What does motherhood look like today between career, personal ambitions and societal expectations – and is there even a ‘right’ way to balance it all?
The answers are not offered by theory, but by the real lives of women who will talk about it openly, honestly and without embellishment at the Open Studio Europe – Motherhood in Dialogue event, which will be held on March 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the French Institute in Novi Sad (Bulevar despota Stefana 5).
Participation is free, but the number of places is limited, so registration is mandatory via the link HERE.
The focus of the conversation will be the personal experiences of women who simultaneously build a professional identity and a family life. Through the exchange of stories and mutual listening, issues of the daily balance between work and family, challenges in the different stages of motherhood, the impact of social expectations, as well as the importance of support and community will be opened up.
A special segment of the event consists of parallel creative workshops for children , organized in a special area of the French Institute, in order to enable mothers to participate unhindered. The workshops will be realized in cooperation with the Support Constellation Network and will be divided into two age groups – from 6 to 10 and from 10 to 14 years – with a focus on creative expression, mental health and the development of supportive skills.
The interviewees come from different professional and life contexts. Blagovesta Vasileva , originally from Bulgaria, has been living in Zrenjanin for 14 years and working at the National Theater “Toša Jovanović”, and through her personal experience of motherhood she brings the perspective of intercultural parenting. Biljana Rakić , with the experience of working in the Serbia-America relationship in the HR and IT sector, through professional and activist engagement, deals with issues of equality, the position of women and balancing career and parenthood.
The conversation is moderated by Angelina Popović, a sociologist and the author of the blog “ Svilene bube” , a platform that deals with the real experiences of women, motherhood and the daily challenges of modern life.
The event is realized in partnership with the French Institute Novi Sad, as part of the Open Studio Europe program and the #CelebrateWomen campaign, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, and is designed as a space for dialogue between local and European perspectives on contemporary social issues.