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Breaking stereotypes and xenophobia via art

An ancestral village in the Caucasus represented the ideal meeting point between East and West and was regarded as a perfect setting for theatre, dance and music to come together in order to overcome stereotypes. The project took place over the summer of 2007 in Tzagveri, a small village roughly two hours away from the Georgian capital Tbilissi. 16 young people and four youth leaders aged 17 to 23 were involved in the project, representing Basque Spanish, France, Georgia and Ukraine. These 20 young people, all belonging to different cultural backgrounds, had eight days to organise workshops, design a set, compose a song, and create choreography for a play to be presented to the local public. Although they faced major challenges, by working together the members of the theatre group rose above their stereotypes and the complex geopolitical situation of the region. The project touched on the 1991 independence of Ukraine and Georgia, on the diversity of the alphabet and the common use of the Russian language by both countries. The political developments which arose between the Russian Federation and Georgia during the exchange evoked the tensed relation between the two countries. As a group, the youths decided each other’s role in the production and voted on the issues to be dealt with in the play. Some issues were so delicate, such as religion and homosexuality, that the production had to be rearranged due to the resistance of some of those involved. In the end, the process was very enriching, friendships were made, and people from very different background learned about each other and their cultures.
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