As part of the European project Age Against the Machine, implemented by the Red Cross of Serbia and led by the "Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture" Foundation, an international festival was held from 24 to 28 August 2025 in the Polish town of Golenow, organized by the partner Brama Theatre.

The festival featured a rich artistic program, including the interactive and intergenerational performance “Waiting for Rain” by the Serbian troupe Drž’ ne daj, which through six stories explores the issue of ageism. The audience also had the opportunity to see Brama Theatre’s play “The Body that Ages”, which examines how, both individually and as a society, we perceive ageing – a universal life reality – and how we relate to the body as it undergoes this process.

Partner theatres presented their own productions:

• Dispari Teatro from Italy opened questions of intergenerational dialogue through artistic expression,
• Odin Teatret from Denmark addressed loneliness, the “monster” of contemporary society,
• while the theatre from Évora (Portugal) tackled the theme of discrimination against women throughout the life cycle, highlighting the multiple challenges women face in different life stages.

A particularly significant part of the festival was a workshop dedicated to ageism, where participants discussed how discrimination against older people manifests itself, as well as the different ways it is experienced – in private life, within families, and in the wider social context. The workshop was attended by a representative of the Polish Parliament, who underlined the importance of recognizing and understanding ageism as a serious social problem.

In addition to the main performances and workshops, the festival offered a variety of accompanying artistic events and concerts by performers from different countries, with a strong emphasis on intergenerational cooperation and the exchange of experiences between younger and older generations.

The expert part of the program included Natasa Todorovic and Milutin Vracevic from the Red Cross of Serbia, who contributed with their expertise and experience to the discussions on overcoming stereotypes and building solidarity between generations. Project and performance coordinators are Lazar Jovanov, Branka Bajic, and Demir Mekic.

The Age Against the Machine project is supported by the European Union through the CERV – Network of Towns programme, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, and the City of Novi Sad, with the goal of promoting intergenerational solidarity, combating ageism, and increasing the visibility of older people in the cultural and public life of the community.

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