Play „Život na pauzu“ (Life on break), directed by Mirko Radonjić, starring Aleksandar Radulović and Marija Backović, actors, as well as seven prisoners, had its premiere on 18 November 2015 at the Institute for Execution of Criminal Sanctions (IECS). The premiere of the play was performed after three rehearsals which were attended by prisoners and employees of the IECS, and the play was rerun on 19 and 20 November 2015.

The play was created within the project “Cultural and artistic creativity as a form of rehabilitation”, carried out by the Foundation “B Film Montenegro” and NGO ATAK within the larger project “Community oriented prisons – prevention of ill-treatment in prisons through reform of rehabilitation and re-socialization”, implemented by NGOs Juventas and Human Rights Action – HRA, with the financial support of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and the British Embassy in Podgorica.

HRA and Juventas would like to thank the IECS administration which provided full support to our colleagues from NVF B Film Montenegro and NGO ATAK who have worked on the play in exceptional conditions. We would like to emphasize that there was no censorship of the text, which was created through interaction of prisoners and the artistic team. The prisoners had full freedom to contribute to the creation of the play. This play represents a powerful and unique product of cooperation between the NGO sector, artists and the prison administration and can serve as an example of good practices to the region.

The play “Život na pauzu” is an outstanding artistic and emotional experience viewers described as unforgetable. Actors – the prisoners – said that their experience of working on the play was precious and that they were convinced that it would contribute to their resocialization.

HRA and Juventas hope that this play will continue to be performed and that the success of this project recommends regular practice of similar cultural and artistic projects in the prison.

Human Rights Action and Juventas