“A Tradition of Resistance” Brings About 100 People Together in Zrenjanin

Around 100 people gathered in the courtyard of KUD “Sloboda” in Zrenjanin for a performance that blurred the line between theater and community meeting.

“A Tradition of Resistance,” produced by Reflektor Theatre with support from the Novi Optimizam movement, became the most attended performance held at the venue and its most popular program since the independent cultural center opened at the beginning of summer.

The piece requires 35 readers. Strong local interest turned the collective reading into a broader gathering, with no conventional separation between performers and audience. Novi Optimizam said the event created the kind of solidarity, community and dialogue it had promoted for years. People came not only to watch, but also to participate, read and share their experiences.

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What happened was exactly what Novi Optimizam has advocated for years: solidarity, community and dialogue.

The play was created from personal memories, statements and impressions collected during several months of research into how different waves of mass protests in Belgrade and across Serbia affected communities. Forty people from different parts of Serbia took part in the research, including seven activists and artists from Zrenjanin whose experiences became part of the script.

The Zrenjanin performance brought together co-authors, artists and people whose experiences shaped the work. Participants included Branislav Guta Grubački, actor Miloš Vojnović, artist and activist Dragan Protić, local cultural figures Miodrag Mića Tabački and Andrej Čanji, and retired Novi Sad judge Savo Đurđić. Guests also came from Šabac, Novi Sad, Vrbas, Tavankut and Belgrade, linking local memories with a wider story of civic resistance and solidarity.

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Zrenjanin was heard, seen and recognized that evening.