The first seven researchers selected within the Kosovo-Serbia Fellowship Program

News Fellowship Reconnection

As part of the first cycle of the Kosovo-Serbia Fellowship Program, Heartefact has chosen seven researchers who will explore new and constructive narratives regarding Kosovo and Serbia, ranging from political issues to economy, business, culture, war-related legacies, and other relevant political and social areas. During the three-month research period, participants will spend one month in either Belgrade or Pristina, depending on their place of residence. 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.

The selected candidates, consisting of young professionals at the beginning of their careers and experienced professionals in their fields, include four persons from Kosovo and three from Serbia:

STEFAN SURLIĆ (Belgrade), an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, plans to research how the Brussels Agreement and its Annex of the Ohrid Agreement influence the attitudes of five EU member states which do not recognize Kosovo’s independence nor its membership in international organizations. His research involves collecting and analyzing data from relevant documents, agreements reached, written articles, and non-paper documents related to the implementation of agreements between Kosovo and Serbia, with a specific focus on parts pertaining to Kosovo’s international representation. Stefan plans to interview representatives of the five ‘non-recognizers’ who have missions in Belgrade and Prishtina, and analyze changes in their attitudes toward Kosovo’s independence.

Keywords: Kosovo in international organizations, ’non-recognizers’, Brussels Agreement

NORA AHMETAJ (Prishtina), an experienced researcher and activist in the field of human rights, with a special focus on women’s rights and animal rights, plans to conduct a detailed investigation into the economic aspects of reconciliation and its reciprocal relationship with progress, specifically focusing the on business communities in Kosovo and Serbia. During her research, Nora will conduct around ten interviews with businessmen in Serbia and Kosovo. The research focuses on “economic reconciliation,” exploring the barriers that hinder economic development. Her goal is to highlight the crucial role that economic development plays in peacebuilding and vice versa, demonstrating how peacebuilding efforts can stimulate economic growth.

Keywords: economic reconciliation, economic development, business

NAĐA BOBIČIĆ (Belgrade), a Research Associate at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, who completed her PhD studies investigating feminism in Yugoslavia between 1975 and 1990, continues her research on this topic. Nađa will focus on shedding light on examples of collaboration among women in Kosovo and Serbia during two extreme historical periods: World War II and the Kosovo War of 1998-1999. Through a comparative analysis of archival printed media materials, her goal is to uncover narratives of resistance, collaboration, and anti-war initiatives that have been systematically erased and forgotten from the collective memory of both Serbian and Kosovo societies. To present the research findings, Nađa will also produce several podcast episodes.

Keywords: feminism, resistance movement, forgotten narratives

SERBEZE HAXHIAJ (Prishtina), a research journalist and editor at Radio Television Kosovo, aims to explore the experiences of Albanians and Serbs living in mixed villages such as Prilluzhë/Prilužje and Leshtar/Lještar, where interethnic relations were once harmonious. However, in Prilluzhë, animosities during and after the war led to the destruction of a bridge that connected the two sides of the village, preventing both communities from accessing their land. This resulted in the loss of livelihood for both Albanians and Serbs. The research’s objective is to emphasize the significance of coexistence and interethnic communication in establishing a shared present, collective future, and mutual respect.

Keywords: interethnic relations, coexistence, building the present

BENGI MUZBERG (Prizren), Deputy Director for Research and Programs at the Lumbardhi Foundation, a member of the preselection team at Dokufest, holds a PhD in Film Studies. Bengi plans to conduct a semiotic analysis of two films by Srđan Karanović, A Film with No Name from 1988 and Solemn Promise from 2009. The analysis will focus on film language, narratives, representation, and the ideology present in the films. The research methodology includes a comprehensive review of literature encompassing newspaper articles, film critiques, and published books. By employing this approach, Bengi aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the films’ meanings and their social implications. Bengi also plans to interview Srđan Karanović.

Keywords: film studies, Srđan Karanović, narrative representation in film

SRĐAN MILJEVIĆ (Belgrade), a writer from Belgrade and author of the book of short stories First Time for All of Us, brings over ten years of experience working in the civil sector. Srđan plans to collect love stories between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians that transcend borders, including queer couples. Through tête-à-tête interviews, Srđan will get to know the stories of selected couples, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. His plan is to transform these collected stories into artistic narratives and make them available to the public through social media, exhibitions, and discussions which promote a positive discourse on Serbian-Albanian relations.

Keywords: interethnic love, cross-border relationships, couples

TEVFIK RADA (Prizren), co-founder of the publishing house Pykë-Presje, is an experienced researcher who has published numerous articles and books. For this research, Tevfik has access to the personal archive of renowned Kosovo publicist Shkëlzen Maliqi. Tevfik aims to explore untold stories of how contemporary art played a crucial role in promoting critical and alternative narratives about the relationship between Kosovo and Serbia during the 1990s and early 2000s. Through archival research, exploration of published and unpublished materials, and through conducting interviews with key figures, Tevfik seeks to investigate alternative artistic practices which emerged amidst political conflicts, involving artists and cultural workers from Kosovo and Serbia working together.

Keywords: nineties, alternative artistic practices, cultural workers

This fellowship program is implemented within the project Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation and Social Engagement in the Western Balkans, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy.

There's more

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Heartefact Fund is looking for the Financial and Administrative Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development project in North Macedonia

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Financial and Administrative Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development project in North Macedonia. Funded by the Swiss Agency for the Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Culture for Development project will be managed by the Heartefact Fund and is launching in January 2025 with a four-year duration.

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

Heartefact Fund is looking for the Program Grant Officer to support the implementation of the Culture for Development Project in North Macedonia. Funded by the Swiss Agency for the Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Culture for Development Project will be managed by the Heartefact Fund and is set to launch in January 2025 with a four-year duration.

We Presented the Slavic Soundwalking Application to Senior Citizens

In Belgrade, we held an incredibly inspiring meeting with representatives of several civil sector organizations working with senior citizens and their quality of life.

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

From December 5 to 7, 2024, the Festivity of Otherness was held in Belgrade. After the Zagreb version of the festivity in November, when three performances created as part of the Eclectic of Otherness project co-financed by the European Union were shown on the theater stage of the Arterarij organization, Heartefact House hosted the Belgrade version of the festival.

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.

Open Call for theatrical technicians from Albania, Kosovo and Serbia to participate in five-day masterclass in Light design for theatre

CULTURE FOR DEMOCRACY PROJECT: NEW PUBLIC CALL FOR PROPOSALS OPEN

New call for financing cultural and artistic organisations and professionals is open for proposals submission within Culture for Democracy Project targeting programatic and organizational development of cultural organziations.

Project Culture for Democracy: Supported new projects under ArtBoost Grant line

Within the framework of the Culture for Democracy project, the Heartefact Foundation has supported three new organizations through the Art Boost Support grant line, with a total amount of 68.000 CHF.

Heartefact’s Queer Caravan began in Pirot and Niš

On Tuesday, the Heartefact Queer Caravan began at the National Theater in Pirot, during which Heartefact’s plays with queer and minority perspectives will be performed in around ten cities in Serbia. After Pirot, the next stop for the caravan was the National Theater in Niš, where Patrick Lazić’s play Our Son was also performed last night. After each performance, a discussion between the audience and actors is organized to further expand on this important topic. Through this Caravan, Heartefact aims to bring plays with queer themes to smaller towns and cities in Serbia where such content is traditionally less included in repertoires.

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

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.

At the Heartefact House, a staged reading of the winning text by Marija Rakočević, “The Woman Ties the Ponytail,” was held

Last night, the twelfth consecutive award ceremony for the Best Contemporary Engaged Full-Length Drama Text in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Macedonian, or Montenegrin was held at the Heartefact House.