Bitef selector: More cancellations possible, but festival will proceed

Spasoje Ž. Milovanović, the selector for the Bitef festival, has acknowledged that further cancellations are possible but stated they will not disrupt the festival's overall realization. He noted that the current situation is being viewed through the lens of last year's cancellations, overlooking the changed circumstances, including new city officials, a new board, and a new program selection team.

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all of them observe from the context of last year's non-holding, neglecting that the circumstances have changed - that there is a new city secretary for culture, a new board, a board president, a selector and a program.

Following the withdrawal of two internationally acclaimed theater groups, Teatro Praga from Portugal and the British-German troupe Gob Squad, Milovanović commented that while he respects the artists' right to participate or not, he has no further comment. He expressed gratitude that these groups initially showed respect for the organization and communication with the current Bitef team. Milovanović asserted that they were invited for purely artistic reasons, without any political motivations, and accepted accordingly. However, he suggested that subsequent calls influenced their decisions.

Milovanović reiterated that Bitef will proceed as announced with its planned program, though the repertoire may be slightly adjusted. He acknowledged that last-minute cancellations are not uncommon in the theater world. He emphasized that the withdrawing groups had no objections to the initiatives launched by the current team. "Subsequent information and interpretations show that we are actually living in a completely divided world that is not ready to listen to arguments and where we often make judgments before we have properly assessed the situation," he stated.

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further cancellations may occur, but this will not disrupt the final realization of Bitef in any way.

Teatro Praga announced its withdrawal in solidarity with Serbian artists, cultural workers, and independent organizations facing censorship and political pressure. The group felt that participation under current circumstances could legitimize a situation where artistic freedom, autonomy, and cultural pluralism are threatened. Shortly before Bitef's management announced the program, it was revealed that Gob Squad had also canceled their participation.

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it is the legitimate right of every artist to participate or not, and I have no comment - neither for nor against.

Reports suggest Gob Squad did not want to legitimize the current Bitef leadership, whom they associate with censorship and the suppression of artistic freedom, thereby compromising the festival's reputation and historical significance. Milovanović, however, believes this is a misinterpretation. He clarified that their issue is not with the current Bitef administration but with the circumstances that led to the cancellation of a play by Mila Rau last year. He stressed that "everything is different from last year's circumstances."

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What interests me and for which I am grateful is that they expressed a kind of respect towards the organization itself and communication with this year's Bitef team.