Back in 2008, Opera Circus began a series of cultural youth and school exchanges, between Dorset in the UK and the Srebrenica region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These exchanges would evolve into the project and community, The Complete Freedom of Truth (TCFT). One of the first young people to participate in the exchanges and contribute to the creation of TCFT was Srebrenica’s own Maja Djukanovic.

Back yard of the Srebrenica Youth Centre 2015.

“It changed me. It changed me completely. It changed my family, it changed my life, it changed my world.”

Maja’s journey as a young activist began in 2009. This happened to coincide with her first meeting Tina Ellen Lee and Robert Golden, who were visiting Srebrenica on behalf of Opera Circus. Rather than simply coming to Srebrenica, taking photos and never coming back, Tina and Robert became a consistent presence in the region and lives of the people, making a real difference.

“We wanted to work with professional theatre directors, so they bring us to them. That’s the first time in my life to start and try new forms of art, physical art, and another form of process theatre. That’s how I discovered myself, and that’s how I discovered my colleagues, that’s how I discovered the state and the country, and the place where I live.”

The “Young Team” in Srebrenica, the creative group of young people wanting to use music and theatre to unite their community by working creatively with Bosniak and Serb children together. Filip, Jana, Verica and Maja.

This first interaction with arts and activism was a huge opening for Maja: it opened doors, opened up opportunities, opened her worldview and opened her mind. Maja’s first flight took her to Dorset for the exchange, Simply Human. In Dorset, she made close friends “far away from home”. Through TCFT, Maja learnt about empathy for other young people, especially those “who are living somewhere where you think it's better, but it's not.”

The TCFT Community at the Youth Centre Srebrenica 2015.

“You are all the same, and we need to connect even more. Each time when I come back from any TCFT that I’ve been part, I came much stronger and much richer, or with new ideas and new people… It’s such a strong network.”

It was the networking aspect of TCFT that has helped to solidify Maja as a social pedagogue, as she has continued to develop a greater awareness of society, what can be done, and what can be changed. For Maja, this is not about going big or fast, as in TCFT she saw how “someone's slow motion... or baby steps can change others' lives.”

“You try to change your cosmos, your perspective, and your small cycle… Big fights and big stories are not possible because of a lot of things… because of corruption, because of nationalism, but you can be open… I do believe that the role of activist is to make yourself open to everyone.”

Since her involvement in TCFT, Maja has continuously made baby steps happen. After the children’s music theatre in Srebrenica stopped due to a lack of institutional and material support, Maja approached the Director of the Cultural Centre about starting a theatre group. She was later involved in “pushing” her local government to fund their theatre festival, which will be celebrating a “big anniversary” next year.

Maja reading her poetry at a workshop, Bridport Town Hall.

On a more personal level, TCFT helped Maja to better accept herself, especially as someone who is different to others. Not because Maja ever saw her difference as a problem, because “I do believe that inclusion starts from home, and I had that.” However, being surrounded by the wealth of diversity in TCFT allowed Maja to come to the simple understanding that “you are just a human.”

“It’s important that not just young people, but everyone can see another story, hear something different, another language, another background. It makes us all better people.”

Being a better person has led to Maja being active in several NGOs, including a women’s empowerment NGO and an arts NGO. In addition, Maja volunteers with the Red Cross and her local Cultural Centre – lending herself to anywhere she is useful. To top it all off, she is also a Master’s student, studying Social Protection in Belgrade, Serbia (to put this in context, Maja is still living in Bosnia).

It’s clear that Maja is embodying the one word she would use to sum up TCFT: Power.

“I do believe that what we are doing, and what we did, and what we’re gonna do is powerful… Power of people, power of networking, power of working on yourself, power of exploring.”

Maja, project manager in Bratunac and Srebrenica on the Erasmus project with TCFT, Take P-Art, with Studio Sereno Regis, Italy.

Like the TCFT leaders who poured into her when she was a teenager Maja is pouring into young people, answering their calls when they have ideas, so they can become activists, cultural leaders and changemakers too.

The TCFT/Take P-Art Community Srebrenica 2022.

“I’m trying to accept that I’m now someone’s Mikica*. It’s cool.”

* Mikica (Milena Nikolic) was the brilliant and brave director of the Srebrenica Youth Centre for many years, which has now sadly closed.