It took me two bus rides, a metro, and a train and after 18 hours I finally reached my destination. Debrecen, Hungary was a peaceful place with a nice weather and picturesque landscapes that gave me a good feeling about this project even from the very beginning. I arrived just in time for dinner where I got to meet the other participants who by the end of the trip, I would come to call my friends. I felt welcomed and comfortable in every aspect.

I woke up extremely excited about what’s to come. I was eager to learn, socialize, have fun, but most importantly, have another amazing Erasmus+ experience to take home with me. With the first activity being a get-to-know-each-other energizer and the welcoming approach the facilitators had, what was a room full of strangers, quickly became a room filled with creators, thinkers, and friends.

Not far after, we jumped to the actual reason why we came all the way from our home countries to this beautiful place. The training course “Act It Out!” had an aim to bring us closer to the methods of Theatre of the Oppressed. Its main focus was Forum theatre, Image theatre and Newspaper theatre. The way our facilitators guided us into the topic was more than just educational – it was transformative. They didn’t just teach us the methods, they led us through experiences that made the theory come to life which helped us not just understand the concepts, but feel them, live them… Those methods became our weapons for tackling sensitive topics like gender inequality, mental health stigma, discrimination, and the silence around abuse.

We came with different languages but shared the same longing – to speak the unspeakable. By stepping into character and stepping out of our comfort zones, we turned this training course into a space to feel, shout, cry, laugh, freeze, and move again. It felt less like a performance and more like preparation for reality, where change begins with one bold question: What if we did some things differently?

I ended up leaving with more than what I could ever expect. The knowledge I gained, the professional connections I made, the places and cultures I got to see and experience, the fun I had and friendships I built that would last a lifetime filled my heart with nothing but pleasure and delight. I will forever be grateful for having the opportunity to have been part of such lifechanging experience. I came to this project hoping to escape my own reality for a moment, but instead I stepped into a new one that opened my eyes, stirred my heart, and reminded me what it means to be profoundly human.

Jelopi Sedeu Nishevikj

The project “Act It Out!” took place in Debrecen, Hungary from 11.05. to 20.05.2025. The project organizer and the host was Hang-Kép Egyesület.

Pictures: Feyrouz Saidi