On the occasion of the International Meeting organised by Onda and Le Maillon, Théâtre de Strasbourg – Scène européenne, in January 2026, we met Tatjana Nikolić, an activist and researcher at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. 

In this episode, she reflects on the protest movement initiated by students in Serbia and its gradual expansion across society, including the cultural sector. She examines how artists, cultural workers and institutions have engaged with the movement, questioning their role in a context of political and social protest.

Drawing on both her personal experience and her perspective as a researcher, Tatjana Nikolić sheds light on the connections being forged between civic engagement, artistic creation and cultural institutions. She explains how cultural venues can become spaces for solidarity, reflection and collective action, while also questioning the role and responsibility of cultural actors in social movements.

An insightful conversation offering a better understanding of the dynamics currently shaping Serbia’s cultural scene and the relationships between culture, democracy and civic engagement.

Interview by Anne-Cécile Sibué, Deputy Director of Onda.

Enjoy listening!