Four inclusive performances created within the Universal Art Design project, in which Kulturanova is a partner, are arriving in Novi Sad and Belgrade.
These performances were preceded by a camp in Poland and a workshop in Serbia, after which our participants, through artistic residencies and work with mentors, created four distinct works.
TACTILE HERO
Since Tactile Hero is both an installation and an educational tool, we wanted to make it accessible to as many users as possible and explore the various situations in which it can serve a purpose, as well as who can actually use it.
We Are All Heroes is a performance that demonstrates that creating an event has no limits when people are involved. Anyone—people without disabilities, people with certain difficulties, and people with disabilities—can create or participate in an event under these conditions.
Accordingly, we are organizing a performance without restrictions, using Tactile Hero and specially composed pieces of music. The interactive performance consists of two parts: a performative segment in which each visitor can take part in playing the composition on the installation, and a visual segment that synesthetically merges sound and color. During the performance, participants will be able to leave imprints on paper, creating a visual representation of what they hear.
Authors:
Konstantinos Petrović – visual artist, creator of the installation
Teodora Jonuzović – stage designer
Jovan Raonić – music producer, composer
Premiere: Novi Sad, 6 November (SKUP)
AFTER AFTER
The performance AFTER AFTER was created from the need to address a topic that is rarely discussed, even though it is a fundamental part of all our lives—men’s mental health. Popular psychology largely targets women, while the limited content aimed at men is often infused with misogyny or misandry.
In recent years, this topic has been brought into focus through various marketing campaigns, yet often in a language that is calculated, manufactured, and sensationalistic. An authentic and straightforward story about men’s mental health is an important step toward gender equality in the community.
Through AFTER AFTER, we explore what comes after silence, after trauma, after life—within an atmosphere reminiscent of an afterparty, where different memories and topics unravel. The theme of suicide appears throughout the performance, and it is important to note this in case it may be distressing for some viewers. The initial spark for the project was the fact that in 2021, there were around 47,000 suicides in the EU—10.2 per 100,000 inhabitants—with men accounting for 76.7% of the cases. AFTER AFTER aims to break a multigenerational taboo.
The performance is translated into sign language.
Authors:
Text, direction, music, performance – Tanasije Ćakić
Co-production, costume, makeup – Nikola Kljajić
Set design – Teodora Jonuzović, Konstantinos Petrović
Video direction – Srđan Kner
Camera – Marko Gigić
Sound recording and design – Asja Suvajdžić
Sign language translation – Nina Baranovski
Premiere: Novi Sad, 12 November (SKUP)
First performance: Belgrade, Teatar Vuk, 14 November
THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE
The first part of the project focused on getting to know each other through embroidery workshops, in which we explored letter symbols used in communication among Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Seven sessions were planned at the OGNS premises (Svetozara Miletića 18). These meetings were also used to discuss the theme of the performance, drawing initial inspiration from the embroidery process and from topics relevant to the vulnerable group we worked with, with an emphasis on overcoming obstacles.
In the second phase, the participants who showed the most interest continued with mime classes, meeting once or twice per week until the content of the performance became clear. The production of the performance is a direct result of working with a vulnerable group and involving them actively in the creative process. The workshops provided space for socializing and exchange, and at the same time served as inspiration and material for the pantomime performance Through the Eye of a Needle.
Authors:
Milica Dukić – visual artist
Aleksandar Milković – actor
Danica Dunić – OGNS staff member
List of participants in the contemporary embroidery workshops:
Božica Čobanov, Vlada Poznić, Nada Ilić, Nebojša Kastratović, Jovan Ćato, Nataša Vujanov, Kristijan Krnač, Katarina Krnač, Katarina Jerković, Vladimir Jovanović, Marija Kovačević, Tatjana Radvanj Papđurdes, Branislav Medaković, Bojana Vuković, Nebojša Čokorilo, Maja Jović, Sandra Divljan, Milka Perišić, Brigita Ćiraković, Željka Krestić, Hvzi Milovan, Hvzi Danilo, Hvzi Alisja, Goran Petrašinović, Bojana Arambašić, Brankica Bedov
Premiere: Novi Sad, 29 November (SKUP)
INTERWEAVING
The performance Interweaving is an inclusive multimedia dance piece performed by an artist with a physical disability and her partner without a disability. Through contemporary movement, physical theatre, and sound, the piece explores the intimate dynamics of a partnership from the perspective of different bodies—physically, emotionally, and socially.
The performance will be presented in an inclusive format (with tactile and auditory elements), in a space adapted for people with different sensory and physical needs. The project is being developed in Novi Sad, in dialogue with the audience and the community. Its aim is to raise awareness of the diversity of bodies and loves, and to offer a different understanding of closeness, interdependence, and vulnerability.
On stage, the artist’s body is not “represented,” but present—building the performance’s language equally and actively. We include elements of universal design (tactile introduction, audio description, spatial accessibility), and the artistic process is based on equal contribution from both performers, without hierarchy.
Performers: Tanja Đurić and Novak Josić
Direction and choreography: Tatjana Grujić and Aleksandra Pejić
Premiere: Novi Sad, 27 November (SKUP)
