Milena Lubarda Marojević

Festivals are inherently designed for entertainment, prioritizing enjoyment above all else. Many of our festivals take place during the summer in pleasant locations, attracting popular figures and fostering a relaxed atmosphere. This setting presents a significant opportunity: to share meaningful messages through their activities.

We can draw the audience's attention to critical issues and themes that profoundly resonate with our souls. Therefore, I believe that festivals, along with art in general, play a crucial role in improving both the present and the future. Festivals are places where we can present truths, no matter how challenging they may be, in a way that's accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

At the same time, as we live in a digital era—and even an era of artificial intelligence—the essence of festivals, which is to gather people, bring them together, and facilitate the exchange of opinions and emotions in real time, is more precious than ever before.

These are the reasons why I believe that arts festivals have a significant societal purpose. Moreover, each of us involved in bringing people together around an artistic element is now more responsible than ever because these gatherings are precious and can serve as a starting point for opinions and future actions. Politics as a sector reacts to people's interests, and even more so to their actions. This is how we arrive at the significant role of our arts festivals.

Milena Lubarda Marojevic is the Director of the "Theatre City" festival, which stands strong for almost four decades, an international address worthy of various important encounters and the performance of the most attractive theatre programmes and music with the addition of promoting the most significant artistic heritage together with the very best of literature, were finally recognised in 2019.