"It's true, my mandate was not extended," director and professor Nikita Milivojević, who until three days ago was the artistic director of the Bitef festival, told the "Vremena" portal.
Four festivals
The city assembly should have either appointed Nikita Milivojević as artistic director in the new mandate or elected a new one, but neither was done. There is no one to prepare the September edition of Bitef.
Thus, the list of international festivals whose work has been stopped by the City Assembly during the last month has been increased to four: after the Fest, the March Festival, the "Magnificent Seven", now there is Bitef.
"The circus we've been watching for years is culminating, that's all," comments Nikita Milivojević, who was informed by phone that he is no longer the artistic director. "Better that way than from the newspaper," he says.
Try not to let Bitef happen.
It is now the middle of March, when the program for the next, September edition of Bitef, should be drawing to a close.
"This is just another attempt to control Bitef, and not only that, but also that Bitef happens at all," says Milivojević.
Bitef, years ago, even when it was headed by Ivan Medenica, was a demonstrative example of openness to all current social and theatrical ideas.
Milo Rau
Thus, let's recall, director Milo Rau, in his speech at the opening of the last Bitef, where his play "Antigone in the Amazon" was performed, strongly criticized the policy of Rio Tinto and Western countries, primarily Germany, in relation to lithium mining in Serbia, and called on the citizens not to allow lithium mining and Rio Tinto's arrival in Serbia at all costs.
Photo: Filip Krainčanić/Nova.rsMilo Rau at the opening of Bitef
That is why Nikita Milivojević became ineligible, the public believes.
"It is impossible to explain why the city government has decided to undermine Bitef right now, when its last two editions have been extremely well evaluated even on a wider scale," says Milivojević.
And then there's the Expo.
Apart from Rau, and punishing Bitef for breaking out of the imposed framework of thinking and aesthetics, there is another possible reason - Expo, for which this government has to find money as it knows and knows how, even if it took from the budget of other departments. And for culture, as we know, a never-smaller budget has been set for this year.
Until Nikita Milivojević, the mandate of Bitef's artistic director was four years, and then, at his suggestion, it was reduced to two - he believed that Bitef had to deal with volatility.
"It's not a problem that they didn't extend my mandate, but they didn't choose anyone else," he says.
As far as is known, it was proposed that the Bitef Board, whose president is Svetozar Cvetković, do the work. This means that the Board could take over part of the program prepared by Nikita Milivojević so far and supplement it with something convenient for him.
And he could also use his professional and artistic integrity, and issue an ultimatum to urgently appoint the artistic director of Bitef.
Reaction from abroad
Immediately after the news that Bitef was left without an artistic director, the Vienna Festivals (Wiener Festwochen) and the Free Republic of Vienna reacted with the text "Stop political influence!", expressing solidarity with theater director Nikita Milivojević.
It is stated that "Milo Rau's speech 'Beauty will save the world' caused a huge media response", and it is also believed that "Nikita Milivojević's support for student protests in Serbia is also probably the reason why the city administration did not extend his contract, despite his great artistic success".
The Vienna Festivals (Wiener Festwochen) and the Free Republic of Vienna invited Bitef to present its plans for the future to international media representatives on May 30 in Vienna, as part of their Festival Week.
They called on other international festivals to react.
As a reminder, the Vienna Festival declared the Free Republic of Vienna last year as part of the festival manifesto, and their general slogan is Resistance now.
