Who We Are & What we do?
Started in 2023 by four friends
The Serbian Cultural Center of Seattle is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in September 2024.
The Center helps organize a variety of cultural and educational programs that aim to connect Serbian Americans living in Washington state and beyond.
Theatre Srce
Step into the spotlight with Theatre Srce — where storytelling comes alive through performance, creativity, and the magic of the stage.
Folklore
Celebrate the rhythms of culture and heritage with our Folklore & Traditional Dance group, where every step tells a story passed down through generations.
Book Swap
Love books? So do we. Join our Book Swap community to share, discover, and connect with fellow readers over the stories that move us.
AI CLUB
Curious about the future of technology? Our AI Club is the place to explore, discuss, and learn about the world of artificial intelligence together.
The Serbian Cultural Center of Seattle is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in September 2024. We began our journey in October 2023 when four of us friends met over coffee in Third Place Books to discuss putting up a play. It was to be a simple and small production faithful to Dragan Lazarevic’s graphic novel Sat. After all, none of us is a theater professional. Immediate and widespread community enthusiasm for the play, however, compelled us to rethink the scope of our engagement.
All along this joyous trajectory, our vision of a structured Serbian cultural involvement in the Pacific Northwest kept on expanding. The Serbian American community has a long tradition of contributing to the ethnic diversity of this area, and in founding the Serbian Community Center of Seattle, we intend to honor and continue this 150+ years of local Serbian contributions.
The Center’s mission is to etch Serbian cultural heritage into the greater Seattle area’s ethnic scene and with it to unleash a creative potential and passion that the Serbian community has always held as critical to its survival. By fostering talent and collaboration, we aim to celebrate Serbian heritage, inspire future generations and ensure a lasting cultural legacy that enriches Seattle’s diverse ethnic society.
A subset of the Serbian Cultural Center of Seattle is the amateur Serbian Theater Srce with a mission to expand the Serbian dramatic tradition in the Pacific Northwest. The Center supports another community engagement, Evenings with Literature, with a mission to renew interest and knowledge about Serbian authors and their written works across genres, topics, forms and centuries.
We welcome everyone to join us and to contribute ideas that will strengthen and further develop our Serbian cultural presence in the Seattle area and beyond.
Board Of Directors
All staff at Serbian Cultural Center of Seattle are volunteers, we appreciate their dedication to the program keeping us going!
Radenka Vojnovic, President
Leading finance and business development at the Serbian Cultural Center of Seattle and its Theatre Srce, I collaborate with the Board of Directors to advance both organizations’ missions. In my professional capacity, I navigate complex legal matters as an expert witness. As a volunteer Serbian language teacher at St. Sava School, I contribute to preserving linguistic and cultural heritage. Actively engaged in initiatives promoting women’s leadership, I advocate for empowerment and systemic change.
Balancing roles as a wife, mother, entrepreneur, and humanitarian, my endeavors are driven by a commitment to making a meaningful impact. Exploring new destinations, flying small planes, and pursuing academic research are among my passions.
I am excited to make my amateur debut in the play “The Pocket Watch,” a play that holds personal significance due to the influence of war on my childhood.
Mira Martinovic, Vice President
Writing and theater have always been the marrow of my being. After writing, directing and producing several children’s plays for our Saint Sava School, I am now the playwright and director of Sat, a play loosely based on the incredible graphic novel written by Dragan Lazarevic. This work has been fulfilling beyond words!
As a person, I am a mother, wife, writer, blogger, community member and an undaunted pacifist and optimist.
In the professional sphere, after twenty years in academic and corporate training, several years ago I trajected into the Change Management field—another fulfilling feat of my life.
Silvija Jakovljevic, Secretary
A civil engineer by education and a volunteer teacher by calling. Blessed to be a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. An Orthodox Christian by choice.
I spend my free time dancing, laughing, and reading with friends.
It’s very important to me that the Cyrillic alphabet and our culture are preserved and fostered to ensure they take root in our children and many future generations to come.
Bjanka Marceta, Treasurer
E-commerce entrepreneur with a background in Economics. A digital marketing and AI enthusiast, always looking for new ways to connect and engage audiences. Serbian language teacher at St. Sava Church in Seattle, substitute paraeducator in the local school district, mother of three, and wife.
Volunteering for the Serbian Cultural Center and Theater Srce has been a wonderful creative outlet where I can imagine, test, and put my ideas to work, while continually deepening connections within the Seattle community.
In my free time, I enjoy taking nature walks with my dog Lola, listening to my favorite podcasts, and spending time with my favorite people.
Our vision is to lay groundwork for a sustainable and dynamic legacy that celebrates Serbian heritage, inspires future generations of Serbian Americans, and builds a lasting impact which continually enriches the cultural ethnic diversity of the greater Seattle area.
We see ourselves as the descendants of the many generations of Serbian-American families that have for the past 150 years celebrated and upheld Serbian cultural heritage within the greater Seattle area. By continuing their work, we aim to inspire future generations and ensure a lasting cultural legacy that enriches Seattle’s diverse ethnic society.
We are grateful to our awesome sponsors. Thank you!
