As a partner of Art Trema Fest in Ruma, Serbia, SPAM Studios, through the InterAction project, successfully carried out an acting workshop and a critics’ program as part of the 29th edition of the festival. The main idea of the project was to foster exchange between creative teams from Bulgaria and Serbia.
Over the course of six days, participants explored the body, movement, and physical presence in situations of isolation through an acting workshop led by mentors Ana Bateva and choreographer Kosta Karakashyan. As the project lead, Ana Bateva also guided the participants throughout the creative process. The workshop concluded with a presentation in front of the jury and the audience on the final day of the festival. The project was fully documented by Stefan Zdraveski, whose photo and video work captured the entire process and further highlighted SPAM Studios’ growing presence in interdisciplinary artistic production.
The festival program featured performances from Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, and Turkey, showcasing a wide range of aesthetics and theatrical approaches. The three selected young critics had the opportunity to engage with these diverse forms, reflect on them, and take part in open discussions, fostering dialogue and professional exchange.
This first partnership between SPAM Studios and Art Trema Fest not only enriched the festival program but also created a platform for creative dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the expansion of professional networks in the region. At the same time, the project contributed to broader visibility by documenting the performances, the workshop, and the jury discussions through photo and video materials, making the content accessible to audiences beyond those physically present at the festival.
This initiative is supported by the “Culture for Democracy” project, which supports the independent cultural sector in Serbia and encourages social inclusion, tolerance, the promotion of democratic values, and intercultural dialogue, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
About the organizations
Art Trema Fest is a renowned theatre festival in Ruma that brings together performing artists from the region and beyond, with a focus on innovative, contemporary, and socially engaged performance practices. The festival selector is Zoltan Fridman. This year’s edition featured productions from Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a jury composed of Professor Ivan Pravdić, theatre critic Zoran Maksimović, and Bosnian actor and director Zijah Sokolović.
The “Culture for Democracy” project supports the independent cultural scene in Serbia by using culture and the arts to encourage critical and creative thinking on socially relevant topics within local communities. The project also fosters collaboration among cultural actors, creating space for the promotion of pluralistic values and intercultural dialogue in Serbia. Its second phase runs from 2025 until the end of 2028. The CfD project is supported by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by the Hartefakt Fund.
