With great pleasure, we announce that the project “Dog Training and Adoption in the Juvenile Correctional Facility in Kruševac” has been successfully completed. The initiative began in May and lasted six months, during which we combined education, social reintegration of young residents, and care for abandoned animals.

Over the course of the project, 15 carefully selected participants were given the opportunity to develop responsibility, empathy, and practical professional skills through working with dogs, and 10 of these participants successfully completed the program and gained certificates as professional dog handlers. Infrastructure improvements from the previous phase—construction and adaptation of kennels—enabled the accommodation of 10 new dogs, which were integrated into the program and became part of the education and socialization process.

The project is recognized as pioneering in Serbia – and we extend special thanks to donor Anke Erne and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, whose support made the entire initiative possible and whose forward‑thinking ideas encourage the continuation and expansion of the project.

At CRI Institute, our goal is for this model to become a permanent practice in penal institutions that brings benefits to both young people and animals. The next step will involve extending this model into a more secure unit, and we also plan to produce a documentary film about the project and promote it further, with a focus on replicating the model in the region.

We thank everyone who supported this initiative and invite those interested to join us in future activities – because when caring for animals gives new hope for a better tomorrow, enthusiasm and transformation become real.

Theatre as a Path to a New Beginning

We invite you to the final presentation of the international project All Hands On Stage – Theatre as a Tool for the Professionalisation of Inmates (grant no. 101100119), implemented with the support of the Creative Europe programme.

📍 Lokal Hub, Beogradska 1a, Kraljevo
📅 Thursday, 11 July 2025
🕖 19:00 – 21:00

The event brings together experts in the field of social inclusion, institutional representatives, artists, and citizens interested in the use of art in the context of rehabilitation and reintegration.

🔹 Project goals and achievements will be presented
🔹 Attendees will have the opportunity to view an excerpt from the play “Paris and Helen”, created in collaboration with the female inmates of the Požarevac Correctional Facility
🔹 The publication “Legal Framework and Good Practices” will be presented, including case studies from the partner countries (Italy, Germany, Poland, Greece and Serbia)

The final part of the programme will be reserved for open discussion and informal networking over refreshments.

We believe that art holds the power to inspire change — even in the most closed environments. Join us and be part of this story!

Check out the full agenda of the event here!

The final meeting of the international project AHOS – All Hands On Stage: Theatre as a Tool for the Professionalization of Inmates, supported by the Creative Europe program, was held on June 25 and 26, 2025, in Berlin, organized by partner organization aufBruch.

This two-day event gathered all project partners from various European countries to jointly analyze the outcomes of their work, share experiences, and initiate discussions on continuing cooperation through a future project, AHOS II.

June 25 was dedicated to an internal partners’ meeting at the aufBruch office. Technical and administrative aspects of the final report were discussed, along with communication and dissemination strategies and plans for future activities. The day concluded with a joint informal dinner.

June 26 featured a public presentation of the project results at Humboldt University, attended by students and professionals from the field of social work. The event showcased project results, a handbook, and the legal framework with best practices from partner countries, followed by a discussion on inspirations and challenges of working with inmates through artistic approaches.

The highlight of the event was an evening visit to Tegel Prison, where partners and guests attended a performance of “Titus Andronicus” by inmates in collaboration with the aufBruch team. The performance was followed by a discussion with participants and prison staff on the impact of artistic work in the context of rehabilitation and reintegration.

The closing dinner offered an opportunity to reflect on the experience and hold informal conversations about the project’s future.

The AHOS project has left a significant mark in prison institutions across Europe, proving that theatre can be a powerful tool for personal growth, creative expression, and professional empowerment of inmates.

A sequel is in the making! Stay tuned as we await the results and hope for good news from Creative Europe!

We are thrilled to announce that our dog training and adoption project at the Juvenile Correctional Facility in Kruševac will continue for another 6 months, thanks to the generous support of donor Anka Erne and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation.

In the upcoming period, juvenile residents will have the opportunity to further engage in the socialization and training of dogs, providing them with the love and care they deserve.This project not only helps stray dogs find new homes but also offers the residents a chance to develop empathy, responsibility, and new skills.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the success of this project and look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts in building a better society for all.

On May 8th, 2024, we visited the Student Cultural Center in Opole, Poland, to attend the final partner premiere within the AHOS project – an international initiative that uses theatre as a tool for the professionalization of incarcerated individuals. The performance Lost Angeles, directed by Agnieszka Bresler, was the result of months of creative work with women from the External Unit in Turawa and men from the Remand Prison in Opole who completed technical training in lighting and sound.

The performance stood out in many ways – the script was based on the authentic experiences and dreams of incarcerated women, while the technical realization was carried out by their peers from the prison’s technical theatre course. On stage, we did not see “inmates” – we saw actresses, technicians, and artists, people with new perspectives and new chances.

The AHOS partner in Poland, Kobietostan, is a Wrocław-based collective devoted to socially engaged art and working with marginalized communities, particularly women facing multiple layers of exclusion. Their years of experience in prison theatre were transformed into a powerful artistic statement that left no one in the audience indifferent.

Lost Angeles is more than a performance – it is a declaration of possibility. If the old world can’t offer a second chance, maybe it’s time to create a new one. That is precisely what the AHOS project strives for – to open doors to professionalism, resocialization, and dignity through the power of art.

We are pleased to announce that the dog training and adoption project at the Kruševac Correctional Facility has successfully passed the halfway mark. Despite challenges related to infrastructure works, we have managed to complete all planned activities and even surpass our initial goals. The dog kennels and training ground have been fully completed, providing the necessary infrastructure for training both the residents and the dogs, as well as for additional training of the commander.

We are particularly delighted that the residents have responded extremely well to working with the dogs. As the project progressed, more and more people within the institution—technical staff, instructors, department heads, and the warden—joined in with added enthusiasm. This has given us further motivation to continue with additional activities, including upcoming lectures and visits from a veterinarian, as well as a canine judge and lecturer at the canine academy, Professor Darko Drobnjak, and other experts.

The report on the first half of the project’s activities has been submitted and, to our great delight, approved. We received interesting ideas from the donor Anka Erne about a practice in some European countries where dogs are introduced into prison cells so that inmates spend even more time with them, become more aware of their needs, and gain additional benefits from caring for animals. These suggestions have already been presented to the facility’s administration for consideration, potentially guiding the next phase or possible continuation of the project.

We extend our gratitude to everyone involved in this initiative and will continue to work on improving the program, hoping that it will become a lasting practice that benefits both the residents and the animals.

CRI Institute had the honor of attending two unforgettable theater performances organized within the AHOS project. These performances, led by Fabrica Athens from Athens and Teatro dei Venti from Modena, demonstrated the incredible power of theater as a tool for the resocialization and reintegration of prisoners.

“Dog Tags” – Fabrica Athens, Thebes, Greece

On December 30^th, 2024, Fabrica Athens premiered the play “Dog Tags” in the detox prison in Thebes under the direction of incredible Stathis Grapsas. The performance was a remarkable example of creative expression and the transformative power of art. Prisoners, as actors, displayed extraordinary courage and dedication, bringing to the stage emotional and powerful stories reflecting their inner struggles and hopes.

The audience was deeply moved by the authenticity of the performance, which used symbolism and compelling dialogues to shed light on themes of identity, guilt, and redemption. It was particularly impressive to see how the prisoners utilized theater as a means to express their emotions, building mutual trust and solidarity in the process.

“Seven Against Thebes” – Teatro dei Venti, Modena, Italy

Teatro dei Venti, the lead partner of the AHOS project, presented a spectacular performance of “Seven Against Thebes” on December 12, 2024, in Modena. The play was an interpretation of the third act of Aeschylus’s ancient tragedy “Oedipodeia“, adapted to allow prisoners to relate to the characters and themes.

The performance was a true visual and emotional sensation. The combination of modern stage effects, intense performances, and profound symbolic messages left the audience in awe. The prisoners who participated in the play demonstrated not only their talent but also an incredible willingness to confront personal and societal challenges through artistic expression.

The play conveyed universal messages about human fate and resilience while also showcasing how art can become a powerful tool for overcoming stigma and rebuilding prisoners’ self-confidence.

Impressions and the Importance of the AHOS Project

Both performances highlighted the importance of using art as a means of resocialization. The audience, including CRI representatives, emphasized how these performances profoundly moved everyone present and reminded them of the importance of empathy, understanding, and support in the process of reintegrating prisoners into society.

The AHOS project continues to inspire through the collaboration of artists, prison staff, and the community, showing that theater is not just a form of entertainment but also a means of transformation and hope. These performances are proof that art can change lives, offer new perspectives, and open the door to a brighter future for all participants.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the “Dog Adoption and Training in the Kruševac Juvenile Correctional Facility” project, running from November 15, 2024, to March 15, 2025. This innovative initiative offers a fresh opportunity to 20 carefully selected residents, chosen based on their motivation to acquire new skills and turn their lives around.

Work has already begun on adapting existing and building new kennels for the dogs, ensuring high-quality conditions for training sessions and interactions with the residents. This new infrastructure will not only enhance the project’s execution but will also serve future generations of residents.

A key aspect of the project’s sustainability is the inclusion of facility staff, who will undergo dog training sessions alongside the residents. This ensures that the knowledge and skills acquired during the project will remain within the institution, enabling the continuation of activities beyond the project’s duration.

The project helps young participants develop empathy, responsibility, and practical skills, while also benefiting the community by preparing dogs for adoption and raising awareness about animal care and the importance of socially responsible behavior.

We extend our gratitude to the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation and the donor Anka Erne, for their support and vision which made this initiative possible. Stay tuned for updates on the progress of this inspiring project!

Pozarevac, May 31 / June 7, 2024

For us, anything is possible! Even rewriting ancient myths and giving them happy endings by those deprived of freedom. This is not a utopia, this is reality!

We are immensely proud to announce that on Friday, May 31st, at the Women’s Correctional Facility in Pozarevac, the premiere of the play “Paris and Helen – The Myth of Troy” was held. This highly significant event for us brought together representatives from the prison system, the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, and, of course, our international partners in the AHOS (All Hands on Stage) project, supported by the Creative Europe program.

The play, inspired by the Greek myth, is part of the current project led by Teatro dei Venti from Modena. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy sincere artistic performances by the inmates, who brought the story of Paris and Helen to life through a unique combination of singing, folk music, dance, poetry reading, and theater. Each scene was infused with strong emotions, creativity, and dedication, offering an optimistic conclusion to the ancient myth.

Parallel to the play’s preparations, the inmates professionalized through a stage photography course conducted by the Photography Factory under the sharp focus of Aleksandra Popović Petković. This course was a crucial part of the project, enabling the inmates to acquire valuable skills that will help them reintegrate into society. At the end of the event, certificates were awarded to the participants for successfully completing the course, highlighting their effort and commitment.

This exceptional event was also attended by our esteemed partners from European organizations: Teatro dei Venti (Italy), Collective Kobietostan (Poland), Fabrica Athens (Greece), and Sommerblut and aufBruch (Germany). Together with us, they enjoyed the artistic program and witnessed how art can change lives and bring hope.

This spectacle was repeated for the general public on June 7th at the Cultural Center of Požarevac, as part of a special event marking the 150th anniversary of the Penitentiary Institute. The AHOS project, supported by the EU Creative Europe program, once again proves that art can be a powerful tool for rehabilitation and empowerment.

Cologne, May 16, 2024

The CRI Institute had the exceptional honor and privilege of attending a remarkable performance organized by our partner Sommerblut from Cologne, as part of its Kulturfestival. This year’s festival is being held in Cologne from May 4th to 20th at multiple locations, featuring over 18 events. One of these events was the play “HALT,” directed by Elisabeth Pleß and performed by inmates of the JVA Ossendorf correctional facility in Cologne.

A Word or Two About the Play

On the afternoon of May 15th, 15 inmates presented an extraordinary piece combining dance, song, and acting prowess on the theme of utopia. The performance opens with the song’s words: 

“I dream of a land where water flows from the mountains and penetrates the white sand. Where the desire for harmony blooms. Infinite expanses, with no horizon in sight. So close to the sky.”

The title of the play, HALT, means “Stop!” but symbolically can also be read as “halt,” representing everything that keeps the actors stuck in their current environment. It is a work that speaks of safety, order, setting boundaries, and finding freedom within incarceration. The performers brought to the stage powerful, original texts in an intense mix of music, movement, and words.

The performance was part of the AHOS project, which aims not only at creative expression but also at providing professional training for inmates in behind-the-scenes professions, such as costume design and stage makeup. Within the project, inmates acquired valuable knowledge and skills that will assist them in reintegrating into society after serving their sentences.

The play was exceptionally emotional and inspiring, as evidenced by the reactions of the audience, which numbered around 200 spectators. Through dance, song, and acting, the inmates presented their visions of a better future and hopes for a new beginning. Each scene was carefully conceived and performed with great dedication. The choreography was dynamic, featuring complex dance movements that expressed struggle, hope, and community. The songs were emotional, with lyrics that spoke of longing for freedom and faith in a better life.

The actors especially impressed with their sincerity and depth of interpretation. The roles were diverse, showcasing different aspects of human nature and society. The audience was moved by their ability to convey their internal struggles and dreams through art.

After the performance, the audience had the opportunity to talk with the inmates who participated in the play. This part of the event, co-financed by the Creative Europe funding program, allowed visitors to better understand the challenges and successes of inmates in their rehabilitation process. The discussions were open and cordial, giving attendees insight into how art can positively impact the lives of inmates.

This event demonstrated how art can play a crucial role in the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society, while also offering a unique and inspiring experience for all present. The performance proved that creativity and artistic expression can bring significant changes, providing inmates with new perspectives and motivation for the future. The CRI team truly enjoyed every moment spent in the audience.