He was one of the few "permanent guest" of the E.D. because he was never repeating a lecture but always linked his interventions to crucial actual issues and was pushing our young bright cultural operators to think by themselves, to be involved and risk sharing. He could be impatient, tough and I even heard some people paint him (wrongly, of course) as slightly despising.
Actually, he just couldn't stand fake talk and people, even nice, who were not involved enough, not delivering enough. Although, I was sometimes reacting to his "tone", I did fully appreciate his strong interactions and believed it made our participants grow.
We are never demanding enough. And he was so uncompromising that he didn't allow any cheap way out.
However, maybe, what I liked most with Dragan, as a colleague and friend, is that he was never afraid to speak out and to act accordingly whatever the risks.
For instance, he fought with the Dutch authorities about their cultural cuts. And he didn't hesitate to resign his position as director of the Theatre Instituut Nederland.
He was - and there are so few of this breed - a genuine free thinker.
Dragan’s other “face of the moon” was also appealing. He loved life, friendship, research, writing, lecturing, good meals and ouzo on the terrace of Delphi....
By the way, I who do not really believe that death is real, wouldn't be surprised if, next year in ομφαλος, he would pop up, share his sharp analyses and talk, for instance, about "institutional fatiiigue" with a smile and shining eyes.
He will ever be with us caring and ensuring that we do our duty.
Very warm regards to all,
Jean Pierre
PS: I wrote this very personal note also on behalf of some close friends.
It is specially the case of Ljiljana who had Dragan as a demanding/creative mentor and Ferdinand Richard who was in our Orientation Board (as O.B. One) with him.