HF Pride Theater Festival Ends

The production They Are All Gone, written by Doruntina Basha and directed by Andrej Nosov, was performed on 10 October as part of the 66th International Theatre Festival MESS in Sarajevo, one of the most prominent and longest-running international theatre festivals in this part of Europe. The cast includes Mirjana Karanović, Svetozar Cvetković, Alban Ukaj, and others.

Heartefact’s production How I Learned to Drive was presented in Naples this weekend as part of the first international edition of TXT Festival, held under the motto “The Pleasure of the Text.” The festival was founded by Pier Lorenzo Pisano, Italian writer, dramaturg and director, and Artistic Director at Teatro di Napoli – Teatro Nazionale.

For many independent cultural organizations in North Macedonia, this question comes after years of creating programmes, building audiences, and responding to the needs of their communities. As their activities expand, so do the demands behind the scenes: coordinating people, managing finances, defining responsibilities, documenting processes, and planning beyond the next project.

What remains of love as time passes? How much can we trust our own memories, and do we remember events as they really happened, or do we gradually turn them into our own version of the past? These are some of the questions explored in the multimedia performance Buried Wonders, which will be presented at Hartefact House on 7, 8 and 9 October at 8 PM.

As part of the Institutional Grant scheme and with the support of Helvetas, the Mentorship Program brought together six experts from the region and provided support to five local cultural organizations: Centre for Contemporary Arts (CAC), LOKOMOTIVA, TiiiT! Inc., KONTRAPUNKT, and Faculty of Things That Cannot Be Learned (FRU).

As part of the new generation of the Kosovo–Serbia Fellowship programme, Hartefakt has selected four participants who will explore new and constructive narratives in the region. This cycle focuses on topics such as economic cooperation, interethnic dialogue, reconciliation and the media.

From 11 to 13 September, Sarajevo hosted the second edition of the Sarajevo Theatre Showcase. This annual professional event offers theatre artists from Southeast Europe a unique opportunity to present their work to regional and European theatre professionals. The Showcase is organised by cultural organisations and theatres from five countries: Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR, Heartefact from Serbia, Teatar Ulysses from Croatia, Binario Vivo from Italy, Para Film&Theatre from Norway and Realstage from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A documentary festival that pulls the world toward a small town in western Serbia and the work of building an organisation strong enough to keep it there

Spanning four areas — Performing Arts; Research, Critical and Alternative Cultural Practices; Community and Public Space Cultural Practices; and Youth Empowerment and Inclusive Creative Production – the projects bring different artistic practices, communities and perspectives into the same conversation.

The conference brought together artists, cultural workers, and organisations from Serbia, Belgium, Portugal, the UK, Switzerland, Croatia, and Slovenia, creating space to share experiences and turn them into transferable knowledge.

The Rebirth of Forbidden Histories (RoFH) project began with a launching programme held in Belgrade, Serbia, from 1 to 4 September 2026, comprising a public event, accompanying activities and an internal partner meeting.

The regional Queer Art Showcase, where eight artists from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia presented work-in-progress projects they had been developing over the previous six months as part of the Queer Art Academy was held in Belgrade.

“The Woman Ties the Ponytail”, based on the dramatic text of the same title by Marija Rakočević, which was awarded at the 2023 Heartefact Competition for the Best Contemporary Full-Length Theatre Play in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Macedonian, or Montenegrin, premiered on 29 August at the Belgrade Drama Theatre.

This year’s programme brings together participants from Belgium, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Croatia and Slovenia, who will discuss with colleagues from Serbia questions shared by many independent cultural scenes: how to create and sustain cultural infrastructure where there is none, how to build relationships with communities that remain outside the dominant cultural system, and how artistic work can bring about change that extends beyond a single project.

For the third consecutive year, Heartefact organized a visit to DokuFest, the international documentary and short film festival in Prizren, which took place from August 8 to 11. This year’s group from Serbia consisted of young professionals and authors working in film directing, dramaturgy, journalism, and culture.

Following a successful theatre season during which Heartefact productions premiered or toured in New York, Milan, Brussels, Stockholm, and Skien, the summer at Heartefact House is marked by the beginning of a new artistic process. Rehearsals have started in Belgrade for a new original production by director Andrej Nosov, created in co-production with the Swedish theatre company SWEETS and Konträr.

Rather than staging resistance as spectacle, the piece asks who the “small people” behind the “big protests” really are, and how ordinary participation has shaped both individuals and society.

One of the biggest differences the organizations describe is having the opportunity to focus on themselves, not only on the next project. Several organizations also spoke about something less tangible but equally valuable: time.

As part of the Swiss-supported Culture for Democracy (CfD) project, Heartefact launched the Job Shadowing call 2026, aimed at strengthening the capacities of independent cultural organizations through knowledge exchange, practical learning and professional development.

As part of the third cycle of the Human Rights Leadership Program, running from 2024 to 2026, Heartefact has awarded nine new grants to organizations across Serbia working on the protection and promotion of human rights of marginalized and minority communities.

Less than a month after my visit, the places where I had watched films, attended theatre performances, exchanged ideas, and formed friendships – were damaged, destroyed, or no longer exist.

Instead of offering a standard training model, the programme supports cultural organizations in developing the capacities they identify as most important for their own future. The first completed grants show just how different, and how practical, those learning journeys can be.

The residency offers emerging playwrights from Central and Eastern Europe dedicated time and support to develop new dramatic works, while fostering artistic exchange and regional collaboration.

Andrej Nosov for the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts reflects on the potential of the arts to heal old wounds.

Heartefact House officially opened in June 2022 with the premiere of Our Son. After more than ten years of staging productions in various theatres and venues, Heartefact’s performances finally found a permanent home on their own chamber stage in an apartment at 7 Bulevar despota Stefana.

The Alliance will be hosting a free webinar to explore: key findings from our four-month research process into the practices, business models, trends and emerging futures of socially engaged arts organisations; recommendations for policymakers and funders across Europe; case studies of change catalysed by socially engaged arts organisations from across the Council of Europe; insights from guest speakers; and an opportunity to join the discussion via a Q&A.

Participants from all three generations of the Human Rights Leadership Program gathered in Belgrade on 8 and 9 June for the annual alumni meeting dedicated to exchanging experiences, strengthening connections, and discussing issues that shape their professional and activist engagement.

The call is intended for final-year students and young professionals interested in documentary film, contemporary art and culture, media, socially engaged practices, cultural production, and regional cooperation and exchange initiatives.

Bringing the performance to the Western Balkans carried particular significance. In a region where queer and trans communities continue to face exclusion and limited visibility, No Apologies! offered a space where these experiences were not explained or defended but lived and shared.

Hamam Internacionala – Under the Domes is a transnational artistic project that traces this lost geography of togetherness: from Debar, Skopje, and Tetovo, through Prizren, Peć, and Pristina, to Mostar, Stolac, Sarajevo, Vranje, Niš, Novi Pazar, and Belgrade.

Following a highly competitive open call and selection process earlier this year, Fatbardha Zyberi and Ardit Dragusha have been selected to develop their original dramatic texts through the programme.

This June 9, Heartefact and Atelje 212 present No Apologies! in Belgrade, bringing the internationally acclaimed performance by Emma Frankland to local audiences. The Belgrade presentation will take place within the programme of Mucijevi dani, adding a contemporary performance work to this year’s festival programme.

This June, Heartefact brings No Apologies! to Skopje, presenting the internationally acclaimed performance by Emma Frankland as part of the No Apologies! Balkan tour.

The residency will take place in September 2026 and will culminate in a presentation of short works during the international Divadelní festival Kutná Hora (Kutná Hora Performing Arts Festival).

Job shadowing aims to build capacities of cultural and artistic professionals in Serbia by providing grants for on-the-job training and learning from practice. This scheme is open to all cultural and artistic sectors, approaches, and work modalities.

Over the course of four days, journalists from Serbia had the opportunity to get to know Kosovo’s media landscape, speak with colleagues from different media, and gain broader insight into the social and political context in which media in Kosovo operate.

This June, Heartefact brings No Apologies! to Prishtina, presenting the internationally acclaimed performance by Emma Frankland at Termokiss on June 3.

At its centre is a direct and uncompromising focus on identity through queer and trans experience. The piece uses Nirvana’s 1993 MTV Unplugged concert as a starting point, not as nostalgia but as material to be broken apart and reassembled into something immediate.

Following the Culture for Development Forum held on 13–14 May, the dialogue on the future of independent culture continued in Skopje with the South-East Satellite BEYOND conference.

For two days, on May 13 and 14, Skopje became a meeting point for artists, cultural workers, activists, and international cultural networks from North Macedonia, the region, and across Europe through the Culture for Development Forum, organized by Heartefact in collaboration with Clubture, Kooperativa, A25 Cultural Foundation, and Euradia.

The supported initiatives focus on improving the conditions for independent cultural work by addressing issues such as access to cultural infrastructure, funding frameworks, and inclusive cultural spaces.

Heartefact performed How I Learned to Drive on Saturday, May 9, 2026, as part of the International Small Scenes Festival in Rijeka, where the production won awards in five categories: Best Director (Tara Manić), Best Actor (Svetozar Cvetković), Best Young Actress (Marta Bogosavljević), Best Overall Performance, and the Audience Award.

Heartefact House presented “They are All Gone” in Norway for the first time as part of the two-day international Ibsen Scope festival in Skien, Henrik Ibsen’s hometown. On May 7, audiences followed Sadika’s story in two performances, a tale of memory, forgetting, loss, and hope.

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 spring, Skopje will host a vital gathering through the Culture for Development Forum and BEYOND: South-East Satellite, organized by Heartefactand the leading European cultural network, Culture Action Europe (CAE).

On April 1, the new generation of participants in the Kosovo–Serbia Fellowship Program within the broader Reconnection program gathered in Priština for a kick-off event.

Over the course of four days, journalists from Kosovo met with colleagues from various Serbian media outlets, ranging from established newsrooms to independent platforms.

“I directed this text through my own dilemmas and experiences, and through reconsidering my position as someone who has sometimes enabled forms of violence I witnessed.”

Hartefakt once again had the opportunity to present itself to the Italian audience within the Triennale di Milano, performing the play How I Learned to Drive in four showings: March 28 at 6 PM and 9 PM, and March 29 at 6 PM and 9 PM.

As part of the new generation of the Kosovo-Serbia Fellowship Program, Heartefact has selected five fellows who will explore new and constructive narratives in the region. This cycle focuses on topics such as women’s rights, transitional justice, media narratives, social movements, and mental health.

Skopje is set to become a vibrant hub for culture dialogue this spring.

Playground for Emerging Playwrights is a mentorship-driven development program dedicated to supporting talented Albanian-language playwrights from Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania.

In February, young people from across the region have had the opportunity to take part in study visits to Podgorica, Belgrade, and Tirana through the regional program VIBE – Connecting Young People.

The play “Quiet Hours from Two to Six”, an authorial project by Tara Mitrović and Sofija Dimitrijević, premiered on March 5 at Heartefact House.

Within the second call of the Kultura za demokratiju – Culture for Democracy (CfD) project, 18 projects have been selected to receive support through this grant line, with a total value of 195,000 euros (23,000,000 dinars).

The Culture for Development project is launching the Boost Grants Scheme Call for project proposals to support cultural and artistic civil society organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Heartefact invites emerging queer artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia to apply for the regional program Queer Art Academy.

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.

Our young director Tara Mitrović is currently in London, where she is taking part in a seven-day residency exploring a new original work she developed in collaboration with dramaturg and writer Sofija Dimitrijević.

On 18–19 December 2025, cultural workers from the independent scene in North Macedonia gathered in Veles for an intensive two-day Audience Development Workshop. 

From December 11 to 15, 2025, Heartefact, in partnership with the Slovenian 8th of March Institute, organized a seminar within the Human Rights Leadership Program. The goal of the seminar was to empower 22 activists from different parts of Serbia, selected through a public call to participate in this one-year program.

As part of the Culture for Democracy (CfD) project, Heartefact announces a call aimed at encouraging and supporting the artistic production of young and/or emerging artists in Serbia by enabling them to develop and publicly present their first independent or early artistic productions, initiatives, and/or works.

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.

From 3rd-6th of December 2025, Heartefact organized the Kosovo–Serbia Visiting Program, held in Pristina, Kosovo. The program brought together participants from Serbia – psychologists, psychotherapists, artists, political science students, and activists – for a four-day visit focused on regional cooperation in the context of women’s rights, minority rights, and transitional justice.

After its Belgrade premiere in May this year at the Heartefact House and its Sarajevo premiere in November at the Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR, the play “They Are All Gone”, written by Doruntina Basha and directed by Andrej Nosov, had its New York premiere from December 4 to 7, 2025 — with as many as five performances.

Heartefact invites cultural workers from the independent scene from North Macedonia to apply for a two-day workshop focused on practical audience development skills. This activity is supported by the Culture for Development project of the Government of Switzerland and is implemented by Heartefact Fund.

On Thursday, November 27, the play “Art&Money” premiered at Heartefact House in Belgrade. Written and directed by Swedish artist Freja Hallberg, and performed by actresses Vanja Ejdus and Milica Stefanović, the play tells the story of an impossible love affair between art and capital—of loneliness and the quiet cruelty of needing something you cannot live with.

On Thursday, November 27, at Heartefact House in Belgrade, the play “Art&Money” will have its premiere. Written and directed by Swedish artist Freja Hallberg, the play features actresses Vanja Ejdus and Milica Stefanović. It tells the story of an impossible love affair between art and capital – a performance about loneliness and the quiet cruelty of needing something you cannot live with.

As Heartefact enters a new phase of development and digital transformation, we are seeking a person who will help us connect diverse layers into a coherent, living communication system that supports our work and community across the region.

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Financial and Administrative Grant Assistant to support the implementation of the Culture for Development project in North Macedonia. The project is supported the Government of Switzerland and is implemented by Heartefact Fund from the end of 2024 to the end of 2028.

Following its Belgrade premiere in May this year, the Sarajevo premiere of the play “They Are All Gone” by Doruntina Basha, directed by Andrej Nosov, was held on November 11 at the Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR. The production is part of the official program marking the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, through which SARTR and its partner organizations highlight the importance of remembrance culture and artistic testimony. Additional performances are scheduled for November 12 and 13.

The Playground workshop for the development of a dramatic text was held in Belgrade, at Heartefact House, from November 3 to November 9, 2025. The workshop was led by actress and professor of acting Marija Milenković, with director Patrik Lazić accompanying and facilitating the process. The workshop focused on developing the new play by Italian playwright Francesca Garolla.

The Playground workshop for the development of a new play was held in Belgrade, at Heartefact House, from October 27 to November 2, 2025. The workshop was led by theatre director and author Patrik Lazić, and it focused on the development of a play-in-progress by the young Hungarian-Romanian playwright Mark Oltean.

Heartefact invites young, ambitious, and curious individuals to apply for a 3–6 month paid internship within our Institute team – a space where knowledge, research, and regional cooperation come together to shape new ways of understanding the world we live in.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.