Grants approved – October 2020
Number of grants: 8
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1. ApsArt, Belgrade
RSD: 300.000
Project title: The hardest role – #MeToo Serbia
The hardest role is an initiative by women performing artists to face the broader audiences with the issue of sexual abuse and harassment of women actors. Through this independent production, a group of actors led by the director creates a verbatim (documentary) performance from true stories by actors, while the process of work explores recognizing and reacting to sexual violence, as well as how to oppose it. The preparation process, all the inabilities, dilemmas, obstructions, social reactions, responses of theatre managers to the attempts of performance placement – is tracked by a camera for making of a documentary film. Supporting this project, RFW tends to contribute to the representation of a responsible treatment of gender-based violence in public sphere through providing space for the voices that are less heard on this subject.
2. Hop.La!, Belgrade
RSD: 300.000
Project title: The development of the Rural cultural centre
The Rural cultural centre is a non-formal group gathering artists and residents of Markovac village for the actions aimed at animating social and cultural life of the village and developing methods of feminist pedagogy. The team consisting of young residents, mainly with high education degrees in the field of social science and humanities, works on structuring this organization, targeting self-sustainability, through organizing diverse activities aimed at vulnerable populations. The development of the Rural cultural centre is the continuation of earlier initiatives in this environment, including the work of the Reading room “Ekatarina Pavlović”, which we have supported to open. Supporting this project, RWF tends to contribute to the long-term strategical expansion of space for knowledge exchange, critical thinking and basing actions on feminist principles.
3. Out of the circle Niš
RSD: 300.000
Project title: Growing mutual support to amplify our voices
Through the supported activities, Out of the circle Niš empowers women with disabilities from southern Serbia, in places without any organizations for improving the position of women with disabilities. The activities imply informing women about their rights and encouraging them to take a more active part in promoting their rights, as well as in advocating for a better position of women with disabilities in their local communities. The key activities refer to sharing information and experiences through workshops and discussions revolving around leadership, rights, available types of social protection and services for people with disabilities, as well as sharing stories on good practices from Serbia and the region. Supporting this project, RWF wishes to contribute to the long-term struggle against the multiple marginalization of women with disabilities in geographically isolated environments.
4. Roma women’s centre „Romnjako Ilo“, Novi Bečej
RSD: 300.000
Project title: RomaFem in Vojvodina
RomaFem in Vojvodina gathers women from diverse ethnic groups to work on the promotion of feminism, solidarity, diversity and initiating activist actions within two series of the first Roma Feminist school in Novi Bečej which will primarily be open to women from the first Multiethnic feminist network led by Roma women in Vojvodina, as well as for all the women in their diversity who wish to engage in activism and struggle against the male violence against women. Supporting this project, RWF wishes to contribute to a tighter networking of Roma women activists in combating multiple marginalization and forms of violence to which Roma women are exposed.
5. Ženergija Hub, Belgrade
RSD: 299.300
Project title: Ženergija Hub
Ženergija Hub (Womenergy Hub) is envisioned as a digital and physical platform for networking and education of girls aged 16 to 30. The aim of the project is educating 8 girls to produce podcasts through workshops on investigative journalism, editorial work in radio format, public appearance and digital promotion. The group’s work emerges from the recognition that re-traditionalization and political repression in the society have erased women’s voices, which is why they are starting a platform for transgenerational connecting and knowledge exchange, to amplify women’s voices and support them to reach the broader audience. Supporting this project, RWF wishes to contribute to preserving and expanding spaces for free creative and political expression of women.
6. Women’s centre Užice
RSD: 90.000
Project title: Udružene u borbi za bolje sutra
The activities of this project aim to enhance the visibility women from vulnerable groups in the local community in order to improve their socio-economical position. The planned action implies promo campaign of the work of Retex, textile recycling centre, during the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Retex is an innovative centre for collecting and recycling textile, which employs women from vulnerable groups, and is based on the principles of solidarity economy. The campaign implies producing and distributing tote bags and masks made of recycled textile which will be produced by women from vulnerable groups. RWF supports this project as a reflection of a complex understanding of the problem of violence against women, a project using solidarity economy to include women survivors of violence, using a campaign to inform the broader public, while at the same time symbolically responding to the COVID-19 context and reminding of an additional danger of gender-based violence during the crisis.
7. Women’s section of Zrenjanin social forum, Zrenjanin
RSD: 298.000
Project title: Note, recognize, react!
The project is devoted to the development of skills of the newly formed non-formal group, Women’s section of Zrenjanin social forum, as well as of other women from Zrenjanin interested in learning the basics of directing, filming and editing short documentaries revolving around social issues. Upon the training, the participants are making a collective film that will be screened during the festival day in the project finale. Through conversations with elderly women, author’s grandmas, the film will explore the subjects of education, child labour, marriage relationships, labour rights, memories of WWII, the experience of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina before and during the civil war, as well as other subject that women tackle when they are free of repressions. RWF supports this project as a transgenerational sharing of experiences and artistic-activist shaping of a view of the position of women in diverse historical contexts.
8. Women on the Way, Belgrade
RSD: 232.000
Project title: Publishing a children’s book „The Adventure of a Lampo“
Women on the Way, a non-formal group whose members are a part of the migrant community, recognizes numerous barriers children migrants are facing in school environment, from isolation and lack of acceptation to difficulties in full participation in lectures. Through this project, the group works on publishing a children’s book „The Adventure of a Lampo“, which will be available in Serbian, Farsi, Arabian, Kurdish, Pashto and French. The book is envisioned to promote mutual care, accepting diversities and nurturing togetherness among children, parents/guardians, pedagogues, psychologists, teachers and others. RWF supports this project as a creative expression of struggle against racism.
