Project Description: The Dance Survivors project supported the local dance scene and artistic community, which is among the least visible in Serbia and has the fewest opportunities for professional work.
The project specifically focused on more vulnerable groups within the dance field: on one hand, very young artists, their dance education, new productions, and visibility in the public sphere; on the other hand, mature artists and the continuation of their artistic practice, their presence on stage, and broader questions of aging in dance. It also addressed LGBTI+ artists, their visibility in public space, and the social and activist dimensions of their work.
Within this framework, German queer artist Fanti Baum held a workshop as part of the educational program Puzzle #7 during the Kondenz Festival, focusing on feminist transformations of working methods in the arts, the position of queer communities, and the role of artists in social processes. During the Kondenz Festival, the youth group NEUT premiered “A Thousand and Second Night” at the Cultural Center of Belgrade, while the performance “The Desire to Create a Solid History Will End in Failure” was presented at Bitef Theatre. Two additional performances were included in the festival program: “Necropolis”, addressing migration from the Middle East by Arkadi Zaides, and “I Need a New Body” by Viktoria Ilioska (North Macedonia) and Nastya Dzhuban (Ukraine). Activist Adenike Olados from Nigeria participated in a discussion on decolonial processes in global food production held at the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, reaching a new audience and opening space for critical dialogue.
Through these programs, a large number of audience members and local cultural practitioners engaged with international artists and urgent social topics such as aging, migration, war, and social conflict. The approximately 3,000 festival visitors once again highlighted the urgent need for adequate dance infrastructure in Belgrade.
Grant amount: 2,922,000.00 RSD
