Serbian journalists visit Pristina: exchange and strengthening of regional cooperation

News News Reconnection

Following the March visit of journalists from Kosovo to Belgrade, a return visit to Prishtina was organized at the end of May as part of the Reconnection Kosovo–Serbia Visiting Program organized by Heartefact. 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.

During the visit, participants from Serbia met with representatives of various media outlets, organizations, and cultural initiatives in Kosovo. Visits to the newsrooms of Teve1, Kosovo 2.0, Klan Kosova, KTV/KOHA, and Dukagjini/Kosovapress provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges of journalism, editorial policies, and the media landscape in Kosovo. In addition, the journalists had the opportunity to speak with media professionals such as Fitim Gashi, journalist and Executive Director of Sbunker, Serbeze Haxhiaj, journalist, Kosovë Gjoci, Euronews correspondent from Kosovo, and Isak Vorgučić, journalist and director of KiM Radio.

During the program, a joint meeting was organized with journalists who had previously participated in the visit to Belgrade, further strengthening professional connections and opening space for future cooperation and exchange between media professionals from Serbia and Kosovo.

The program also included visits to organizations and spaces dedicated to memory culture and dealing with the past, including the Children of War Museum, Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR), Reporting House, and Kino Armata. Participants also visited Gračanica in order to gain broader insight into the social and political context of Kosovo.

The visit brought together journalists from media outlets such as portal Nova.rs, Nedeljnik, and Danas, as well as a freelance journalists and a political science students

This program was implemented within the project “Fostering Cross-border Dialogue and Civic Engagement,” carried out by Heartefact with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

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Serbian journalists visit Pristina: exchange and strengthening of regional cooperation

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.

South-East Satellite BEYOND Brings Europe and the Western Balkans Together in Skopje

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.

European and Regional Cultural Actors Gathered in Skopje

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.

A Triumph for Heartefact in Rijeka

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.

Norwegian Premiere of “They are All Gone” at the International Ibsen Scope Festival

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The launch of the Queer Art Academy program in Belgrade

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Dialogue and Exchange: Building a shared foundation for a stronger voice of the Independent cultural scene

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Building Bridges Through Media: The Kosovo-Serbia Visiting Program

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Heartefact Returns to the Milan Triennale – “How I Learned to Drive” on Stage for Italian Audiences

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Introducing the New Cohort: Five Kosovo-Serbia Research Fellows Selected

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Open Call for Playwrights: Playground for Emerging Playwrights – Kosovo

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CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS: GRANTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

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Director Tara Mitrović at the Playground Residency in London

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.

Audience Development Workshop was held in Veles

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Human Rights Leadership Program Seminar Was Held

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Call for Project Proposals: Grants for the Implementation of Artistic Projects by Young and/or Emerging Artists (My First Time)

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Heartefact’s Kosovo-Serbia Visiting Program in Pristina from December 3 to 6

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Heartefact’s Play “They Are All Gone” Directed by Andrej Nosov Premieres in New York

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OPEN CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS: Audience Development Workshop

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.

Premiere of the play “Art&Money” at Heartefact House

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Premiere of the play “Art&Money” by Swedish director Freja Hallberg at Heartefact House

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We are looking for the Regional Communication Lead!

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!

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.

Sarajevo Premiere of the Play “They Are All Gone” Held at SARTR

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Open Call: Internship at Heartefact Institute

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

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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

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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

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

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Students from Serbia visited the Short Theatre Festival in Rome within the European project Fabulamundi – New Voices

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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

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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

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Exploring and developing contemporary drama through process: Doughnuts by Jelena Krdžavac in the spotlight of the Playground workshop

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Culture for Democracy: Supported Projects within the Call for Cultural and Artistic Project Implementation in Serbia

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Artistic Residency and Public Presentation of Gaelle Axelbrun’s Play Held as Part of the Playground Project

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Residency of French Author Gaelle Axelbrun in Belgrade as Part of the Playground Project

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First Seminar for Youth from Serbia Held as Part of the Regional VIBE Program

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

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

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

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

Jana Milivojević at the residency in France as part of the Playground project

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

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Nađa Mišković at the residency in Romania as part of the Playground project

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

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

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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.