Exhibition of Personal Stories from Marginalized Communities “There’s Room for Everyone” Opened at Heartefact House

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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.

“The goal of this campaign was to draw attention to the diverse identities of marginalized communities, but also to reclaim public spaces as places of solidarity, understanding, and support. Next to each photograph, visitors can follow the personal stories of every participant, which are the outcome of an intimate process within this project and are crucial to understanding the photos in their full context,” said Tara Manić from Heartefact.

A special value of the exhibition lies in bringing together activists from different parts of Serbia, across generations and professions, who together send a strong message of solidarity. The works featured in the exhibition were created by photographer Anja Ivanović, while the visual identity was designed by graphic designer Jelena Milojević.

“The entire campaign grew out of the Voices from the Margins project, and this exhibition is one of its results. When you read the personal stories of our participants and co-authors of the exhibition, you will see that they include members of the LGBT community as well as people from other marginalized groups. This was very important to us, because we wanted them all to stand together and in that way emphasize their solidarity and unity,” said Aleksa Krstić, Heartefact Institute.

“I come from the LGBT community, and as someone who has been facing systemic discrimination for years, this project is very important to me because I was able to tell my personal story, which was the result of a very intimate and difficult process. There were tears, there was laughter—many emotions were involved throughout the six months of working on this project. Through this exhibition, you can see different groups of people and our stories, but what I consider the greatest achievement is that, no matter how different we are, we all managed to develop a kind of empathy for one another,” emphasized Aleksa Nikolić, one of the co-authors of the exhibition.

The exhibition is open to visitors every day until the end of September in the lobby of Heartefact House, located at Bulevar Despota Stefana 7, free entrance.

The exhibition is implemented with the support of the regional project SMART Balkans – Civil Society for a Connected Western Balkans, implemented by the Center for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD), Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), and financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.

Milan Ilić

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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.