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

What: Five-day Master Class in Sound Design for theatre

Where: Heartefact House, Belgrade, Serbia

When: 15 to 19 March 2024

Opportunity after the master class: Job-Shadowing programme

Deadline for application: 13 March 2024

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.

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.

The five-day Master Class will take place in Belgrade, Serbia from 15 to 19 March 2024. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by Heartefact Fund.

Key elements that will be covered during the Master Class are:

Understanding sound (Understand the basics of sound waves, frequencies, and how they translate into audible sound; Learn about the impact of the physical environment on sound quality);

Equipment and Technology (Understand various types of microphones and their applications; Learn about mixing boards and digital audio workstations (DAWs); Familiarize with different speaker types and amplifier systems);

Sound design principles (Understand how to create a spatial experience through sound; Learn to balance different elements and use equalization effectively; Explore the use of sound effects to enhance the overall experience);

Live sound (Learn the intricacies of managing sound for live events; Understand how sound design collaborates with other elements in live productions);

Recordings and Editing (Practice capturing high-quality audio in different environments; Master audio editing software like Pro Tools, Audacity, or Adobe Audition)

About the lecturer:

The master class will be led by Alessandro Olla.

Alessandro Olla currently teaches electroacoustic music composition at the Music Conservatory of Cagliari and is undergoing his doctorate studies titled “Sound art in contemporary performance” at the “Universidad Politecnico” in Valencia.

Upon completion of the Master Class, one participant will be selected for an additional opportunity to spend a month on a job-shadowing program through which they will be provided with the possibility to test the knowledge and skills they gained during the master class through practical work with professionals in theatres in Serbia, Albania and Kosovo. We will be looking for a person who explicitly expressed interest in proceeding their career as theatre technicians, for whom it is believed that they can benefit the most from the participation in the job-shadowing program, and who can positively use the job-shadowing for the advancement of his/her/their career.

Who can apply: Theatre technicians, young professionals and students interested in sound design in theatre from Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania.

Application procedure: Candidates for the Master Class are invited to submit their applications (preferable, but not mandatory, in English) though this application form.

The deadline for submissions via the application form is 13 March 2024.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information about the Open Call, please contact our team at: [email protected]

About Heartefact: Heartefact is dedicated to fostering a creative, critical and responsible rethinking of emerging artistic, social and political issues and phenomena at national, regional and European levels. It is advocating new models of production, regional cooperation and alternative forms of education.

About Centar of Visual Arts Multimedia (Qendra Multimedia): Qendra Multimedia is a cultural organization based in Prishtina, Kosovo. Its main focus is in contemporary theatre and literature. Qendra was founded in 2002 by a group of young artists aiming to create an alternative form of art production to address political and social issues with clarity and imagination. Qendra produces and coproduces fresh and innovative theatre performances and other literature and cultural events, for local and international audiences. Artistic exchanges with international partners are crucial in the work of Qendra Multimedia.

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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.

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.