Danilo Jovanović, director of Physical Theater from ex-Yugoslavia and Artistic Director of Physical Theater Company “Side Effect”, currently living and working in Vienna. The main occupation of Danilo’s work was performing on stage until recently, when he stepped back into directors’ role. In his artistic production he combines theater with storytelling. He’s in love with the theatrical process and constantly looking for new ways to tell stories. Translating life itself into theatrical language is the most exciting thing for Danilo. Believing in theater as a place of collective action and a platform for sharing knowledge and experience, especially for those who have less access to resources, he founded Physical Theater Company “Side Effect” with like-minded people at the end of 2019. The vision of a theater as an open experiential space in a form of his “Open Soul concept” is at the heart of Danilo’s work.
Besides directors’ rolle he is also engaged as a theater educator and trainer on different topics. He teaches his Open Soul concept through workshops with performers or different underprivileged groups.
Shahrzad Nazarpour
Shahrzad Nazarpour grew up and studied theatre and art in Iran. Since 2020 she has been studying Transmedia Art at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. Her solo performance Hijab offline was part of the first edition of Skin – performance festival for young adults at Dschungel Wien. She got the “in the field” scholarship of Wiener festwochen and currently works as a member of “Parasol”, dance -performance company for young artist in TQW. She's a member of Side Effect since 2020.
Executive directress
Iva Marković, born in Yugoslavia, lived and worked in a few different countries before migrating to Austria. Finding the way to connect with the body and emotions inspired Iva to stand on the stage as a performer. Ivas motivation is creating possibilities to take the space for personal stories to be heard, making a stage be a place for less visible experiences. Since Ivas background is in social work and various activist engagement, her interest in socially engaged theatre was a logical step in her development as an artist. Iva is co-creator of the first ever guide on using Forum theatre in working with LGBTIQA persons in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Iva is one of the founders of the company.
Audio Visual Director
Yasemin Duru (they/them) is an audiovisual synesthete and transdisciplinary artist responsible for objects, lights and sounds within the framework of performances, workshops, and events of the Side Effect Physical Theater Company. They are interested in exploring how different sounds and settings influence our psyche, as well as how these elements help us tap into deeper parts of our self expression.
Yasemin has a BA in Visual Arts and Visual Communications Design and has worked with a very wide range of mediums and practices in the past decade. In recent years, they have begun to focus more on combining sound with visuals, as well as working more with digital elements. They are an advocate for sharing personal stories and self empowerment.