No Apologies! in Belgrade: Heartefact and Atelje 212 present a performance about memory, music and queer histories

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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.

The presentation is part of the No Apologies! Balkan tour, initiated and organised by Heartefact as an independent cultural organisation and producer of socially engaged theatre supporting LGBTQ+ communities. Conceived as a platform for dialogue, exchange and connection across the region, the tour creates space for encounters between artistic practice, communities and contemporary social questions.

Created and performed by Emma Frankland, No Apologies! brings together theatre, live music and autobiographical performance, using cultural memory as a starting point for exploring identity, belonging and visibility. Drawing inspiration from Nirvana’s iconic 1993 MTV Unplugged concert, the performance reimagines this cultural reference through the speculative question: What if Kurt Cobain had been a trans woman?

From this starting point, No Apologies! opens reflections on memory, representation and the figures we grow up with — or without. At its centre is a queer perspective and lived trans experience, reflecting on visibility, belonging and the absence of cultural references and histories through which queer and trans people recognise themselves. Rather than looking back with nostalgia, the work imagines alternative narratives and asks what happens when new histories are created in the spaces left empty.

Alongside the performance, Heartefact develops a community programme in collaboration with the Collective Wave TIGV, Da Se Zna! and Labris. At its centre is No History, No Apologies, a workshop led by Emma Frankland dedicated to alternative archives, missing references and collective memory, taking place in the symbolic context of 25 years since the first Pride in Serbia.

Tickets are available through the Atelje 212 website and at the box office at the theatre.

A Heartefact guest performance of Emma Frankland, produced by Marlborough Productions, supported by the British Council, in partnership with the Atelje 212 theatre.

No Apologies is commissioned by Marlborough Productions. Supported by Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, The Old Electric, Northumbria University and Arts Council England. No Apologies – The Balkans is supported by the Art in Action programme of the British Council, which aims to build connections between the Western Balkans and the UK through creative and cultural cooperation.

Photo: The Schmidt Photography

Photo: Giulia Ferrando (Performing Arts Photography)

Photo: The Schmidt Photography

Photo: Matte Crockett

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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.