Presented the virtual interactive musical "We'll Be Better Off If We (Don't) React"

The Basics School and the Institute for Youth Development KULT, with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands, presented the virtual interactive musical "We'll Be Better Off If We (Don't) React."

The Music Atelier in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through its two branches, the Basics School and MAUBIH Production, in collaboration with the Institute for Youth Development KULT, has prepared the first original musical that is a completely local music-theater production, primarily aimed at youth but also for everyone else. The musical "We'll Be Better Off If We (Don't) React" tells the story of four young people who, through daily conversations, reflect on the human rights issues of youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina that stem from their personal traumas, history, problems, and desires.

This youthful perspective on everyday issues prompts us to think about young people and the rights that are being violated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, this musical is meant for everyone. Both for the youth and for those who make decisions about the rights of young people.

After successfully producing musicals for children, Basics School now turns to address the youth, tackling themes of human rights, specifically youth rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through a musical performance. The musical is virtual, as it was fully produced and directed for the online or virtual world, in which we are increasingly participants. It is interactive because viewers participate in answering a survey question during the live stream.

Aware of the fact that the Internet today is flooded with various content and that we have less and less time and attention to watch that content, the musical is structured into three short scenes, lasting only 20 minutes.

"It’s very challenging to engage with young people. While we know what attracts their attention today and how to hold it, we decided to stick with a more classical musical format in terms of music, script, and scene structure. The mission of Basics School is the education of children and youth, so we are using this musical performance as an opportunity to educate young people about what art and theater are. I hope we managed to strike a balance between what draws youth and where they should focus," stated Đorđe Jovančić, the director of Basics School and the author of the musical.

The cast includes Tea Sejmenović, Issa Osmić, Ema Durić, and Zara Rašidagić, students of Basics School who have had notable roles in previous musicals by the school. The directors are Staša Dukić (London, UK) and Đorđe Jovančić (East Sarajevo, BiH).

The rest of the production team includes:

Casting: Staša Dukić and Đorđe Jovančić; Script: Đorđe Jovančić; Music: Đorđe Jovančić; Choreography: Ivana Hadžihasanović; Costume: Armin Ćosić; MUA: Vesna Husić; Vocal Supervisor: Adelisa Saračević; Acting Supervisor: Nadine Mičić; Producer: Ana Gluhović; Music Producer: Đorđe Jovančić; Executive Producer: Đorđe Jovančić; Lighting: Dino Memić and Adis Mirojević; Video Mapping: Slađan Vujić; Decorator: Haris Landžo; Driver: Dragan Jovančić; Sound: Vanja Kurtović; Camera: Marko Jovančić, Ivan Trnčić, and Vanja Košutić; Drone Operator: Ivan Trnčić; Graphic Design: Peđa Kazazović; Photography: Marko Jovančić; Video Animation: Marko Jovančić; Editing: Marko Jovančić; Live Stream: MAUBIH Production; Production: Basics School; Co-Production: Youth Theater Sarajevo; Executive Production: MAUBIH Production.

The musical premiered on September 15 at 6 PM and was live-streamed from the Youth Theater Sarajevo, broadcast on the Basics School YouTube channel.

The musical was created with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Youth Development Institute KULT. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Youth Development Institute KULT, and the responsibility lies with the authors.