I had the chance to take part in the STAY: Storytelling Through Acting for Youth Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project, held in Vic, Spain, between 21 and 29 June 2024. Since I had already participated in two Erasmus+ Youth Exchange projects, I was familiar with the general structure and dynamics of such projects. However, STAY became one of the most professional and fulfilling projects I had ever joined, with its topic, workshops and organization.

The project focused on theatre, storytelling and human rights. Although I did not have a professional theatre background, I was able to express myself comfortably throughout the project. Participants from different countries had different levels of experience, but the environment was very supportive. This helped me try new things and express myself more freely on stage.

Introductions and first stories

21 June was the arrival day. After a short introduction in the evening, we had dinner together. While I met some members of the Turkish team for the first time that evening, we would meet the other participants the next day.

On 22 June, the project officially began. After breakfast, we formed a circle with chairs and changed seats to learn each other’s names, countries, favorite films, foods and places they wanted to visit. Then we created profile-like posters for one another using this information and hung them on the wall.

Then our Secret Friend activity began. Throughout the project, we would write notes, prepare small surprises and give gifts to our secret friends. We wrote our Erasmus+ experiences, expectations and fears on posters. We also played “3 truths, 1 lie” to get to know one another better.

Different perspectives on human rights

On 23 June, we took part in a workshop on migration, migrants, refugees, reasons for migration and human rights. Then we represented several human rights concepts through theatre. We also did an activity where we ranked rights according to importance, and everyone explained the reasons behind their order.

One of the most impressive activities of the day was the role-based exercise. Some of us represented migrants, some refugees and others people living in more privileged conditions. We answered the questions asked to us from the perspective of our characters.

Putting ourselves in another person’s place reminded us once again how important empathy is. In the evening, Spain Cultural Night was held. We learned common misconceptions about Spain and tasted local flavors. Then we went to the city center of Vic for the Sant Joan Festival. Experiencing the atmosphere, celebrations and fireworks of this special night marking the beginning of summer became one of the most unforgettable moments of the project.

From the Maiden’s Tower to storytelling techniques

On 24 June, we divided into national groups and chose a mythology or legend from our own country to prepare a short theatre performance. As the Turkish team, we chose the legend of the Maiden’s Tower. We turned the story into a script, shared roles and performed it in a short time.

Later, we divided into different groups to work on storytelling techniques. My group chose the Question Technique. We researched where this technique is used, in which situations it is effective and examples of its use in series and films. We presented the posters we prepared to the other groups.

Discovering Girona

25 June was the excursion day in our project program. In the morning, we set off by bus to Girona. When we arrived, we walked toward the city center while our trainers shared information about Girona’s history and culture.

Then we visited Girona Cathedral. The fact that it was one of the filming locations of Game of Thrones made it even more interesting for me. Afterwards, we had a few hours of free time. We explored the area around the cathedral, the streets and the bridges of the city. We also tried Girona’s famous desserts and ice cream.

Theatre, improvisation and hiking

On 26 June, we began the day with acting activities designed to improve our theatre and creativity skills. In one activity, we embodied the seats of a car, and each actor’s performance had to affect the mood of the others. Then we worked on improvisation. When we stepped onto the stage, we were given a scenario and costumes, and after a short preparation time, we performed according to the given role.

In the workshop prepared by the Spanish team, we played a game where we represented different political parties in a town. Each group defended its own ideas while the mayor tried to decide which view to support.

At the end of the day, we met nature. We joined a hiking activity on a mountain about half an hour away from our hostel. Our walk began at 20.00 and ended when we returned to the hostel at 01.00. Although it was long and tiring, it became one of the most beautiful memories of the project.

Bringing human rights to the stage

27 June was almost entirely devoted to theatre performances. We were randomly divided into groups and asked to choose one topic among migration, refugees, human rights or social participation and prepare a theatre performance of about 15 minutes.

We chose the right to marry and found a family, and staged our story through a couple being forced into marriage by family pressure against their own will. Other groups prepared plays on social participation, bullying and different human rights topics.

After each performance, the audience guessed the message of the play and which human rights were addressed. In the reflection activity afterwards, we shared more deeply the feelings and thoughts created by the plays.

These activities showed me that theatre is not only an art form, but also a powerful tool for making social issues visible and encouraging people to think.

Final workshops and creativity

28 June was the final day of the project. In the morning, there was a program where we could choose among eight different activities prepared by participants. We chose from options such as a murder mystery game, origami, a short film activity with Turkish coffee and volleyball.

In the afternoon, we arranged our chairs in a circle and meditated together. We evaluated the activities we had done throughout the week one by one and talked about what we had learned and how we felt. Then our Secret Friend activity came to an end. We gave each other our final gifts and realized that it was time to say goodbye.

Goodbyes and new beginnings

On the morning of 29 June, the Turkish and Italian teams left the hostel and set off toward the center of Barcelona. When I started the project, I thought I had only eight days of training and youth exchange ahead of me. But by the end of the project, I saw that it was much more than that.

I learned how people from different countries can look at human rights from different perspectives. These discussions improved my empathy skills and helped me reconsider some of my thoughts.

Through theatre, I learned to use my creativity, tell a story in different ways and express myself on stage. Thanks to constantly changing groups, I had the chance to communicate with almost everyone.

But among all these things, the most valuable gain for me was the bonds I built with people. I never thought I would create such deep relationships with people I had met in such a short time. I feel that each of them left a different mark on my life.