NEWSLETTER No. 2

KUCEVO

The end of spring and the beginning of summer in Kucevo were full of enthusiasm with regard to culture, children’s play and sport. A theatre premiere, an authentic folk arts exhibition ’’Homolj motifs’’, “Spasovdan”, the town patron saint’s day celebration, clearing up of a children’s playground in Kucevo churchyard and a streetball tournament ’’Streetball 2002’’ are the events organised by our NGO or with our immediate assistance. Let’s take one thing at a time.

For two seasons now, the amateur theatre with our town’s talented actors has been working within the association of citizens ’’Kucevo Enthusiasts’’ and Kucevo Culture Centre.  The double activity of the theatre has come about for purely practical reasons: those who wish to support the field of culture prefer doing it through our NGO than in some other way. Precisely for that reason, a great number of costumes from the National Theatre in Belgrade have been provided as well as backdrops and scenery from the theatre “Atelje 212”; all in all, the actors’ work has been made a lot easier. Through cooperation between our NGO and the local culture institution two theatre plays have already been performed and have attracted a big audience. The last premiere of Kucevo Amateur Theatre took place on 15 May 2002. The play concerned is titled ’’Stereo - drama, black comedy of Constantin & Christophor’’. This play is entirely the work of our citizens, or more precisely, our theatre (starting from the very script to directing and, of course, acting and production). Each theatre premiere is a little festival, and that is how we treat the actors and the audience. At the premiere of the play “Tulumbus” based on the script of Milos Radovic about the relations between the Serbs and Albanians, “tulumbe” cakes were served to the audience, and the ’’Stereo - drama’’ was an opportunity for Kucevo to have a pre-opening night for the first time, when the play was performed only before special guests (former actors, friends of the theatre, sponsors, ...). Over  400 viewers at the premiere shows clearly enough the people’s interest in the work of our theatre. As of autumn, ’’Stereo - drama’’ is playing in theatres throughout Serbia.

                Two manifestations that marked the end of May and beginning of June this year were organised with the assistance of our NGO. We supported ’’Homolj motifs’’, an authentic folk arts exhibition held for the 35^th time in our town and which represents the synonym for Kucevo. Our representatives were members of the Organising Committee and we made our contribution through our work and ideas. We also took part in the celebation of “Spasovdan”, the town patron saint’s day, with the Church Municipality, Municipal Assembly and the Borough of Kucevo as organisers.

                Ever since it was founded, ’’Kucevo Enthusiasts’’ has been in favour of children’s playgrounds and sports fields renovation, and the construction of new ones as well. In order to do more than simply advocate the idea we have taken certain steps that have borne fruit. We provided basketball boards for playgrounds in Kucevo and surrounding area, and what may be most important of all, we motivated others to get organised and clear up their sports fields (We primarily refer to the young in the villages of our municipality). Within the framework of this action and with the support of Kucevo Municipal Assembly, as well as of the priests of our Orthodox Church, within the St. Sava’s Day charity celebration, financial resources were obtained for clearing up a playground for the youngest, in the yard of Kucevo Church. Now, children can play in the town centre, in a completely safe place, free from traffic.

                These days, we are hosting the 7^th street basketball tournament ’’Streetball 2002’’. Every night at the centre of Kucevo our fellow-citizens of different ages are showing their basketball skills both in competition and review part of the programme. This year’s tournament’s slogan is ’’Play for playgrounds’’. Fundraising activities are being organised for providing more space for the youngest and everything necessary for clearing up sports playgrounds. Kucevo is one of the first towns in which this kind of tournament was organised. For the last two years this manifestation has been organised by our NGO, although it can be said that we have been the organisers from the very beginning, considering the fact that the founders of this event were our present members.

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