By Katarina Nikolić and Željko Hubač
PETAR is a young man with a troubled past. He tells the story about his family, his difficult years and about his dream for the future.
According to data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, within a period of four years and average of 11 050 minors were convicted for crimes (annually), while the number of criminal charges was around 15 000. Within this population some 3,1% were girls.
PETAR COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
PRODUCER & PROJECT MANAGER Milorad Jovanovic
WRITTEN BY Katarina Nikolić
DIRECTOR & SET DESIGNER Ana Grigorović
RESEARCHER/PSYCHOLOGIST Snežana Vojčić
PETAR THEATRE PERFORMANCE
CAST Mladen Sovilj
DIRECTOR & SET DESIGNER Ana Grigorović
PHOTOGRAPHY Jelena Janković
GRAPHIC DESIGN Jovan Tarbuk
PRODUCER & PROJECT MANAGER Milorad Jovanovic
RESEARCHER/PSYCHOLOGIST Snežana Vojčić
PREMIERE 1st and 2nd of November, Bitef Theatre, Belgrade
PETAR GUEST TOUR
CAST Mladen Sovilj
DIRECTOR & SET DESIGNER Ana Grigorović
PHOTOGRAPHY Jelena Janković
GRAPHIC DESIGN Jovan Tarbuk
PRODUCER & PROJECT MANAGER Milorad Jovanovic
RESEARCHER /PSYCHOLOGIST Snežana Vojčić
TRANSLATION FROM SERBIAN TO SWEDISH Vesna Stanisic
One passion, two countries and hundreds of stories. About partnership of Sharikompaniet (Sweden) and Society for Animation and Children’s Drama Creativity (Serbia).
Several years ago we got to know each other when working in another project. As we kept in touch we gradually discovered our common passion; how to encourage and strengthen youth through arts and theatre, making these artistic instruments accessible for a young audience.
However, our tasks seldom touch upon the sole process of just producing or writing a play or film. Merely we occupy our creative processes with constant challenges of ethical responsibility. How to treat documentary material? What is essential when it comes to the portrayal of young people coming from troubled backgrounds tell us in film, theatre and television? How do we avoid prejudices and doing it the mainstream way? Curious and eager to listen to these young, brave and talented people that participate in our productions, we approach an anthropological perspective. We hope that this among other factors, helps us to reject to paint in black/white and challenges us with something dynamic and complex.
No social injustices or problems in the world could be resolved with a theatre performance. However, we hope our work might motivate new thoughts, reflections and perhaps alter the dimension of our personal looking glasses.
More than a year ago, ideas were discussed and elaborated in two countries and now PETAR is to follow from FELICIA, introducing us to two widely different social contexts and lives. Both of them, though, move us towards art as the essential space for fighting stigma and let emerging social issues be spoken out about.
Shari Sabel Strandmark, director Sharikompaniet (Sweden) director, producer and creator of story for FELICIA.
Milorad Jovanovic, director Society for Animation and Children’s Drama Creativity (Serbien) and producer for PETAR.