WORKSHOP PROGRAM OF THE 32nd FESTIVAL OF ECOLOGICAL THEATRE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH “PLAYBREAK”
The Artistic Board of the Festival of Ecological Theatre for Children and Youth selected 10 workshops of varied content for the 32nd edition of the festival: ecological, educational, creative and psychological, intended for all age groups. Starting from the idea of contributing to the development of a continuous program for children and youth in Bačka Palanka, the Artistic Board decided that most of the workshop
Participation in the workshops is free of charge, and registration is required via THIS LINK.
1. House Hunting
Educational and creative workshop
Age: children who are able to take part in a bike ride, on their own or accompanied by a parent
Dates: 20-22 August 2026 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday)
Each day, we begin the workshop with a bike ride around town in search of beautiful houses, together with one of the architects. When we return, we draw them and together make a map of the town.
Workshop leaders:
Dragana Kojičić is a freelance architect specializing in earthen architecture and holds a doctorate in the art of Stage Design. She leads various trainings on the use of earth in and beyond architecture, is a co-organizer of the travelling Regio Earth and organizer of the local LALA Earthland festival.
Radoslav Karanović is a graduate architectural engineer from Bačka Palanka, an artist and activist, and father of two boys.
Vladimir Dragićević is a graduate architectural engineer from Bačka Palanka, holds a PhD, is the father of two boys and the owner of the “Tri međe i oblak” winery in Neštin.
2. From Caterpillar to Artist - The Gift of Colors
Creative workshop
Age: 3-7 years old
Dates: 20-21 August 2026 (Thursday and Friday)
● The number of participants is limited to 20
A two-day creative workshop for children, painting neckties and pillowcases, focused on free artistic expression, play and building awareness of the ecology of the spirit. Through several visual-art techniques, participants will create unique works that become one-of-a-kind festival gifts. Each painted item is a message of joy, hope and support, made by children’s hands for the awarded festival participants. From children, for the community!
Workshop leader:
Snežana Bulaić is a longtime preschool teacher at the “Različak” preschool in Bačka Palanka. More than 20 years ago, with special care and responsibility, she was the coordinator of FEP’s festival creativity. She organized exhibitions for children and led creative workshops for children and youth. In addition to her teaching work, she creates artistic paintings on silk and other materials, and she symbolically named her creative path “From Caterpillar to Artist”. In art she sees the key to transformation and personal growth. She loves nature, family and friends, and with children she wants to create a space of safety and freedom where every child can express themselves.
3. Contemporary Circus Workshop
Circus workshop
Age: 6-15 years old
Dates: 21-22 August 2026 (Friday and Saturday)
● The number of participants is limited to 20
As participants get to know the basics of juggling, they simultaneously develop and form new connections, both in our own brains and connections with play, with the group and with themselves. Through guided exercises, participants discover that it is possible to use gravity in a new, exciting way. Through juggling disciplines, balls of different sizes and imaginative symbols, we discover the truth of play, because play is forever an important part of life. In addition to the basics of juggling, during this workshop, in smaller subgroups, participants will get to know the skill of aerial acrobatics on the hoop, during which they will rely on their own strength and resourcefulness, which always boosts self-confidence.
Workshop leaders:
The team behind the show “Birdies” consists of Milan, Filip and Danka. For over a decade they have been involved in contemporary circus, whether creating and performing, attending or running educational programs, and organising various cultural and artistic events. Through the lens of circus disciplines, Milan and Filip are jugglers. Whether it is balls, clubs, rings or scarves in the air, and perhaps something entirely unexpected. Danka is an antipodist (a juggler who juggles using their feet) and an aerial acrobat. Of course, this division does not stop them from taking up other disciplines too (in their free time, until the contemporary circus festival “CirkoBalkana” gets underway).
4. The Wondrous World of Chemistry
Science and creative workshop
Age: 4+
Date: 22 August 2026 (Saturday)
● The number of participants is limited to 20
Through interesting and interactive experiments, participants will have the chance to get to know the world of chemistry and science. By observing unusual reactions, color changes, the creation of foam and other “magical” phenomena, participants will become familiar with the basic concepts of chemistry, and their first encounter with science will be a colorful, cheerful and interesting experience that can awaken curiosity and a spirit of inquiry. The aim of the workshop is to bring the world of science closer to children through play and experiments and to encourage them to explore and ask questions. The experiments are adapted for children and designed so that little explorers can safely repeat many of them at home, together with parents and friends.
Workshop leaders:
Dr Slađana Stanisavljević completed her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies in biochemistry at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad (Prirodno-matematički fakultet), where she works today as a research associate. She conducts research in the field of medicinal chemistry and biochemistry, developing new biologically active molecules and testing their activity. She enjoys working with students, as well as promoting and popularizing science, with the wish to bring the more beautiful side of chemistry closer to everyone and to show that science can be interesting, creative and fun.
Dr Sanja Đokić completed her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad, where she works today as a teaching assistant. She conducts research in the field of medicinal chemistry and the synthesis of natural products. In her work with students she is especially devoted to laboratory teaching and the development of practical skills, with the wish to show students that chemistry is not only theory but also a dynamic and creative science. She also actively takes part in promoting and popularizing science through various educational activities and workshops.
5. On a First-Name Basis with Emotions: Meet Your Emotion Superhero
Educational and creative workshop
Age: 7-10 years old
Date: 22 August 2026 (Saturday)
● The number of participants is limited to 10
The workshop “On a First-Name Basis with Emotions” is designed as an interactive introduction for children to the world of emotions. Through play, conversation and practical exercises, children will have the chance to recognize and name basic emotions, as well as to learn simple ways to express and regulate them. A special part of the workshop will focus on developing emotional-regulation skills through activities adapted for children. In the creative part, children will draw their own “emotion superhero”, through which they will imaginatively present the strengths and strategies that can help them cope with different feelings. The workshop also includes a short segment intended for parents, in which simple ways of supporting children in recognizing, accepting and regulating emotions in everyday situations will be presented. The aim of the workshop is for children, through play and creativity, to develop a better understanding of their own feelings and to gain useful tools for expressing them.
Workshop leaders:
Magdalena Mirčić is a final-year student at the Faculty of Philosophy, majoring in clinical psychology, with a special interest in children’s socio-emotional development. Since 2024 she has been an intern at EPAM Systems, where, as part of the “Parent Smart” program, she has led several workshops for children and parents on emotional intelligence, the development of emotional skills and psychological well-being. In her work she strives to encourage children’s healthy development and empowerment through play, creativity and an understanding of emotions.
Vanja Vukajlović is a final-year student at the Faculty of Philosophy, majoring in clinical psychology, and a psychotherapy trainee in the field of transactional analysis. She is especially interested in working with children, socio-emotional development and providing psychological support through the understanding and acceptance of emotions. In her approach she emphasizes the importance of a safe environment and supportive relationships that contribute to the development of children’s emotional literacy and well-being.
6. The Snail’s Journey
Experiential workshop
Age: 1-3 years, accompanied by fathers
Date: 22 August 2026 (Saturday)
● The number of participants is limited to 10 children
The aim of this workshop is for children to enjoy sensory activities such as playing with water, mud and other natural materials (which the snail encounters on its journey), thereby activating important centers in the brain, while their fathers accompany them in this. In this way, not only do mothers gain very important free time for themselves, but fathers also learn how they can actively spend time with their child, practicing patience and tolerance for getting messy during play. These are activities that slow us down, bring us back to ourselves and are much needed in today’s hectic world, and they therefore also have a therapeutic effect. Children should be brought to the workshop in old clothes, with a change of clothes to put on afterward. The workshop is also suitable for children with developmental difficulties older than 36 months.
Workshop leader:
Dunja Malinović is a master psychologist, a dreamer and an adventurer. In her work and education she has devoted the most attention above all to children and parents. She has completed various additional trainings, such as the one for a re-educator of psychomotor skills, and she created educational and developmental programmes that she carried out within the Dunja Educational Center. Over the past two years she has been devoted above all to motherhood and psychotherapy. Her wish is to grow old alongside FEP, just as she grew up alongside it.
7. SpineVille
Dance workshop
Age: for families with children aged 3-5
Date: 20 August 2026 (Thursday)
● The number of participants is limited to 24
We invite you to a family gathering full of fun and movement. This time, our spines will be the center of attention. We will examine anatomical images and models. We will listen to the dance of the spine that takes place during everyday activities. We will discover whether the vertebrae have something to tell us, and if so, in what language do they speak? What movements do different parts of the spine suggest? Hemp, linen, and plant-dyed ropes will accompany us during the workshop. They will remind us of the sequential nature of our spines’ movement. We invite you to join us for some family fun in the vertebral circle! The workshop is inspired by the work on the performances "Somatulki" and "Birth Days" (choreography: Hanna Bylka-Kanecka, production: Children’s Art Center in Poznań, co-production: Performat Foundation).
Workshop leader:
Hanna Bylka-Kanecka is a choreographer, researcher, mother. Since 2018, she has been the artistic supervisor of Dancing Families program – the first initiative in Poland focused on the development of contemporary dance and experimental choreography for families. She is the initiator and co-founder of the Holobiont collective (2016–2024), which created dance performances for family audiences. Their works have been widely presented both in Poland and internationally. As an independent choreographer, she created the interactive dance solo Somatulki for preschool children (2023) and the performance Birth Days (2025), about pregnancy and childbirth, addressed to families with children aged 3 and up. Since 2022, she has been a board member of the Young Dance Network – a global platform for exchange operating under the umbrella of ASSITEJ International.
8. Childhood Has Important Work to Do
Experiential and educational workshop for parents
Age: 18+
Dates: 21-22 August 2026 (Friday and Saturday)
“Childhood Has Important Work to Do” is an experiential and educational workshop for parents that, through conversation, play, and movement, explores topics of presence, carefreeness, imagination, and relationships with children in the contemporary world. In a time of packed schedules, screens and constant rushing, the workshop reminds us of the importance of play, nature, boredom and shared time, not as a luxury but as basic needs of childhood. Through personal memories and group work, participants will explore what children today miss the most, but also what we want to preserve from childhood. The workshop is intended for parents and adults who want to pause, remember their own childhood, and reflect on what we truly want children to remember one day.
Workshop leader:
Sara Knežević is a master psychologist and psychotherapist, a member of SUGT and of the Association of Psychotherapists of Serbia (Savez psihoterapeuta Srbije). She shaped her professional path through work within the broader mental-health system, and today she is devoted to psychotherapy with adults, with an emphasis on a relational and holistic approach. She is a peer educator and a participant in numerous volunteer and mentoring programs, including “Share Your Knowledge” under the auspices of the EU, the OSCE and the US Embassy. She is the mother of two girls, and her work is characterized by warmth, presence and deep respect for relationships, with the belief that a child’s development relies most on secure and authentic relationships with adults.
9. Plastic - Fantastic
Educational and ecological workshop
Age: 8-12 years old
Date: 20 August 2026 (Thursday)
Through interactive tasks and work with everyday objects, participants will learn to recognize different types of plastic and understand their purpose. The workshop will show why plastic is an important and useful material in many areas of life, but also what responsibility its production, purchase, use and disposal carry. Children will develop awareness of how their everyday decisions affect the environment and will become familiar with the basic principles of responsible consumption, reuse and recycling. The aim of the workshop is, through play and hands-on work, to encourage critical thinking and the adoption of sustainable habits that they can apply in everyday life.
Workshop leaders:
Branislava Grubor is an environmental protection analyst and holds a master’s in economics, with more than 20 years of experience working with different types of plastic waste. She is the founder and president of the “Pastir” citizens’ association from Čelarevo, through which she actively works on raising awareness of the importance of joint action and preserving the local community. She is the host of the Čeb Manor (Čebska kurija), a Baroque earthen house in the center of Čelarevo, set in the park where the festival “Plavi hodnik, Crna kuhinja” (“Blue Corridor, Black Kitchen”) is held. She is the mother of three children, a lover of nature and cooking.
Andrea Kecman is a physiotherapist, a young and ambitious person with experience in creating digital content. Within the “Pastir” citizens’ association, she is in charge of running and developing content on social media. In Čelarevo, she runs her own beauty studio for massage and facial and body care. She is a lover of sport, recreation, socializing, walks, and local events, and she is especially devoted to the promotion and development of her local community.