Stage of Mind. A performance about European diversity

First of all we want to organize this exchange, because we (Over Grenzen vzw.) is an organization which aims to bring people together to think/work/be critical about war and peace, human rights and humanity. We also already organized four other exchanges and we experienced the energy of such a youth exchange. Furthermore we’ve got EVS’ers for years and we want to engage them to organize/contribute to other European projects. To share their experience, but also to learn from others. As well as to develop their own personality. This year for example the topic (theatre, music and dealing with conflicts in Europe) was chosen by our actual volunteer Kira.
The objectives of this project are varied. We want to involve youngsters and young adults from all over Europe to bring as many cultures and opinions together as possible. Our aim is to create interaction, focused on problems and solutions in Europe in the past and the present. Anyway we also want all participants to enjoy themselves during these twelve days in July (8. – 19. July 2019). Everybody shall have the chance to participate in an interesting and fun week with peers. Also we want to teach the people by working, discussing, cooking, doing the dishes together, that there is a huge diversity in Europe and everyone has his/her own background, attitude and opinion. And we want to show the local community of Lommel (and Limburg – by media papers) that these teens and young adults can actually take part in any national and international discussion. In the end we want to debate, discuss and work around the themes conflicts, peace and confrontation in Europe. And this will all be connected to theatre and music – as a surrounding board, but also as a mirror for their opinions and emotions.
These goals are connected to the Erasmus+ and KA objectives, because they essentially support cultural diversity and interaction. We want to create awareness of the many different stories and perspectives according to responsibility and humanity in Europe.
We want to create awareness of the importance of European cooperation and dialogue, remembering the past (WOII, linked to our work at House Across Borders), but also other European wars and conflicts in past and present. With this idea in mind, we want to transform every kind of thinking and opinion into something progressive and impressive by the help of theatre and music. We also want to open up with theatre and music a new way of communication and getting to know each other.
The big cemetery and current European problems with refugees, but also with right-winging parties show how important it is to communicate across the borders of countries and cultures. Most of the Europeans only know the big number of deaths in the Second World War or the name of a cross. Sometimes not even that. We want to give these names a face and a story and we would like to introduce the participants from five different countries to each other and give them a chance to interact together about many different topics. We want to create a social and political awareness about Europe and give the participants the chance to express themselves through theatre and music.
By organizing a youth exchange and bringing young people from five different countries together at one place, we want to enhance the dialogue about conflicts, conflict resolution and peace in history and today. The participants have different cultural, national or even religious backgrounds and views. By discussing these, we encourage the European cooperation and intercultural dialogue.