{"id":16,"date":"2026-10-05T23:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arttremafest.rs\/istorijat\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T12:51:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T10:51:38","slug":"istorijat","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/arttremafest.rs\/en\/istorijat\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Art Trema Fest is a theatre festival organised by Gradsko pozori\u0161te Ruma since 1998. Every March, at the Kulturni centar Ruma, it brings together academic theatres, students of academies of arts and chamber professional performances from Serbia, the region and Europe. The 30th, jubilee edition takes place in 2027.<\/p>\n

331<\/span>performances<\/span><\/div>
271<\/span>pozori\u0161ta i trupa<\/span><\/div>
12<\/span>countries<\/span><\/div>
83<\/span>cities<\/span><\/div>
227<\/span>side programmes<\/span><\/div>
48<\/span>award-winning performances<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

The theatre that started the festival<\/h2>\n

Gradsko pozori\u0161te Ruma was founded in 1994 by a group of theatre lovers gathered around Zoltan Fridman, as a voluntary, non-governmental, non-political and non-profit citizens\u2019 association. At first it cultivated a classical approach to theatre. With the launch of Art Trema Fest in 1998 it changed course and extended its work to all areas of civic initiative.<\/p>\n

Today the theatre brings together around a hundred active members in its sections. It works with children and young people through its Drama Studio, organises workshops and camps, and presents its own productions at the festival, such as the radio drama \u201cTicanova buna\u201d for RTV Vojvodina.<\/p>\n

How Trema grew<\/h2>\n

1998\u20132007: a festival of academic and amateur theatres<\/h3>\n

The first Art Trema Fest took place from 18 to 22 March 1998. In its early years it was an invitation-only festival of academic and amateur theatres, workshops and studios. Alongside the main programme came Letnja Trema (Summer Trema), recorded as early as 2000, and Mala Trema (Little Trema), a programme for children and primary-school pupils.<\/p>\n

As early as 2001 the jury awarded the Trema Masks \u2013 gold, silver and bronze \u2013 which are still the festival\u2019s main award. From 2003 the theatre scholar Miroslav Radonji\u0107 from Novi Sad became a permanent part of the festival: jury member, selector and president of the Artistic Council. In 2007 the best performances were chosen by a Parliament of Active Spectators.<\/p>\n

2008\u20132019: the regional scene<\/h3>\n

In its second decade the festival brought performances from Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Italy and Sweden. In addition to March, Trema u avgustu (Trema in August), a summer section featuring examples of good theatre practice, was held in 2011 and 2013. Jury members included Jovan \u0106irilov (2013) and Zijah Sokolovi\u0107, who since 2018 has been a frequent jury member and a friend of the festival.<\/p>\n

For the 21st edition in 2018, the selector chose six competition and two showcase performances from more than 120 applications.<\/p>\n

2020\u20132026: through the pandemic to an international festival<\/h3>\n

Because of the pandemic, the 23rd Art Trema Fest was held in September 2020, and the 24th edition was also staged in September, in 2021. Since the 25th, jubilee edition in 2022, Zoltan Fridman has been the selector and executive producer, and alongside academic theatres the festival has opened up to chamber professional forms from across the region.<\/p>\n

The 27th edition in 2024 marked 25 years of Trema and 30 years of Gradsko pozori\u0161te Ruma with a multimedia installation and Zijah Sokolovi\u0107\u2019s performance \u201cGoya\u201d, staged in honour of the theatre\u2019s anniversary. At the 29th edition in 2026, in partnership with SPAM studio from Sofia, companies from Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Serbia performed.<\/p>\n

How the festival works today<\/h2>\n