Meet the Curators of STS 2025
The Selection Committees Behind This Year’s Programmes
The Sarajevo Theatre Showcase 2025, taking place from 12 to 15 September in Sarajevo, is curated by an outstanding group of regional and international professionals whose artistic perspectives shape the entire event. Across carefully designed programme lines – Showcase, Theatre Market, Industry Pitch, Residency, Atelier and Stage Talks – each selection committee brings in-depth knowledge, regional expertise, and a commitment to excellence.
The Showcase programme features a curated selection of bold, urgent, and high-quality performances from Southeast Europe, premiering between 2023 and 2025. The selection was shaped by an independent committee composed of Beka Vučo and Ulricha Johnson, in dialogue with Andrej Nosov, and highlights artistic excellence, strong authorship, and the rich diversity of contemporary theatre in the region. Beka Vučo is a producer, cultural manager, and Founder of My Balkans, with a career spanning key roles at Atelje 212, BITEF, and the Open Society Foundations. Ulricha Johnson is a Swedish actress and translator with extensive stage experience and more than 30 translations to her name, currently serving as CEO of the Swedish Performing Arts Coalition.
Find out more about the inspiring curators behind the Showcase programme here.
The Theatre Market presents four stage-ready dramatic texts from Southeast Europe, connecting their authors with international producers, festival programmers, and cultural institutions through structured one-on-one meetings. The programme is curated by Selena Pleskonjić, Nejra Babić Halvadžija, and Isidora Ratković, whose combined expertise spans dramaturgy, directing, production, and programming. Nejra is an award-winning playwright and dramaturge currently working at the Sarajevo War Theater SARTR; Isidora is a Sarajevo-based director and screenwriter active across multiple media; and Selena is an experienced executive producer and curator, currently part of the team at Heartefact.
Find out more about the inspiring curators behind Theatre Market here.
The Industry Pitch platform showcases six promising theatre projects currently in development, each presented live by their authors and coached by one of three dedicated mentors. The goal is to generate co-productions, touring opportunities, or investment support through direct engagement with festival programmers, producers, and other stakeholders. Each mentor – Miroljub Mijatović (Director of the Bosnian National Theatre Zenica), Gordana Goncić (Acting Director of Atelje 212, Belgrade), and Stela Mišković (Artistic Director of the Royal Theatre Zetski Dom) – selected and guided two teams through the preparation phase, bringing a wealth of experience in dramaturgy, directing, producing, and artistic leadership.
Find out more about the inspiring mentors behind Industry Pitch here.
The STS Residency brings together 20 emerging theatre professionals – directors, producers, and critics – for an intensive week of workshops, institutional visits, and peer learning. While the programme is not open to the public, its participants will be actively present across STS events, fostering meaningful exchange with artists and guests. The Residency is led by Selma Spahić (Head of Studies – Directors), acclaimed theatre director and professor at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo; Branislav Cerović (Head of Studies – Producers), experienced producer and Executive Producer at Mini teater in Ljubljana; and Natasha Tripney (Head of Studies – Critics), theatre critic, editor, and International Editor at The Stage.
Find out more about the inspiring leaders behind our Residency programme here.
Alongside these programmes, STS 2025 also features Atelier, which will present three new dramatic texts developed through a year-long mentorship process. The final selection will be made by a dedicated jury and staged during the event, while additional authors from the Atelier cohort will be featured in printed materials and present at the event in September.
Stage Talks, curated by Isidora Ratković in collaboration with the STS team, is a two-day conference programme designed to foster dialogue and exchange on some of the most pressing questions in contemporary theatre – from sustainability and mobility to authors’ rights, collective organising, and the future of international collaboration.
Together, these curators, mentors, and programme leads form the backbone of STS 2025. Their collective vision ensures that the Sarajevo Theatre Showcase remains a platform for bold voices, cross-border collaboration, and fresh theatrical perspectives. As we prepare to welcome participants and guests from across the region and beyond, we invite you to engage with the work, the people, and the questions shaping the future of theatre in Southeast Europe.