“Kulturuz” is the local name for d@rts in Serbia—both a playful twist on words and a meaningful acronym.
Inspired by “kukuruz,” the Serbian word for corn and one of the main crops in the region of Srem, the name fuses “kultura” (culture) and “kukuruz” into a single expression that speaks to both tradition and creativity. It also stands for Kultura u Ruralnim Zajednicama (Culture in Rural Communities), reflecting our mission to reignite cultural life in places where it has faded. We chose a locally rooted name to make the project more accessible and relevant to communities where English isn’t widely spoken.
The community in which we are working is comprised of several interconnected villages in the Srem region, ranging in population from 30 to 2,000 inhabitants, as well as two nearby towns—all situated near the beautiful Fruška Gora National Park. In the era of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, even the smallest villages, like Bešenovo (population 800), had vibrant cultural centres hosting touring theatre troupes, concerts, discos, national competitions and youth programmes. Today, those once-thriving hubs are mostly derelict, and only the older generation remembers their former glory.
Kulturuz (d@rts in Serbia) offers free acting and drama workshops for all age groups, developed by Kulturanova in collaboration with Balkan Producing House at the Balkan Retreat—a small creative homestead located in the tiniest village in the area, “Bešenovački Prnjavor.”
Our open days on May 25th and 26th were a powerful start: more than 35 participants, mostly young people, came to the former village primary school to join the workshops. One neighbour remarked that the village hadn’t seen so many young people in over 50 years.
Since then, we’ve held weekly workshops for three groups: children, teenagers, and adults.
Uroš Mladenović (D.A. in Dramatic and Audiovisual Arts) and I lead the children and youth sessions, while Tim Zweye (actor, director, and founder of Balkan Producing House and Retreat) leads the adult group—soon to be joined by another artist specialising in applied theatre.
Each group explores acting and storytelling in their own way. The adult participants are diving into themes of modern relationships through heightened realism, new writing, and experimentation with film. Meanwhile, children and teens are developing a detective-themed youth play, along with exploring the Japanese Komishibai storytelling tradition.
What’s perhaps most moving is the transformation we’ve witnessed. Participants who arrived hesitant or shy have grown confident, expressive, and collaborative. They’ve surprised themselves—and us—with their hidden talents and openness. Workshops often spill into long conversations with food and drink at the Balkan Retreat, fostering a renewed sense of community and connection.
We’ve just completed phase one of the project at the end of July. Phase two will kick off in September and run through the autumn.