Meet the Team
Dragana Lukan Nikoloski
President and co – founder/ Dramaturge, Playwright, Screenwriter & Storyteller
Dragana Lukan Nikoloski (b. 1984) is a dramaturge, playwright, screenwriter, and storyteller based in Skopje, currently working at the Theatre for Children and Youth where many of her dramatic adaptations have been produced over the past decade. Notable among them are Animal Farm by George Orwell and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dramaturgy (2010) and a Master’s degree in Film and TV Screenwriting (2011) from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje.
Her first staged play, A Tremble Between Two Reaching Palms (2011), premiered at the theatre Jordan Hadji Konstantinov – Dzinot in Veles. Dragana is also the author of several original plays, including Marta Verina and 104.
In 2019, she received the Živko Čingo Award for her short story System Failure or How the Balkan People Realized That God Might Not Exist. Her debut short story collection Monkey Street was published in 2020. In 2024, she received the collective award for Best Adaptation at the Vojdan Chernodrinski Festival for her stage adaptation of Frankenstein.
Nina Nikolikj
Co-founder/ Theatre Director
Nina Nikolikj (b. 1987) is a theatre director based in Skopje, currently working at the Macedonian National Theatre. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Directing and in French Language and Literature, a Master’s degree in Theatre, and earned her PhD in Acting Methodology from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje, where she was promoted as Doctor of Theatre Arts in 2022.
Nina has directed over 20 productions across major theatres in North Macedonia and the region, including Marta Verina (2024), Bacchae: Agave (2022), An Enemy of the People (2022), Othello (2019), and Seagull (2018). Her work explores hybrid forms, feminist perspectives, and social issues through contemporary stage language.
She has led several international Creative Europe projects such as TRY – Theatre Reuniting Youth, PROSPER, and The Ways of the Heroes.
Darja Rizova
Co-founder of Ad Libitum / Actress
Darja Rizova (b. 1989) is an accomplished actress based in Skopje and a member of the Macedonian National Theatre ensemble. She is known for her powerful stage presence and emotional depth, often portraying complex female characters in both contemporary and classical works. Her notable stage roles include Petra in An Enemy of the People (2022), Nina Zarechnaya in The Seagull (2018), and Masha in There Will Be No End of the World (2021). Darja continues to collaborate on regional and international productions, contributing to a dynamic and socially engaged performing arts scene.
Her work has been recognized with numerous national and international awards.