CEDEUM was founded on October 29, 1999 as a non-partisan, non-governmental and non-profit association of citizens whose goal is to promote and affirm drama in education and art through:

• association of theater artists, drama pedagogues and other experts of different teaching and artistic profiles for the purpose of exchange of experience and immediate joint work and practice
• education of personnel from the fields of education and culture, social protection and other social activities, for the application of drama in their immediate work, especially with children and young people
• public advocacy for the systemic improvement of the role and place of innovative, creative and participatory dramatic activities and work methods in the field of education and upbringing, culture and art and other social activities.

Cedeum is a member as well as the national center of the International Association for Drama/Theatre and Education IDEA International within which it is also a member of the regional center for Europe - IDEA Europe. It is a member of the Association of the Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia - ANKSS.

Cedeum grew out of the drama programs and projects of "Stari Grad" Culture Center in Belgrade, which were launched at the end of the 70s through the Children's Drama Studio "Škozorište" and continued to develop and expand in the early 80s through the Drama Communication Club for Youth, Studio of creative education for children of preschool age "Školigrica". The founders and main project holders have been continuously engaged in this field for more than thirty years as promoters of new approaches in drama and theater in working with children, young people and adults, especially artists and staff from the field of education, with the vision that drama and movement become part of cultural policy and education system and with the mission to actively act through various formal and informal forms of direct work, exchange of experience and cooperation both at the local and international level.

Cedeum is an organization that gathers theater and other artists, pedagogues, psychologists, sociologists, special education teachers, educators, teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, experts in new media and other creators who are interested and who want to be active carriers of innovative, creative and participatory practices and policies for the development of creative drama and drama/theatre in education, new tendencies in performing arts for children and young people through interdisciplinary approaches, as well as different forms of meetings, expert meetings, presentations, seminars, workshops and drama/theatre training in education and art.

Cedeum supports other organizations and institutions that deal with drama and theater in education and other forms as its members and has a wide network of collaborators, both in Belgrade and throughout the country.

Cedeum has intensive cooperation and exchange of experience through various activities and joint projects at the national, wider regional and international level with international organizations in the field of creative and artistic education, especially drama/theatre in education, as well as areas such as culture and communication, education for development and peace, interactive approaches, inclusion, interculture, human and children's rights, etc.

CEDEUM projects are specific projects of culture and art both in the field of culture and art and in other areas such as education and social protection as projects of intersectoral cooperation and the realization of the goals of the right to culture that include different ages, categories and innovative, creative and participatory forms of artistic expression through drama and theater. CEDEUM works on the introduction of drama into the education system and is involved in reform processes and work on the strategy of both culture and education.

In 2020. the president of CEDEUM Sanja Krsmanović Tasić was elected president of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association IDEA, and is a member of the presidential council of WAAE-World Alliance for Arts Education.