumna. She has been part of Heartefact since its inception, first as president of the Governing Board, then as a collaborator on theater and other programs, and since 2017 as a permanent member of the team. She graduated in dramaturgy from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, where she is currently a PhD Student Theory of Dramatic Arts, Media, and Culture – Cinema Studies. She has written more than 10 plays and more than a hundred newspaper and professional articles in Serbia and abroad. Her work has been published in Le Mond, La Repubblica, New York Times, Der Spiegel, Die Standard, Vreme, and Peščanik. Her plays have been translated into about 25 languages and performed in over 100 theaters worldwide. She has won six Sterija Awards for playwriting, as well as the Joakim Vujić, Slobodan Selenić, Ernst Toller, and twice the Belgrade City Award and the Premio Europa – New Theatrical Reality Award. For her activism, she has received the Conquering Freedom, Dragoljub Stošić, Icebreaker of the Year, and Sarajevo Day awards. She was the first godmother of Belgrade Pride and she is a long-time activist for LGBTI+ rights, as well as for the rights and protection of women, especially students. She is a recipient of the French Order of Arts and Letters, established in 1957. (Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.)
Nevena Negojević
Leader of the Foundation team
She is a graduate archaeologist with a master’s degree in cultural management. She has gained most of her work experience in the cultural and creative sector, focusing on strategic development, capacity building, and management of cultural and artistic projects. She has 15 years of experience in project development and management, fundraising, and organizational development. She has also regularly taken on consultancy mandates for the cultural and creative sector within project development, international, European, and regional fundraising, and strategic and business development. From 2016 to 2020, she worked as the head of the MEDIA office within the Creative Europe Desk Serbia, providing information on the program and funding opportunities, as well as working with audiovisual professionals to build their capacities for participation in the Creative Europe MEDIA program. In Heartefact’s team, she is responsible for the implementation of the Culture for Democracy project, the first comprehensive, long-term intervention in the field of culture and art in Serbia, supported by the government of Switzerland.
Aleksandra Lozanović
Leader of the House team
Producer and cultural manager. She graduated from the Department of Management and Production of Theater, Radio, and Culture at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. She obtained her master’s degree in Scenic Architecture and Design from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, where she also worked as an assistant in the Department of Arts and Design, teaching production and project management. She was twice a member of the production team that implemented Serbia’s performances at the Prague Quadrennial in 2015 and 2019. Since 2019, she has been part of Heartefact, first as a producer and program coordinator, and later as a project manager on various local, regional, and European projects. She has collaborated in various capacities on productions, such as Uncle Vanya (Ujka Vanja, National Theater Sterija), Intimacy (Intimnost, Dubrovnik Summer Games), The Sixth of October (Šesti oktobar, National Theater Niš), In the Jaws of Life (U raljama života, Belgrade Drama Theater), The Little Things That Mean Life (Sitnice koje život znače, National Theater Belgrade), Kiddo (Balava), Finger (Prst), and Our Son (Naš sin, Heartefact). Throughout her professional career, she has gained experience in planning, organizing, and executing various types of artistic, educational, cultural, and socially engaged projects, as well as experience in team management and coordination of international artistic projects.
Sarah Maliqi
Team Leader (North Macedonia)
With over 20 years of experience in the civil society and cultural sectors in Kosovo and the Western Balkans, Sarah has worked intensively on human rights, regional cooperation, transitional justice, and cultural development. She has led and supported numerous initiatives and projects focused on strengthening civil society, building cross-border partnerships, and empowering marginalized communities—particularly LGBTI+ and Roma groups. At Civil Rights Defenders, she played a key role in shaping and managing programs in Kosovo and across the Western Balkans. She was responsible for program and budget management, setting priorities, and overseeing the full grant and project cycle. Her work, through direct grant-making and close cooperation with civic initiatives and independent organizations, has contributed significantly to the growth and sustainability of civil society in Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, and Turkey. Additionally, she has supported cultural and human rights actors working under repressive regimes in Eurasia and Asia, providing strategic assistance, capacity building, and advocacy support. Previously, she held leadership positions at the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, overseeing the development and coordination of the Kosovo office and its regional operations. Earlier in her career, she worked with the World University Service in Pristina on higher education reform and capacity building at the University of Pristina. She holds a law degree from AAB University in Pristina and has completed specialized training in human rights and peacebuilding. At the Hartefact Fund, she works to strengthen collaboration between cultural organizations in Kosovo and Serbia, as well as the team leader in the North Macedonia.
Živana Janković
Chief Operating Officer
She holds a degree in translation studies. She studied at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, and the Faculty of Law, University of Union. She acquired specific knowledge through numerous courses, training, and work experience. She has over 30 years of work experience in managerial positions in finance, administration, accounting, and management in the economy and non-governmental sector. Since 2015, she has been employed at Heartefact in finance and administration, with a special focus on financial management, financial reporting, and preparation and monitoring of organizational and project budgets.
Aleksa Krstić
Program Coordinator of Institute Team
He graduated in International Relations from the American University in Bulgaria (Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria), and later completed his master’s studies in International Business Management and Human Resources at the University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom). After finishing his master’s studies, he worked as a project manager at Sungrade Solar, a California-based company. He actively writes poetry and has published poems on portals such as Strane, Astronaut, čovjek-časopis, Bludni stih, as well as in anthologies Rukopisi 45 (DO Pančevo), Tajni grad (PPM Enklava), Milo Bošković (Library Kolašin), and Sunčana strana ulice (PPM Enklava). He is the author of the poetry collection titled “Dečaci istočnog bloka” (Boys of the Eastern Block) published by the City Library Vladislav Petković Dis – Čačak, which explores the theme of same-sex love in the context of Central and Eastern Europe. He is the laureate of the literary award Young Dis. He has participated in numerous poetry events in the country and the region, as well as in Heartefact’s programs “Poets of Today – Voices of Tomorrow” and “At Second Glance”. He is part of the informal art collective C4, which organizes poetry and music evenings in Belgrade. Since 2023, he has been employed at Heartefact as a project assistant.
Patrik Lazić
Collaborator in Program Editing and Communication
Theater director who graduated with honors from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, where he also completed his master’s degree in directing. He graduated in 2019 at the Belgrade Drama Theatre with the play Fine Dead Girls (Fine mrtve d(j)evojke) by Mate Matišić. Some of the plays he directed include: Animal Farm (Životinjska farma, City Theatre Čačak), Bribed! We Don’t Pay! (Potplaćeni! Ne plaćamo!, Istrian National Theatre – City Theatre Pula), Stone (Kamen, Belgrade Drama Theatre/Zagreb Youth Theatre)… He stepped into the field of complete authorship with the play Our Son (Naš sin, Heartefact) in which he presented himself as a complete author for the first time. He won the annual award of the Belgrade Drama Theatre for directing the play Fine Dead Girls (Fine mrtve d(j)evojke) the same play won the award for best play at the 9th Festival of Premiere Plays in Aleksinac, he was also awarded a special prize for establishing innovative approaches at the 58th Joakim Vujić Festival and the award for best young director at the TNT festival in Krajova. He has been a permanent member of the Heartefact team since 2022 where he is working on program editing and communication of those programs as well.
Lucija Krišto
She holds a degree in philology, having completed studies in Italian language and culture at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Pisa in Italy. She has extensive experience in project, program, and financial management (Remark DPCM, CEPED Educational Centre, NaturalisPharm, Adria srl), and since 2021, she has been employed as a Grant Officer at Heartefact, primarily on the Culture for Democracy project, where she provides direct logistical support to grant recipients through communication and visitings.
Bojana Krstevska
Grants Program Officer (North Macedonia)
Bojana has over ten years of experience in project and grant management and holds a master’s degree in International Management from the Institute of Economics in Skopje. She has worked on initiatives focused on youth employment, cultural heritage, environmental protection, governance, and security. Before joining the Hartefact Fund, she managed EU-funded projects as well as projects funded by Norway and collaborated with cultural institutions across Europe. Her partnerships include renowned organizations such as UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture, the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria, the Ministry of Culture of North Macedonia, and others. She brings her extensive experience in grant management to her current role as the Grants Program Officer for the Culture for Development project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented in North Macedonia. Bojana is committed to continuous improvement and innovation and is constantly exploring new ways to advance her work, support cultural development, and contribute to meaningful social transformation.
Tara Manić
Program Associate
Tara Manić is a theatre director and teaching assistant at the Department of Theatre Directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. She completed her undergraduate studies at the same faculty as the top student of her class and received the Dr. Hugo Klajn Award for her production of Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler. She later earned her master’s degree with the play Till Eulenspiegel – On Bullshitting in Theatre, directed at the Ujvideki Szinhaz. She earned her PhD from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in 2024, directing a documentary play about the perception of theatre by blind and visually impaired individuals. Tara began working at the faculty in 2017, first as a teaching associate and currently as an assistant professor in Theatre Directing. For her work at the university, she received the Silver Medal of the University of Arts. She has trained in numerous international workshops and has been awarded for her productions at festivals in France, Poland, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Serbia. She is also the recipient of the First Prize “Neda Depolo” for the best radio production by Radio Belgrade. In 2024, Tara directed the award-winning production of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel for Hartefact, which has since been featured in several regional festivals. She has been engaged as a Program Associate at Hartefact since 2024.
Ksenija Milutinović
Digital Communications Associate
She is a student of English language and literature at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade. She is also a human rights activist who has gained activist and work experience through volunteering in several LGBTI+ organizations, such as Belgrade Pride and the association Da se zna!. She has been part of Heartefact’s team since 2022, working on digital communication and social media management.
Mirjana Milivojević
Financial-Administrative Coordinator
She graduated from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences at the University of Belgrade, where she gained knowledge in the fields of organization, management, and business systems. She began her professional career in the private sector, working in organization, administration, finance, and accounting, where she developed practical skills and experience in managing business processes. She has been part of the Heartefact team since 2018, where, in the position of Financial and Administrative Coordinator, she is responsible for the organization’s daily operations, administrative and financial procedures, as well as the efficient and responsible management of resources.
Nataša Ivanovska
Finance and Administrative Grants Officer (North Macedonia)
Nataša Ivanovska holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and is currently a PhD candidate in defense, security, and peace studies at the University Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. Deeply committed to social impact, Nataša has been actively involved in youth organizations and project implementation since 2010. In March 2025, she joined the Hartefact Foundation Serbia – North Macedonia Branch, where she is primarily responsible for administration and financial support to grantees. She manages financial and administrative processes to ensure smooth grant implementation. Outside her professional role, she has a strong passion for theatre and the performing arts.
Ivana Dragšić
Program Advisor (North Macedonia)
Ivana Dragšić is a sociologist, civic activist, and cultural worker with 20 years of experience on North Macedonia’s independent cultural scene. She began her career in organizations dealing with youth policies, critical thinking, and artistic production. The rise of the Skopje 2014 project and the founding of Freedom Square were pivotal in shaping her work—first as an activist and community mobilizer, and later as a researcher and author on topics such as public space, urban and spatial planning, participatory democracy, and the commons. She contributed to the first book analyzing the commons in the region: Commons in South East Europe – the case of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. Since then, she has continued researching, writing, editing, and contributing to publications that explore public space, institutional innovation, universal basic income, trees, counterculture, and other topics from the eco-feminist spectrum. As a cultural worker, she has been involved in organizing and promoting hundreds of interdisciplinary events, establishing the independent cultural scene as a political actor, and revising local and national cultural policies. Ivana remains one of the last vocal critics of the Skopje 2014 project through research, artistic projects, and discursive city walks. She is also a radio host and DJ on online radio/streaming platforms, as well as in clubs across the region.
Dragana Kutlešić
Assistant for Finance and Administration
In addition to her extensive work experience in accounting and financial activities, as a licensed Aikido trainer, she has also worked with both children and adults at an Aikido club and in preschool institutions. She has been a part of the Heartefact team since 2023, where she is involved in tasks related to the reception, processing, and record keeping of complete documentation, as well as in procurement processes and logistical support for programs.
Vesna Đurđević
Office Associate
She joined Heartefact’s team in 2021, where she is responsible for office and Heartefact House space management, ensuring a prepared atmosphere for both employees and the audience.