“YOU AND I ARE WE” ACHIEVES ANOTHER SUCCESS IN TRSIC

24. May 2010.

LOZNICA – Secondary school students from Presevo and Bujanovac performed a multiethnic play “You and I are We” at the 39th. “Vukov sabor”. Fourteen secondary school students performed “a teenage pop show in four languages” and showed that young Serbs, Albanians and Roma can cooperate closely.

Aleksandar Lazic, the producer of the play, says that a good story was made by Serbs, Albanians and Roma, who became a genuine team after having had a few rehearsals.

“The „You and I are We“ play is a project that we did thanks to the support of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. This initiative gathered together secondary school students of various ethnic backgrounds from Presevo and Bujanovac at a joint workshop on theatre, which resulted in a good play. So far, our teenage show has been performed in six Vojvodina municipalities, while we are now at the students’ assembly. We have also received an invitation from Slovenia and we will have a guest performance at the “Exit” Festival”, Mr. Lazic said.

The young from South Serbia got to know Vuk’s native place, paid a visit to Loznica, hanged around with students of Loznica grammar school and talked to Vidoje Petrovic, the mayor of Loznica. Ivan Stojkovic from Bujanovac, an actor in the play, points out that the play shows that the people who speak different languages can understand one another, provided there is a good will to do so.

“The play is on teenagers, who, despite their place of residence or ethnic background, have the same desires, problems, the ways of thinking, ideals or dreams. By working on the play, we have become friends and we have shown that this is possible regardless of what one’s ethnic background is. We are delighted by Loznica and Trsic, as well as by the hospitability extended to us,” Ivan said.

Mentor Zeciri, one of the actors, says that they were given a warm reception and that they felt as if they were at home. He added that he would gladly visit the region again if he had a chance to do so.

Milan Markovic, the President of the Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, says that the play is important and instructive, like the whole “You and I are We” project is. He is of the view that it would be a good thing for politicians from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja “to be a bit like these children”.

Nesibe Osmani, a participant in the “You and I are We” project, presented to Milan Markovic, the President of the Coordination Body, a letter of thanks “for the generous support and true friendship”. Letters of thanks were also presented to Vidoje Petrovic, the mayor of Loznica, and to Dajana Djedovic, the Head of the “Vuk Karadzic” community center.