Otvorena Scena OBALA was formed by the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Sarajevo, as well as a space for lectures, presentations of student works, from the exams papers of directing, acting and dramaturgy, and especially place of professional theater productions and organized movie projections.

The Academy was established in December 1981, and in the November 1984 Otvorena Scena OBALA started to work. For a short time, with the help of their employees, teachers and students, becomes one of the most interesting theater center in the former Yugoslavia. Remain well remembered some of the most interesting theater performances such as: „Audicija“, „ Čudo u Šarganu“, „Ples 80 -ih“, „Tetovirano pozorište“, „Mrešćenje šarana“, „Ćelava pjevačica“, „Dame biraju“, „Ludilo u dvoje“, „Divlje meso“, „Sav taj Jazz“ and others.

The head of the Otvorena Scena OBALA, as its artistic leaders places changed: Mladen Materić, Emir Kusturica, Miroslav Ćiro Mandić, and in plays were appearing all the significant names of B&H theater.

Today Acadmey has three departments (acting, directing and dramaturgy), and the scope of action of the Open Scene has greatly expanded. In addition to all this happenings Scena also organizes concerts of alternative bands from all over the Europe. Seminars and workshops are among other things, an important segment of OBALA. Many guests, speakers from all over the world, have passed through here, and such a tradition was not interrupted during the aggression agaist B&H.

Students of the Academy over the past 25 years have had the opportunity to meet with Mustafa Nadarević, Leos Carax, Jaen-Luc Godard, Richard Gere, Susan Sontag, Bono Vox, Vitom Taufer, Enki Bilal, Michael Cimino, Hanifa Kureishi, Danis Tanovic, Čedom Kolar, etc.

The deepest mark in the active work of the scene OBALA, were left by: Boro Stjepanović, Emir Kusturica, Mladen Materić, Miroslav Ciro Mandic, Miralem Zupcevic, Admir Glamocak, Emir Hadžihafizbegović, Haris Burin, Sasa Petrovic, Senad Basic, and many others.