With Burja Across Europe within the Erasmus+ Program

When Creativity Becomes a Space for Dialogue – Kraljevo 2026

At the beginning of June, within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, we visited Kraljevo, Serbia, where, together with our partner organisation Imam ideju, we carried out a group mobility activity for adult learners. This year’s programme built upon last year’s creative writing project by integrating theatre, drama pedagogy, and the collaborative development of an original stage performance. Creative writing was not only a tool for personal expression but also the starting point for creating dramatic characters, dialogues, and stage situations that participants developed throughout the entire mobility. The programme was based on the belief that art is not merely about producing a final performance, but above all about creating a space for dialogue, reflection, cooperation, and shared learning.

The central dramaturgical concept was based on the symbolic idea that time in Kraljevo stopped in 1990 and then suddenly resumed in 2026. This fictional time shift enabled participants to explore questions of identity, belonging, stereotypes, and social change in the former Yugoslav region through humour, improvisation, and theatrical performance. They created dramatic characters caught between two historical periods, two different worldviews, and diverse cultural experiences. Humour and self-irony frequently opened the door to conversations about topics that would otherwise have been difficult to address openly. Theatre thus became a safe environment for exploring differences while simultaneously discovering the many experiences shared across cultures.

A particular strength of the programme was its methodology, which was grounded in the principles of non-formal adult education, participatory learning, and experiential learning. Participants were not passive listeners or observers but active co-creators of the entire process. Each individual contributed personal ideas, stories, experiences, and creative solutions, while the mentors facilitated the process so that the group gradually developed a shared dramaturgical narrative. Creative writing was closely intertwined with improvisation exercises, stage work, reflection, and collaborative scene development, with the emphasis placed on cooperation rather than on achieving a perfect final product. This approach enabled participants to strengthen their creativity, self-confidence, public speaking abilities, critical thinking, and collaborative creative skills.

Exploring the local environment also formed an essential part of the programme. Kraljevo was not merely the location of the mobility but an active learning environment. Visits to the city museum, historical sites, and other cultural venues became starting points for reflecting on the identity of place, collective memory, and the importance of cultural heritage. Participants observed details of the city, recorded their impressions, wrote dialogues, and later transformed them into dramatic scenes. Local cultural heritage became creative material through which participants developed their own stories while connecting them with contemporary social issues.

Sustainability was understood in a much broader sense than environmental protection alone. We addressed green topics, particularly environmental pollution, while also reflecting on responsible attitudes towards public space and the importance of sustainable development. Through collaborative work, participants built relationships that extended beyond the duration of the mobility itself and developed a deeper awareness of how cultural heritage, art, and community can contribute to the sustainable development of local environments. A dedicated field workshop focused on linking cultural heritage, green competences, and active citizenship, encouraging participants to consider how cultural spaces can become places of inclusion, responsibility, and social cohesion.

The programme also placed great emphasis on active participation. Each participant was responsible for developing their own dramatic character, contributing to the creation of collective scenes, and co-creating the final performance. Such a methodology encourages ownership of the learning process, responsibility, and active citizenship. Participants developed creative and communication skills while also improving their ability to listen, appreciate different perspectives, make collective decisions, and solve problems in an intercultural environment. It was precisely through these processes that one of the greatest strengths of Erasmus+ mobility became evident: learning through collaboration and collective creativity.

Reflection occupied a central place throughout the programme. After individual workshops and at the end of the mobility, participants analysed their experiences together with the mentors, reflected on their personal development, and identified the new competences they had acquired. Reflection was not regarded as a final administrative task but as an integral part of the learning process, enabling participants to become aware of their own development and transfer newly acquired knowledge into everyday life. To encourage deeper self-awareness and more authentic reflection, a dedicated workshop was led by the experienced psychologist and educator Saška Jovankin, who guided participants through the pitfalls of premature judgement and exclusion based on stereotypes.

The mobility in Kraljevo once again confirmed that art is an exceptionally effective tool for adult education. By combining creative writing, theatre, cultural heritage exploration, sustainability themes, and active participation, the programme created a learning environment in which participants strengthened their creativity, self-confidence, intercultural competences, and sense of belonging. Programmes such as this demonstrate that Erasmus+ is not only an opportunity for international mobility but also a powerful space for personal growth, mutual understanding, and the development of lasting partnerships connecting people, communities, and cultures.