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Childhood Stories of Forced Migration: Politically Shaped Biographies on Stage

This content was developed during a workshop at the EUSTORY Next Generation Summit 2017 from 6 to 10 October 2017 in Berlin. It brought together 100 participants from Europe and beyond who worked together with experts from the fields of academia, journalism, education and arts to explore, analyse, discuss different historical topics and highlighte their relevance for a changing Europe today.

Europe can tell many stories of persecution, escape and internment – in the present and in the past. But imagine what would happen if a boy who was deported and interned by the Nazis met a young refugee arriving in Europe in search of a better life today: What might they tell each other about their experiences? Would they report on similar strategies to deal with their fates? Participants of the workshop found out how experiences of persecution, escape and internment shape the identities of children and brought historical biographies to life on stage.

During the Summit, the workshop participants discovered and discussed past and present biographies of children who faced forced migration near their home or in their family. For the closing event they developed an artistic stage performance which impressively assembled the diverse biographies that were brought together through their work. See three excerpts from the performance below!

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What was most inspiring for me was how close the diverse stories from all over Europe got to you, even if they are very different.

Workshop participant Florian from Germany

Workshop Partner

Vajswerk is an artistic ensemble from Berlin. In a dialogue between scholarship and art, it forms ensembles to conduct biographical research and present it on stage. In a working process lasting several months, they produce theatrical presentations incorporating multiple perspectives, illuminating historical and political contexts.
Further Information: http://vajswerk.de/about-vajswerk
Workshop leaders:
Christian Tietz, historian and director, and Charles Toulouse, actor and theatre educator, supported by Joshua Engel, student and actor at Vajswerk