PLACE YOURSELF IN A PUBLIC SPACE 

 Within the “PLACE yourSELF INto public SPACE 4” project, we wanted to wake up young people from passively consuming individuals into active, cooperating and creative citizens of local and broader society and equip them with crucial new knowledge and competencies that will enable their creative, sovereign and articulated expression in their everyday life when looking for a job, within their studies and other education. They got an opportunity to be creatively active in the public spaces of bigger cities (Ljubljana and Beograd) as well as in the public spaces of smaller towns (Pakoštane) as well as in a big top tent (in a circus village). To explore skills of interactive street theatre, circus, performative vocalisation and signdance
theatre, as well as how these different disciplines influence each other and how fused,
they build a new discipline of art. In each of the two youth exchanges, a final performance was prepared and performed in a public space and a circus tent. To prepare the presentations or shows, the young had their hands free, with mentors guiding them along the process, allowing them to build their self-incisiveness, cooperation, and co-creation skills. An essential emphasis of the project was also getting to know the challenges and abilities of
Deaf people, as well as the similarities and differences in culture, rites, language
and life realities between the three participating countries of the Balkans region (Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia) and, as a result, recognise and diminish prejudices and stereotypes. To ensure immersion into all three cultural contexts, we chose to organise three youth exchanges within this one project – one in Ljubljana (Slovenia), one in Pakoštane (Croatia) and one in Belgrade (Serbia) – and to invite the same participants to all three of them. Indeed, many participated in all three exchanges. Due to all three partner organisations being from the region of Southeastern Europe with similar languages, we have encouraged our participants to communicate in the languages of their countries rather than in English.
Ana Monro  Cirkus Fera  Sign Dance Collective