Imagine a cultural scene crushed by theatres abruptly closed, festivals censored, and artists excluded – not for their work but for their convictions. This is the reality that artists and cultural workers in Serbia face today. ¹

We, members of the artistic and academic community living and working in Belgium and committed to the universal values of artistic freedom, democratic governance, and the autonomy of cultural institutions, together with all colleagues from the cultural field who signed this letter, express our full solidarity with the artistic and cultural community in Serbia following the exclusion of The Pelicot Trial performance by Milo Rau from the Belgrade International Theatre Festival (BITEF). ^{2 3} This decision, taken not on the basis of artistic merit but on the identity and political associations of the artist, reflects a broader and deeply alarming trend: the tightening grip of political power over Serbia’s cultural sphere. ⁴

A climate of repression

Over recent months, Serbia has witnessed an escalation of political interference in cultural life. ⁵ Institutions are losing their autonomy; artists and cultural workers face intimidation or dismissal; dissent, whether political, social, or artistic, is increasingly sanctioned, fostering a climate of fear and institutionalised self-censorship. ⁶ These developments are widely recognised as symptoms of an ongoing authoritarian drift that threatens Serbia’s position in the international cultural community and undermines its democratic aspirations.⁷

The pattern is unmistakable. The dismissal of BITEF’s artistic director, Nikita Milivojević, following public statements on lithium extraction by Milo Rau, marked a turning point. ⁸ The subsequent refusal by the BITEF board to allow The Pelicot Trial performance, despite its selection by the 2025 artistic leadership, triggered the resignation of the entire artistic team and several board members, pushing one of Europe’s most respected theatre festivals into crisis. ⁹

Across the sector, similar pressures abound. ¹⁰ Independent initiatives are disadvantaged in public funding; institutions have been closed under contested administrative pretexts; and cultural workers who raise concerns about mismanagement, intimidation, or political interference face retaliation. ¹¹ Many theatres and cultural spaces have been subjected to sudden closures, restrictive internal regulations, or punitive disciplinary measures targeting political expression. ^{12 13 14} Take for example the National Theatre in Belgrade: it has been closed under the pretext of fire safety measures, ¹⁵ a justification strongly contested by the workers who argue it is a cover for silencing dissent. In September 2025, its management proposed new “Labor Discipline Rules” effectively prohibiting political expression of any kind, verbal, non-verbal, or symbolic, under threat of dismissal. ¹⁶ Actors and cultural workers openly rejected these rules, describing them as institutionalised censorship and an attack on fundamental freedoms. ^{17 18} In some cases, management bodies have been dismissed or reshaped to align with ruling-party priorities, leading to long-term instability and halted programming. ¹⁹

A strategy of control

These actions are not isolated. They form a deliberate political strategy by tightening control over cultural institutions, projects, events and individuals. Funding competitions by the Ministry of Culture have been delayed or skewed; independent initiatives are systematically disadvantaged in favor of associations aligned with ruling party or conservative nationalist agendas. ²⁰ Those in power suppress critical voices, restrict independent thought, and eliminate spaces where dissent can be expressed. Shutting down or manipulating cultural institutions becomes a means of consolidating authority and shaping public perception and undermining both democracy and society’s capacity for critical reflection. ^{21 22}

The censorship at BITEF stands as the final blow in the systematic dismantling of the Serbian cultural field. When governments intervene in artistic programming, when institutions are pressured through administrative, financial, or disciplinary means, and when artists are targeted for their ideas, cultural life becomes an instrument of power rather than a space for reflection, imagination, and resistance. ²³

Why we cannot remain silent

Silence in the face of cultural repression becomes complicity. ^{24 25} When theatres close, festivals disappear, or critical voices are muted, we are witnessing the slow erosion of artistic freedom – one of democracy’s foundations. Culture is not mere entertainment; it is where a society questions itself. When power manipulates cultural institutions, it attacks not only artists, but democracy itself.

This is why our solidarity and attention matter. We stand with the artists, curators, and cultural workers in Serbia who, despite real personal and professional risks, defend the right to create, perform, and critique without fear. ²⁶