Theatre is being used as a powerful medium to express the experiences and concerns of young women across Europe through the #ACTFEM project, spearheaded by Plàudite Teatre. The initiative is set to culminate in the performance of 'Cuando el mundo pesa' at the Tantarantana Theatre in Barcelona this Saturday.
Young women from L'Hospitalet, Athens, and Bucharest have been trained over several months to articulate their emotions and perspectives on contemporary issues, including migration challenges. Participants aged between 16 and 20 from these regions have engaged in theatrical training to convey their experiences and opinions, fostering female empowerment.
Tania Nezzar from Plàudite Teatre remarked, “What they have in common are the difficulties of life in general. In the end, each group has made it their own.”
Nezzar also emphasised the uniform training provided to all three groups, highlighting the diverse yet interconnected themes they explored, such as the future, multiculturalism, technology's impact, eating disorders, and the central theme of migration grief, particularly relevant to the L'Hospitalet group.
The piece focuses on childhood, as Nezzar stated, “These stories are often told from the adult perspective, yet it is the children who must migrate without making the decision themselves. We wanted to showcase this aspect.”
Hooria, another participant, stressed the importance of the project as a platform for addressing various issues, stating, “It is an art that anyone can understand and interpret in their own way.”
The young women from Athens will present 'Our stage, our voice', while the Bucharest group will showcase 'Everything I didn’t say'. Faidra from Athens noted, “At our age, female empowerment is very important, and through this project, I have learned a lot, made new friends, and gained new experiences.”
Her colleague Maria added, “We expressed ourselves, felt heard and kind, connecting with other women, sharing our stories, and learning from each other.”
Beyond the experience of creating, writing, and performing a theatrical piece, participants from Catalonia, Greece, and Romania highlighted the opportunity to speak with their own voices. Bianca from Bucharest shared, “The main value of this experience is meeting new people and learning something new from them.”
Her peer Sara reflected, “Of all my experiences in theatre, this has been the best because I met new people and it helped me gain confidence.”
The closing event of the #ACTFEM project, part of the Creative Europe programme, will take place this Saturday at 5 PM at the Tantarantana Theatre in Barcelona. Tickets can be reserved for free on the theatre's website.
