PSR Pokretnica 2021

The Performance Situation Room in Novi Sad 2021 was implemented through the Pokretnica festival of contemporary dance and performance, between 21st August and 2nd September.

The program comprised showings of local productions: in part, the projects developed during 2020, in and around Bunar žena (Wishing (women) well(s)) – a frame created by Pokretnica collective and designed to explore wishes, creation, production, cooperation and support on the local performing arts scene. The audience had the opportunity to see and participate in „Pause“, a sound walk by Dunja Crnjanski, „Octopus 5/ from floating to growing roots“, a performance by Jelena Alempijević with live music by The Howlite, and performed by Jana Milenković, Jovana Stojić, with Miloš Janjić creating the visuals; performance „Compost“, by Željka Jakovljević and Frosina Dimovska, developed with and performed by Pokretnica collective, together with poet Vitomirka Trebovac and dramaturge Mina Petrić. Compost brochure, containing the texts created during the work process, was distributed to the audience. 

The „Letter to Failed Institutions“, a live reading and discussion by Nina Gojić (Zagreb) and Dunja Crnjanski, was a continuation of their cooperation carried out last year in Wishing (women) well(s) through „Letters from far proximity“.

The program included showings of works by Per.Art created this year within the “Art and Inclusion” program, from artists with and without learning disabilities: „Dance in the 21st Century“, a performance by Natalija Vladisavljević, a choreographer and performer with Down syndrome, together with Saša Asentić, Alexandre Achour (Berlin), Olivera Kovačević Crnjanski and artists from Per.Art and Pokretnica collective; „Something very special“, a lecture performance by Dalibor Šandor, an artist with learning difficulties, developed in cooperation with dramaturge Marcel Bugiel.

The program also included the performance for children „Under the half of a drop“, by Jovana Rakić and Marko Milić (performed by Rakić, Jana Milenković, and Milena Todorović), as well as two workshops – a workshop on the critical practice of writing about dance, led by Nina Gojić, and a workshop on acrobatic tools for dancers, led by Nemanja Jovanović.

The programs were presented in different cultural spaces in the city – Gallery of Matica srpska, Újvidéki Színház, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina and Children’s Cultural Centre of Novi Sad.

 The Performance Situation Room in Novi Sad/Pokretnica 2021 was organized by Practicable – platform for contemporary art and culture and supported by the LLB program (through cooperation with NDA Slovenia), Serbian Ministry of culture and information, and the City of Novi Sad.

Selection of thoughts and feedback on Pokretnica 2021:

Dalibor Šandor, member of inclusive artistic group Per.Art, a revolutionary artist, in a way

The last edition of Pokretnica was interesting and surprising (for example, I wasn't expecting that, as an audience member, I would also participate in small interesting tasks during one of the performances I saw), pleasant (when we, the audience, were offered tea and cookies during one event), and also I felt quite honored to take part in the festival as a spectator, and even more so, as a performer. 
My performing experience was quite positive since I had had an opportunity to cooperate with dear colleagues and friends from Pokretnica collective. I would like to thank Frosina in particular, who was there to practice with me and help me prepare for my performance. She was somehow a kind of great support.

Aleksandra Marković, theatre pedagogue

Every move in Pokretnica is not just a move, it’s a personal and social experiment of getting to know yourself more and deeper. Every 'hi', 'how are you', 'how are you feeling today’, it’s not just an every day floskule that you’d get from your neighbor, it’s an expression of true compassion and care and it makes you think 'how can I help', and every encounter in Pokretnica is not coincidental, but it is right there in the moment, it is beautiful, it’s natural, it makes you remember that we all matter and it gives you comfort that there is a small but huge-hearted group of women artists that you can run into and give yourself and your world a small but big-hearted hug.

Andreja Kargačin, artist

Pokretnica contemporary dance and performance festival is an important part of the Novi Sad dance scene for years. It is a festival that gives us the opportunity to see many brave and innovative events, created with the idea of togetherness and mutual support of the curators of the festival. I have had the pleasure to see the performance Dance in the 21st Century by Natalija Vladisavljević and Per.Art dance and theatre group, dance event Compost, performed in the Gallery of Matica srpska, and to participate in a marvelous workshop on the critical practice of writing about dance by Nina Gojić. 

Silvija Stojić, journalist

I applied for the workshop on the critical practice of writing about dance quite accidentally, and I never regretted it. The workshop was very creative, it brought me back to art and reminded me that non-commercial art is so important and that it still exists. Perhaps talking about this kind of art and questioning whether it’s for everyone or not was the thing that has made the strongest impression on me, because we are living in very commercial times. The most beautiful and important bit was certainly meeting amazing creative young people, some of which I continued cooperating with even after the workshop.

I hope that Pokretnica will continue with its activities because events like this one are necessary, not only to audiences eager to see this kind of content, but also to young people who are looking for space to express themselves, and to connect to other creatives, hungry for true art. 

Anna Javoran, dancer and choreographer 

When I think of Pokretnica festival, I remember watching great works and ideas but mostly, what left a feeling full of hope and warmth was the optimism and fight that the organizers showed. They did so much more than putting on a great program- for me, they represent an important initiative in Novi Sad and the Serbian dance scene by building a possible platform for young artists to develop not only their practical- but also their viewing- and discursive skills, and next to that they are attracting more and more people out of the world of dance, demystifying this art form and making it more approachable. 

Olivera Kovačević Crnjanski, choreographer and cultural worker

I have been following the work of Pokretnica collective for several years, and it’s quite obvious how the program organically changes and develops in relation to the needs and interests of the collective, but also in relation to the interests and events on the local and regional dance scene, as well as those of the (already profiled) audience.
In 2021, as well as in the years before, we have had the opportunity to encounter different practices of the local and regional artists, as well as new cooperations and performance formats developed by the members of Pokretnica collective, together with artists from Serbia and from the region, between two editions of the festival.
One of the most important features is the space the festival offers to present the inclusive artistic practice of artists with and without disability from Novi Sad.

Pokretnica is the only Festival of contemporary dance and performance in Novi Sad and in the region of Vojvodina that presents the works of local artists, and it is unique in the sense that it addresses a new audience – partly young artists interested in the field of the contemporary performing arts, but also people without previous experience in dance. It is interesting to hear their impressions and feedback after every edition of Pokretnica, which are always positive and show that there is good communication with the audience during and after the festival. Many of those young people stay in touch with the members of Pokretnica collective, eager to get involved in their future work in some way.

What I value the most are certainly the principles of work and work ethics promoted by Pokretnica: solidarity, tolerance, respect for diversity, patience, curiosity, inclusion, and dedication to creating in and through dance.

Gallery pics © NDA Slovenia