Second Sarajevo Theatre Showcase: Seven productions from the region presented to the European theatre community

Sarajevo Theatre Showcase HF drama New Theatre Market News

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.

Over the course of three days, seven productions from the region were presented to more than 200 regional and international guests, including producers, directors, theatre managers, festival curators, programmers and dramaturgs. Heartefact’s production They Are All Gone, directed by Andrej Nosov, opened the Showcase, followed by performances by Slovensko mladinsko gledališče, Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR, as well as independent theatre companies including Četveroruka from Croatia, Anton Podbevšek from Slovenia, Moje pozorište from Sarajevo and Maska Ljubljana.

“This Showcase is very important to me, and this is already my second time taking part. The past three days have provided a unique and rare opportunity to meet and connect with colleagues from the region and abroad. The Showcase is also important because it allows us to understand where our work stands within an international context,” said director Tara Manić, whose production Fatal Outcome af Athletic Injuries, based on the award-winning novel by Milica Vučković, was performed on the final day of the festival.

Alongside some of the most interesting regional theatre productions created over the past year, the Showcase also presented new plays by emerging playwrights. The texts were developed through the Atelier for Playwrights over several months of mentorship with local and international experts, including Ivor Martinić, Bernard Študlar and Biljana Srbljanović. “Over the past six months, I worked on developing my new play, ‘Cows’, with a mentor from Austria, and I was delighted that the text was selected as one of the most successful and presented to audiences in Sarajevo through a public reading,” said Mateja Kardelis, a young playwright from Novi Sad.

The diverse program of the second Showcase also included panels with international experts, workshops for emerging directors, critics and producers from the region, as well as the Industry Pitch program, which enabled artists to present projects currently in development to potential producers, partners and donors. Among the selected artists were actor Đorđe Živadinović Grgur and director Ana Grigorović from Serbia, who presented the immersive opera Pajaci, which they are currently developing: “Through our presentation in Sarajevo, we wanted to create opportunities for additional performances in Belgrade, across the region and beyond. We hope we have succeeded.”

With the aim of taking place every year during the second week of September, Sarajevo Theatre Showcase is becoming an important meeting point and platform for positioning artists from Southeast Europe within the broader European context. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe programme.

More information: https://sts.ba/

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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.