Heartefact initiated the launch of a new European theater network

News

During Pride Week, Heartefact initiated and gathered in Belgrade the first five organizations and theaters involved in a new theater network that will bring together theaters, groups, and theater organizations that focus on minority perspectives, especially queer perspectives, in their work.

The participants of the first network conference discussed the prospects of development, future collaboration, joint projects, and exchanges, all with one goal: how to collectively create more space for minority themes and perspectives in theater at the European level and thereby support and empower artists who engage with them.

The first organizations to join the network alongside Heartefact are:

Scensverige- Swedish Performing Arts Coalition,
Nomantinels from Slovakia,
Wiener Wortstaetten from Austria,
Istrian National Theater – City Theater Pula from Croatia

Residencies for artists, text exchanges, performances, and work methods exchanges, continuous meetings, and learning from each other are just some of the future network plans, and membership is open to all interested parties who want to use theater to raise awareness about minority issues, problems, and perspectives.

The formation and gathering of the network were realized with the support of the Swedish Institute through the Creative Partnership program. #SICreativePartnerships”

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In Belgrade, we brought together activists from Kosovo during a four-day visit dedicated to women’s rights!

From October 23 to 26, 2025, Heartefact organized the Kosovo–Serbia Visiting Program, held in Belgrade. The program gathered six participants from Kosovo – activists, cultural workers, and researchers – for a four-day visit dedicated to women’s rights, gender equality, and the prevention of sexual violence. Throughout their stay, participants met with leading feminist and human rights organizations from Belgrade.

12th Bašta Fest: All we need — connection, dialogue, and art!

The 12th Bašta Fest was held in Bajina Bašta, at the Vlaja Cultural Center, where 27 short films from 17 countries were screened over the course of three days. The festival was opened by Nevena Nerandžić, and the audience enjoyed a diverse film and educational program, as well as a stage-cleaning performance that symbolically marked a new beginning.

Strengthening the Independent Cultural Scene – the public discussion held in Skopje

On October 20, 2025, the public discussion “Strengthening the Independent Cultural Scene: Funding, Spaces, and Advocacy” took place at the Drama Theatre in Skopje. Diverse representatives of the independent cultural scene, youth workers and artists highlighted the need for urgent changes in North Macedonia’s cultural policy.

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS: ADVOCACY GRANTS (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA)

The Culture for Development is announcing a Call for Advocacy Grants Scheme to empower independent cultural organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia to address urgent challenges and advocate for long-term, systemic improvements in the cultural sector. The purpose of this call is to support initiatives that strengthen dialogue with decision-makers, mobilize communities, and foster cross-sector collaboration, thereby improving operational conditions and financial sustainability of the independent cultural scene.

Open Application Call for Kosovo–Serbia Bridge Fellowship Program

Heartefact is pleased to announce an ongoing open call for the Kosovo-Serbia Bridge Fellowship Program – a cross-border initiative that supports young professionals, researchers, and creatives from Kosovo and Serbia who are eager to build new and constructive narratives about the relations between the two societies. Unlike previous editions, this year’s call will remain open year-round. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and fellows will be selected according to the quality, originality, and potential impact of their proposed research and action plans.

Young People from Serbia Explore Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Novi Pazar through the Regional VIBE Program

From October 9 to 11, 2025, Heartefact organized a three-day program dedicated to young people from Serbia as part of the regional initiative VIBE – Connecting Young People. The journey included visits to Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Novi Pazar, with the aim of helping young participants explore different parts of the country — their cultural heritage, social and political context.

Workshop “Personal Story as the Inspiration for a Theatre Play” Held at Heartefact House

From September 26 to 29, 2025, the playwriting workshop “Personal Story as the Inspiration for a Theatre Play” was held at Heartefact House in Belgrade, marking the final activity of the two-year project “Fabulamundi – New Voices.”

Pančevo Film Festival: Brave Cinematic Voices Driving Social Change

As part of the “Culture for Democracy” project, supported by the Government of Switzerland, the Pančevo Film Festival was officially opened last week in Pančevo. The ninth edition of the festival reaffirmed PAFF’s reputation as a platform for auteur cinema, social dialogue, and the promotion of young artistic voices.

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS: GRANTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PROJECTS (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA)

The Culture for Development project is announcing the Second Call for the Artistic Grant Scheme for project proposals to allocate grants for the implementation of artistic and cultural projects in the Republic of North Macedonia. The objective of this call is to support the development and implementation of socially relevant and culturally enriching contemporary artistic projects that promote diversity in artistic practices and expressions, address critical social issues, and foster community development.

Culture for Democracy: Supported Projects within the Boost Grants Call

As part of the Culture for Democracy (CfD) project, Heartefact launched the Boost Grants call on June 9, 2025, to support established cultural and artistic organizations in Serbia. The goal of this call was to strengthen the organizational capacities and resilience of independent cultural actors through long-term support, enhanced strategic development, and improved financial sustainability.

Radical Optimism from a Kosovar Hill — an original text by director Tara Manić about Dua Lipa’s concert in Pristina

We are publishing the original text “Radical Optimism from a Kosovar Hill” by director Tara Manić, first released on September 4 in Nedeljnik. Tara wrote the text upon her return from Pristina, where, as part of our Kosovo–Serbia Visiting Program, she attended a concert of today’s major pop star — Dua Lipa. We are sharing the text in full.

The final networking event of the project Voices from the margins was held

From 4 to 6 September 2025, the final networking event of the Voices from the margins project took place in Belgrade. During the three-day visit to Belgrade, the programme participants—young activists from all over Serbia—had the opportunity to tour several relevant non-governmental organizations, and meet other activists.

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS: INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT GRANTS (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA)

The Culture for Development project is announcing the second Call for Institutional Grants Scheme to support well-established cultural organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia. The objective of this call is to strengthen the organizational and financial capacities of these organizations by providing financial resources, infrastructural support and capacity building activities. This intervention seeks to enhance organizational stability, ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience within the cultural sector.

The First Sarajevo Theatre Showcase Presented Numerous Young Artists to the Regional and European Theatre Public

From September 12 to 15, Sarajevo hosted the first edition of the Sarajevo Theatre Showcase, an annual professional event that provides a significant development platform for theatre professionals from Southeast Europe. The Showcase is organized by cultural organizations and theatres from five countries: Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR, Heartefact from Serbia, Ulysses Theatre from Croatia, Binario Vivo from Italy, Para Film&Theatre from Norway, and Realstage from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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

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.

Heartefact’s Play Again at the Noorderzon Festival in the Netherlands

Heartefact’s play How I Learned to Drive, directed by Tara Manić, continues to push boundaries with its appearance at another international festival, the prestigious Noorderzon Festival of Performing Arts & Society in Groningen, Netherlands.

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.

The Play How I Learned to Drive Performed at Ulysses Theatre on the Brijuni Islands

This year, Ulysses Theatre celebrates a significant milestone – 25 years of existence and creation on its unique open-air stages, located on the Croatian island of Brijuni near Fažana. Over two and a half decades, the theatre has built a distinct artistic identity by blending the natural beauty of its surroundings with a powerful dramatic expression, all while remaining committed to its mission of fostering artistic dialogue, freedom, and experimentation. Heartefact proudly joined in marking the theatre’s 25th anniversary season!

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

The Culture for Development project has launched the Job Shadowing Scheme Call for project proposals to allocate grants for the implementation of a capacity-building initiative that offers structured knowledge transfer. The objective of this call is to build the capacities of cultural and artistic professionals and organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia by offering them hands-on, on-the-job training opportunities through learning from practice.

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.

Andrej Nosov Wins the “Ljubomir Muci Draškić” Award for Directing the Play “They Are All Gone”

The acting jury of Atelje 212, which awards the biennial prize for best directing in Belgrade—named the “Ljubomir Muci Draškić” award and uniquely characterized by the motto “Actors to their Director”—has decided to grant the 2025 award to director ANDREJ NOSOV for the play “They Are All Gone”, produced by Heartefact.

Tenth Award for the Play “How I Learned to Drive” at the 52nd INFANT Festival

At the 52nd International Festival of Alternative and New Theatre (INFANT), held from June 15 to 19 in Novi Sad, the jury—composed of Vesna Radovanović (dramaturge), Vanja Magić (set designer), and Nikolina Đukanović (dramaturge)—had the opportunity to watch six plays selected by the festival’s curator, director Aleksandar Popovski. After viewing the performances, the jury unanimously decided to award our play How I Learned to Drive, directed by Tara Manić, the prize for Best Concept!

With the panel “Silence Is Not Golden,” we launched a campaign that encourages to speak up!

Organized by Heartefact, the panel titled Silence Is Not Golden marked the launch of a campaign of the same name, aimed at empowering individuals to recognize, understand, and respond to violence — rather than remain silent.

Public Reading of Last Year’s HF Competition Winning Play Held at Heartefact House

Last night, Heartefact House hosted a public reading of the play “Throw Her, Putin, and Be Precise” by Mirza Skenderagić, which was selected as the best play by the jury of last year’s Heartefact regional Competition for the Best Contemporary Engaged Full-Length Play. This is not Skenderagić’s first win at the Heartefact competition — his play “Wake Me Up When It’s Over” won the award in 2016.

Call for Project Proposals – Boost Grants

Within the framework of the Culture for Democracy (CfD) project, Heartefact is launching a call for proposals aimed at strengthening the organizational, programmatic, and financial capacities of independent cultural actors in Serbia through multi-annual support.

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS: INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT GRANTS (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA)

The Culture for Development project is announcing the Institutional Grants Scheme to support well-established cultural organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia. The objective of this call is to strengthen the organizational and financial capacities of these organizations by providing financial resources, infrastructural support and capacity building activities.

Open call for youth participation in the regional VIBE project

Heartefact announces an open call for young people from Serbia to participate in the regional VIBE project, implemented in cooperation with Arsis from Albania and Juventas from Montenegro. Fill out the application form by June 6, 2025.

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS: GRANTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PROJECTS (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA)

The Culture for Development project is announcing the Artistic Grant Scheme Call for project proposals to allocate grants for the implementation of artistic and cultural projects in the Republic of North Macedonia. The objective of this call is to support the development and implementation of socially relevant and culturally enriching contemporary artistic projects that promote diversity in artistic practices and expressions, address critical social issues, and foster community development.

Voices from the Margins – Seminar for Human Rights Defenders in Serbia Held

From April 24 to 27, 2025, the first seminar of the “Voices from the Margins” program was held in Ub, Serbia. The program aims to empower emerging human rights defenders from local communities across the country. The seminar brought together eleven participants from various cities and communities who, over an intensive four-day program, had the opportunity to strengthen their capacities for human rights work through lectures, workshops, and discussions.

Open Call: Beldocs Festival (Kosovo-Serbia Visiting Program)

Heartefact invites young people from Kosovo to apply for a four-day visit to Beldocs – the International Documentary Film Festival taking place in Belgrade. The visit will be organized from May 22 to May 25, 2025 (Thursday to Sunday), during the festival’s official dates of May 21 to May 27 2025.

Call for Project Proposals: Artistic Grants for Implementation of Cultural and Artistic Projects

As part of the Culture for Democracy (CfD) project, Heartefact is announcing a call for proposals for the implementation of cultural and artistic projects that contribute to the development of society, local communities, and contemporary cultural-artistic practices of the independent sector in Serbia. The deadline for submitting project proposals is May 30, 2025, by 5:00 PM.

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”.

A seminar was held for the new generation of the Human Rights Leadership program

Heartefact, in partnership with the Slovenian 8th of March Institute, from March 27 to 30, 2025, organized a seminar within the project Human Rights Leadership. The goal of the seminar was to empower 18 activists from different parts of Serbia who were selected through a public call to participate in this one-year program.

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”.

Sarajevo successfully hosted the beginning of the Atelier program for young playwrights

Last week, Sarajevo successfully hosted the first module of the Atelier program workshop for young playwrights as part of the new Sarajevo Theater Showcase/New Theater Market project, funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe program.

Sarajevo Theatre Showcase – open call for the inaugural atelier for playwrights

Sarajevo Theatre Showcase announces an open call for the inaugural Atelier for Playwrights. We invite participants from the following countries to apply Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, Slovenia, and Serbia.

The new Sarajevo Theatre Showcase launched in Sarajevo as part of the European project New Theatre Market

Today, a press conference was held in the Sarajevo War Theater (SARTR) on the occasion of the start of the New Theatre Market project, the crown of which is the newly established Sarajevo Theatre Showcase, which will be held in the second week of September in Sarajevo. The leader of the project is the SARTR theater with partners: Heartefact from Serbia, Ulysses Theater from Croatia, Binario Vivo from Italy and Para Film & Theatre from Norway.

The Festivity of Otherness was held in Paris

From January 9 to 11, 2025, the Festivity of Otherness was held in Paris. After the Zagreb version of the festival in November, when three plays created as part of the Eclectic of Otherness project co-financed by the European Union were shown on the theater stage of the Arterarij organization, Heartefact House hosted the Belgrade version of the festival in December last year. Lavoir Moderne Parisien hosted the Parisian version of the festival, rounding off the first three editions of the festival.

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Financial and Administrative Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development project in North Macedonia

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Financial and Administrative Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development project in North Macedonia. Funded by the Swiss Agency for the Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Culture for Development project will be managed by the Heartefact Fund and is launching in January 2025 with a four-year duration.

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Program Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development Project in North Macedonia

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Program Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development Project in North Macedonia. Funded by the Swiss Agency for the Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Culture for Development Project will be managed by the Heartefact Fund and is set to launch in January 2025 with a four-year duration.

We Presented the Slavic Soundwalking Application to Senior Citizens

In Belgrade, we held an incredibly inspiring meeting with representatives of several civil sector organizations working with senior citizens and their quality of life.

The Festivity of Otherness was held in the Heartefact House in Belgrade

From December 5 to 7, 2024, the Festivity of Otherness was held in Belgrade. After the Zagreb version of the festivity in November, when three performances created as part of the Eclectic of Otherness project co-financed by the European Union were shown on the theater stage of the Arterarij organization, Heartefact House hosted the Belgrade version of the festival.

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

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.

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.

Billboard campaign “Poets of today, voices of tomorrow” in Belgrade

From November 11 to 17, Heartefact ran a billboard campaign in the main pedestrian street in Belgrade, in Knez Mihailova, with the aim of promoting the poetry of our young contemporary poets. The verses of Jelena Marinkov, Aleksa Krstić, Tihana Smiljanić, Milica Milosavljević and Marija Dragnić, in the design of Miroslav Živanov, were found in several locations along the entire street.

Second Slavic Soundwalk Through Belgrade

Starting at 12 PM, we gathered at the Main Post Office, the first location, and then continued walking while listening to the stories at different locations, including the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Hall of the Cultural Center of Belgrade, and finally concluded the walk at Atelje 212.

The first Festivity of Otherness as part of the Eclectic of Otherness project ended in Zagreb

From November 7 to 9, 2024, the first Festivity of Otherness was held in the theater venue of the Arterarij organization in Zagreb. As part of the festival, three performances from Serbia, France and Croatia premiered, and the festival is moving to Belgrade in December. The third location is Paris in January 2025.

The exhibition UKRAINE: LOVE + WAR (2014-2024) will be held in Belgrade from November 15 to 23

The Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans invites you to the opening of the exhibition UKRAINE: LOVE + WAR (2014-2024) which will take place on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Europe House in Belgrade (Zmaj Jovina 8). The exhibition is inspired by the book of the same name published by FotoEvidence, which is a testimony of the devastating impact of Russian aggression on Ukrainian society, captured through the lenses of 95 international photojournalists.

We’ve developed toolkits for non-formal teaching about sound and light design and video operations in theatre!

During this year, we held three masterclasses for theatrical technicians in light and sound design and video operations within the Beyond Stage Mastery project. The masterclasses were led by experts Luigi Biondi, Alessandro Olla, Lazar Nikolić and Ivan Đurović. As a result of the masterclasses we’ve developed manuals as toolkits for non-formal teaching about sound and light design and video operations.

A three-day conference of the European network Fabulamundi – New Voices was held in the Heartefact House

From October 5 to 7, 2024, a three-day conference of the European network of playwrights Fabulamundi-New Voces was held in Heartefact House in Belgrade. After the meetings in Rome, Venice and Paris, Belgrade had the opportunity to host 19 playwrights from a dozen European countries and representatives of theaters and art organizations that are part of the network.

Heartefact’s Visit to DokuFest in Prizren for 13 young students and activists

From August 7 to 11, 2024, Heartefact organized a visit to DokuFest for 13 young film directing and production students, cultural workers, artists, and activists from Serbia. The documentary and short film festival is held annually in Prizren, and this year’s 23rd edition brought together numerous directors from the region, Europe, and around the world. In addition to the film program, participants attended masterclasses, exhibitions, concerts, performances, and met with cultural workers from Prizren, such as Vatra Abrashi from Autostrada, Linda Lulla Gashi, Alba Cakalli and Samir Karahoda from DokuFest, and Bengi Muzbeg from the Lumbardhi Foundation.

Aleksa Krstić from Heartefact Institute on the Oko Balkana radio show at Radio Belgrade

Why does Heartefact translate contemporary literature from Kosovo into Serbian? This was one of the key questions our Aleksa Krstić discussed on the “Oko Balkana” show on Radio Belgrade’s Second Program.

Exchange of Researchers from Serbia and Kosovo as part of Research Visiting Program

In June, Heartefact organized an exchange for 10 young researchers from Serbia and Kosovo as part of our Research Visiting Program. The group from Serbia visited Pristina and Gracanica, while the group from Kosovo visited Belgrade. During these visits, they met with representatives from over 20 organizations from Kosovo and Serbia, as well as university professors, activists, and artists.

Introducing the Second Cohort: Six Kosovo-Serbia Research Fellows Selected

As part of the second cycle of the Kosovo-Serbia Fellowship Program, Heartefact has chosen six researchers who will explore new and constructive narratives regarding the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, ranging from language and translation issues to education, EU-facilitated dialogue, normalization process and other relevant political and social areas. During the three-month research period, participants will spend one month in either Belgrade or Prishtina. Throughout the program, they will have the opportunity to influence dominant narratives and offer new perspectives to the public on the topic of their research.

Culture for Democracy Project: Supported Projects for On-the-Job Training and Capacity Building for Organizations and Professionals in the Field of Culture / Job Shadowing

The Heartefact Fund announces the selected organizations and individuals in the field of culture and the arts who will receive grants under the Culture for Democracy (CfD) project for on-the-job training and capacity building of organizations (Job Shadowing).

A five-day seminar was held as part of the Human Rights Leadership Program

In partnership with the Slovenian Institute 8th of March, Heartefact organized a seminar as part of the Human Rights Leadership Program. The seminar aimed to empower 23 activists from various parts of Serbia, selected through a public call for participation in this one-year program.

Workshop for youth “Transforming a personal story into a theatre play” held in the Heartefact House

Two weeks ago, a six-day workshop “Transforming a personal story into a theatre play ” was held in the Heartefact House, led by the author and director Patrik Lazić, who was joined by the playwright and professor of dramaturgy from Romania, Elise Wilk.

Poetry performance “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow” in Poland

At the end of March, in the Polish city of Gliwice, a poetry performance “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow” was held as part of the project of the same name in which Heartefact participates with partners from Slovenia, Finland, Hungary, and Poland.

Open Call for theatrical technicians from Albania, Kosovo and Serbia to participate in five-day masterclass in Video Operation in theatre

Heartefact Fund in partnership with Centar of Visual Arts Multimedia is pleased to announce an open call within the Beyond Stage Mastery project, supported by the British Council through Culture and Creativity Learning Lab grant scheme as a part of the project Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans (CC4WBs). CC4WBs is a project funded by the European Union that aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.

Open Call for theatrical technicians from Albania, Kosovo and Serbia to participate in five-day masterclass in Light design for theatre

CULTURE FOR DEMOCRACY PROJECT: NEW PUBLIC CALL FOR PROPOSALS OPEN

New call for financing cultural and artistic organisations and professionals is open for proposals submission within Culture for Democracy Project targeting programatic and organizational development of cultural organziations.

Project Culture for Democracy: Supported new projects under ArtBoost Grant line

Within the framework of the Culture for Democracy project, the Heartefact Foundation has supported three new organizations through the Art Boost Support grant line, with a total amount of 68.000 CHF.

Heartefact’s Queer Caravan began in Pirot and Niš

On Tuesday, the Heartefact Queer Caravan began at the National Theater in Pirot, during which Heartefact’s plays with queer and minority perspectives will be performed in around ten cities in Serbia. After Pirot, the next stop for the caravan was the National Theater in Niš, where Patrick Lazić’s play Our Son was also performed last night. After each performance, a discussion between the audience and actors is organized to further expand on this important topic. Through this Caravan, Heartefact aims to bring plays with queer themes to smaller towns and cities in Serbia where such content is traditionally less included in repertoires.

EXTENDED: Open Call for theatrical technicians from Albania, Kosovo and Serbia to participate in five-day master class in Sound Design for theatre

The objective of this training is to transfer high-quality, relevant, current, professional knowledge, share experience and give advice to theatre technicians, young professionals from Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. The main theme of the Master Class is “Sound Design for theatre” and the aim is to equip young theatre technicians with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively work on the theatre productions.

At the Heartefact House, a staged reading of the winning text by Marija Rakočević, “The Woman Ties the Ponytail,” was held

Last night, the twelfth consecutive award ceremony for the Best Contemporary Engaged Full-Length Drama Text in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Macedonian, or Montenegrin was held at the Heartefact House.

Project Culture for Democracy: supported new projects under Art Boost grant line

Within the framework of the Culture for Democracy project, the Heartefact Foundation has supported five new organizations through the Art Boost Support grant line, with a total amount of 13,701,000 RSD.

Culture for Democracy project: Announcing supported projects from the call for artistic expressions

Culture for Democracy Project Selects Awardees in the Fourth Call for Artistic Expressions Support.

The premiere of the new theater production “Climax” was held at the Heartefact House

On December 14th, the premiere of the new theater production “Climax,” directed by Patrick Lazić and dramaturged by Dunja Matić, took place at the Heartefact House. The inspiration for this project came from the controversial film of the same name by globally acclaimed director Gaspar Noé.

Artistic residencies in Belgrade: Yllka Brada and Tadi

As a result of the open call for artistic residencies of the Reconnection 2.0 project funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo, and implemented by Qendra Multimedia [Prishtina] and Heartefact Fund [Belgrade], two artists have been selected, Tadi and Yllka Brada, who will reside in artistic residencies during November and December 2023 in Belgrade.

With standing ovations for Our Son, Heartefact’s queer caravan kicked off in Lazarevac

Over the next year, Heartefact’s socially engaged plays will visit places in Serbia where independent theater performances are not frequent, especially those with minority and queer perspectives.

Workshop “Fairy Tale Dramaturgy” Held at Heartefact House

The “Fairy Tale Dramaturgy” workshop was held last week at the Heartefact House for students of dramaturgy and theater direction at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. With a guest lecturer from the Czech Republic, playwright and dramaturgist David Košťák, participants analyzed various examples of contemporary fairy tale adaptations during the three-day workshop, mapping out authorial approaches that helped them develop their own adaptations of fairy tales.

Culture for Democracy Project: Announcing supported projects from the call for artistic expressions

Culture for Democracy Project Selects Awardees in the Third Call for Artistic Expressions Support.

Second call for proposals for Kosovo-Serbia research fellowship

Heartefact is pleased to invite applications for the 2024 Kosovo-Serbia research fellowship program.

Heartefact’s Play “A Brief History of Burgers and Other Stories” Performed at the Kosovo Theatre Showcase Festival

The play “A Brief History of Burgers and Other Stories,” an original project by Andrej Nosov and performed by Dutch actor Simon Versnel, was performed on October 27 and 28, 2023, at the Dodona Theatre in Prishtina as part of the Kosovo Theatre Showcase Festival.

Open Call for Bid and Project Writers/Bid and Project Development Consultants

Heartefact Fund is seeking experienced and qualified Bid and Project Writers/Bid and Project Development Consultants to establish a pool of potential resources for various projects. We invite interested individuals or firms to submit their qualifications for consideration. This open call will remain continuously open, and qualified candidates will be added to our pool for potential future collaborations.

Hartefact and Radmila Petrović Together at the Prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair

During one of the most significant book fairs globally, the Frankfurt Book Fair, poet Radmila Petrović participated in the presentation of the poetry collection “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow.” This collection is the result of work on the international project of the same name, conducted in Serbia by Hartefact.

Civil Society Check-In: Advancing Kosovo-Serbia Cooperation

Given the current sensitive political climate and recent tensions between Belgrade and Prishtina, there is an urgent need for regional cooperation and the potential for transformative impact. With this conference, we aim to bring together all stakeholders from various organizations working on topics such as reconciliation, transitional justice, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, youth exchange, education, human rights, security and more.

Book Presentation of the Project “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow” at the Frankfurt Book Fair

At the Frankfurt Book Fair, on October 19th at 7:30 PM, a book resulting from the work of participants in the international project “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow” will be presented. The poetic collective composed of prominent poets from the organizations leading the project will introduce the audience to the book’s contents.

Heartefact has begun preparations for a new theater production inspired by the film “Climax.”

Heartefact is starting work on a new theater production, an authorial project by director Patrick Lazić and playwright Dunja Matić, inspired by the controversial film “Climax” by acclaimed director Gaspar Noé. The premiere of the play is planned for early December at the Heartefact House.

Heartefact initiated the launch of a new European theater network

A promotion event for the poetry collection “This Could Have Been Our Living Room” by Boban Stojanović was held at the Heartefact House.

A promotion event for the poetry collection “Ovo je mogla da bude naša dnevna soba”(This Could Have Been Our Living Room) by Boban Stojanović was held at the Heartefact House on the last day of Pride Week, on Friday, September 8th, just before Belgrade Pride. With this special event, Heartefact not only promoted the excellent poetry of Boban Stojanović, a long-time human rights activist and founder of the Belgrade Pride organization, but also expresses gratitude for his years of courage and perseverance in fighting for freedom for all of us.

“The Sworn Virgin” performed on the second day of Pride Week

The audience at DorćolPlatz had the opportunity to enjoy the performance of three brilliant actors who visually portrayed all aspects of the social phenomenon of women who, out of necessity for emancipation, choose to take on a male identity.

(Mis)fit opened the Theater Program of Pride Week

With the performance “(Mis)fit,” created as a collaborative project by actor and director Luka Mihovilović and actress and director Gea Gojak, produced by the Istrian National Theatre, the Heartefact theater program of Pride Week was ceremoniously opened on Monday, September 4th, at the Belgrade International Theater Festival (BITEF).

Hartefact’s Theater Program during Pride Week 2023

The theater program of Pride Week 2023, which will take place from September 4th to September 10th, brings relevant and exciting performances to the stage that explore diversity, identity, and social relationships. Heartefact, for the fifth consecutive year, is organizing this program, which includes plays produced by Heartefact and two regional theater productions that will be performed in Belgrade for the first time.

NEW CYCLE: Heartefact Emergency Call for Action: Kosovo-Serbia Visiting Program for Individuals and Organizations

Heartefact, a regional multi-disciplinary organization committed to fostering cooperation and dialogue between post-conflict societies in the Western Balkans, is excited to announce an open call for applications for individuals and organizations from Kosovo and Serbia to participate in the visiting program.

Open call for Art Boost Support Scheme

Heartefact Fond is announcing a new open call within Art Boost Support Scheme

Open call for submission of project proposals for realization of artistic and cultural project is open within the Culture for Democracy project

As part of the Culture for Democracy Project, the Heartefact Fund has open new call within support scheme Grants for Artistic Expressions for submission of the project proposals focused on realization of cultural and artistic projects.

The first seven researchers selected within the Kosovo-Serbia Fellowship Program

As part of the first cycle of the Kosovo-Serbia Fellowship Program, Heartefact has chosen seven researchers who will explore new and constructive narratives regarding Kosovo and Serbia, ranging from political issues to economy, business, culture, war-related legacies, and other relevant political and social areas.

Culture for Democracy Project: Supported Projects within the Call for Job Shadowing Training and Capacity Building for Cultural Organisations and Professionals

Heartefact Foundation announces the selected organizations and individuals in the field of culture and arts who have been awarded grants for job shadowing training and capacity building within the Culture for Democracy (CfD) project.

The 31st Belgrade Summer Festival (BELEF) was opened with the poetic performance by Heartefact

With the poetic performance titled “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow,” held at one of the most beautiful locations in Belgrade, Jevremovac Botanical Garden, the festival was officially opened.

Heartefact Emergency Call for Action: Kosovo-Serbia Visiting Program for Individuals and Organizations

Opening of the 31st Belgrade Summer Festival (BELEF) with Radmila Petrović and 10 Young Poets

On June 23rd of this year, in the Botanical Garden in Belgrade, the 31st BELEF festival will open with the poetry performance “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow.” Poet Radmila Petrović and 10 young poets will present their poetry in a new and unique way.