The BN Youth Theatre is the only theatre group for young people in Bijeljina.
They work with children and teenagers in drama workshops and plays, helping them develop acting skills, creativity, and self-confidence. With the BN Youth Theatre, young people aged ten to 18 are empowered to actively participate in the cultural and social life of their community.
The BN Youth Theatre, according to their official Instagram page (teatarmladih_bn), is “a place where young people come to get to know themselves and the world around them.”
Marija Novaković (29) is the director of the BN Youth Theatre. In the past three years, she has produced five original plays with theatre members. She explained that “Young people need to be introduced to theatre, and that means speaking their language: not resisting if we don’t understand, not imposing our views, but guiding them to form their own and to question what they’ve learned.”
Novaković noted that young people’s interest in theatre is growing, and the key is to offer them content tailored to their interests. Cooperation between schools and theatres is not particularly developed, she said, but sometimes class trips are arranged, especially when readings are covered. The biggest obstacle remains the lack of external support, especially from parents and peers, who, she added, often fail to understand the commitment of young people to this form of artistic expression.
“I would suggest that all parents listen to the needs of their children, because not all doctors are rich, nor are all artists poor, and an unprofessional doctor poses a greater risk to all of us than the worst actor,” she advised.
Isidora Adžić (18) was attracted to theater not merely as a form of entertainment but as a space of freedom in which asking questions, expressing doubt, and being honest are permitted.
“When it comes to my peers, it’s clear that more of them are spectators than active participants in theater life. Although there is interest, few dare to take it a step further. The most common obstacles are the fear of public speaking, low self-confidence, and the mispercpetion that theater is a closed and inaccessible world,” explained Isidora, a member of the BN Youth Theater.
Jovana Dragutinović (17) has been a member of the BN Youth Theatre for five years. She stressed the importance of theatre for the personal development and creative expression of young people: “I joined the Theatre when I was eleven, and I’m proud of the decision I made then, because I believe that my personal development would not have been the same if I hadn’t had the opportunity to do theatre for all these years.”
According to Jovana, there is a lot to learn from constant teamwork, expressing your creativity, and finally performing in front of an audience.
“I believe that acting encourages us to get to know ourselves and the world around us,” said Jovana.
In addition to this exploration, the BN Youth Theater enables young actresses and actors to develop self-confidence and understand the importance of teamwork. They learn to overcome stage fright and focus on the creative process, and their love for theater brings them a sense of fulfillment and pride. Every performance, workshop, and project encourages young people to be brave, responsible, and sensitive towards others.
“On stage, I felt for the first time that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness, and that through plays, you can talk about the deepest and most difficult topics without fear,” said Isidora.
They noted that the BN Youth Theater organizes movie nights, performs several times a year, focuses on topics that concern young people, improves concentration, discipline and imagination, and replaces screen time with creative socializing. They work on developing empathy and learn about understanding, all while discovering and developing their talents.
