Voices from Semi-Peripheries: Pressure, Self-Censorship and Micropolitics of Resistance in the Western Balkans

This chapter will investigate different mechanisms of censorship in performing arts since 1989, with a focus on the Balkan countries. The abolition of official censoring bodies has made way for new strategies and subtle forms of economic and social oppression around topics that are seen to endanger traditional, national values. The consequences of the new forms of control are all the more damaging and difficult to estimate since there are no official records. Rather contemporary cultural management has developed a sophisticated mechanism of “impacting” artistic decisions on the one side, while on the other side the political sphere uses populist forms of political communication to inspire right-wing groups to produce fear and threaten the critical artist. In the Western Balkans, issues that may provoke malaise in public opinion (critique of nationalism, religion or politics, and non-heterosexuality) do not raise controversy because their presentation on ‘official’ stages signal that they do not challenge dominant values. However, when crossed with themes related to cultures of memory (shame, guilt) and when performances question the accepted narrative of history, they may cause a reaction, ranging from noise to direct censorship. The chapter will first explore direct forms of censorship: threats to prominent theatre personalities (Oliver Frljić but also Biljana Srbljanović and Siniša Kovačević); street-censorship actions (such as the interruption of the Saint Sava performance in JDP Belgrade); public defamation and its consequences (withdrawal of theaters, festivals or sponsors to host or sponsor the performance); ban from local authorities. Through interviews with prominent practitioners, we will then turn to the issue of self-censorship in writing, but also in acting (for instance, 17 fully-employed actors of Atelje 212 refused to take a role in a performance of Killing Zoran Đinđić, under the direction of Oliver Frljić). Finally, we will examine the micropolitics of resistance of civil society actors, studying examples of courage shown by numerous independent artists (Igor Vuk Torbica, Kokan Mladenović), artistic collectives and groups (Dah theater, Zorica Jevremović, Andras Urban Kosztolanyi Dezso theater), and even some public institutions (Željko Hubač at the National Theater, or currently the work and actions of Bitef theatre).