Project research includes the following segments and areas: 

1. Osijek theatre criticism as a reflection of cultural identity (1945–1990) Coordinator: associate professor Alen Biskupović, PhD The research focuses on theatre criticism in Osijek newspapers from 1945 to 1990 in order to understand its aesthetic, ideological and cultural functions within the local context. The first aim is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of theatre criticism and critics as well as their role in the construction of the cultural identity of Osijek. The second aim is to contribute to the national body of knowledge about theatre criticism as intangible heritage. Theatre criticism in Osijek during the given period has not been systematically researched. The research can be used as a model for similar analyses in other Croatian towns (the creation of the national register of theatre reception).

2. Preservation, promotion and popularisation of traditional Slavonian musical identity (coordinator assistant professor Zdravko Drenjančević, PhD): A study of Slavonian musical heritage which is based on the researched musical oeuvre inspired by Slavonian melodies. Scientific research will integrate two distinct areas: heritage music and music as an art form. It will study the rich and diverse music production of the composers of the 20 th century incorporating Slavonian melodies which require further research.

3. Analysis and evaluation of the architectural heritage of eastern Croatia (Slavonia, Baranja, Srijem) (coordinator associate professor Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki, PhD) in order to position it within the wider context of Central European cultural and architectural heritage. Objects of local and regional significance (religious, economic, urban, fortified) as well as historical wine cellars will be researched. Only incomplete research of specific sites, without a comprehensive synthesis or contemporary documentation and evaluation methods, has been conducted so far. European connections have not been systematically analysed, especially in the context of sustainability and spatial identity.

4. Visual theatre in Croatia (coordinator associate professor Katarina Žeravica, PhD): The focus of the research will be on the importance of visual elements in acting and the theatrical visual elements (puppet, stage and costume design, lighting). An analysis of the historical and contemporary expression in Croatian puppetry and performance will be carried out in order to collect and analyse the data which could be used in the future historical overview of Croatian stage design, costume design as well as puppet design and technology. In Croatia, there is a lack of theoretical literature on the topic. By collecting data and creating a digital platform, this area will be accessible and no longer poorly researched.

5. Adaptations of the Western Literary Canon (coordinator associate professor Željka Flegar Jopp, PhD): The research will focus on the correlation between tradition and contemporaneity as shown by plays and the adaptations of the already adopted and affirmed dramatic patterns (poetics, genres, texts) of the Western Literary Canon, addressing their relevance in the present social/political context. The research will identify, archive and analyse dramatic adaptations in order to ensure the sustainable and social relevance of the international and national canon as well as the transnational poetics of the literary/dramatic practice. This type of systematic research has not yet been conducted, especially in terms of national literature.

6. Transcultural similarities between culture and the performing arts(coordinator full professor Leo Rafolt, PhD): The research will focus on cultural transmission, meetings and hybridisation, pseudo-assimilation when in contact with different cultural traditions – within three contexts: post-dependent South Slavic (Alps – Danube – Adriatic Sea), Eurasian and postcolonial African. The notion of performance is defined as the meeting between the local and the global (glocal), i.e. between the traditional and the contemporary, the stable and mobile identities. The research will include a comparative analysis of performing practices, visual ethnography, case studies and the use of qualitative methods. The project addresses the use of the performing arts (theatre, dance, music ritual, performing body) as a medium that negotiates identities in spaces marked by migrations, colonial and postcolonial legacy, wars, hybrid linguistic and cultural structures as well as the contemporary challenges of sustainability.

7. Application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the preservation of linguistic identity (coordinator associate professor Borko Baraban, PhD): The research deals with the possibilities and limitations regarding the application of artificial intelligence in the Croatian language, linguistic identity, language policies for languages with fewer speakers, digital literacy, AI in everyday language use and dialects, norms and language teaching, language and truth in the age of algorithms in order to systematise and recommend guidelines about the usage of AI in the Croatian language.