WALKING IN LIGHT

A poetic video-dance performance directed and produced by Elena Zervopoulou, taking us to a journey of resilience of young immigrants in search of a better future in Europe. Inspired by Participatory Video (PV) workshops with 80 young refugees hosted in shelters in South Italy.

A multidisciplinary artistic project that applies social innovation practices and participatory approach to promote social inclusion and intercultural dialogue. Empowering vulnerable communities of refugees in their socio-cultural integration while encouraging audience engagement, the project aspires to inspire citizens, united despite their differences, to take action for social change. A young refugee’s journey in Europe in search of his father and of a better future, told through the collaboration of a filmmaker, a choreographer, dancers and a composer, as a result of participatory work with groups of young refugees/immigrants in South Italy. The multilayered performance was presented around Matera in Italy (European Capital of Culture in 2019) as part of a pilot project / performance that will be scaled up and adapted in Athens, Greece, considering the refugee’s challenges there. It is based on real facts, stories, and characters gathered in creative, participatory video and dance workshops with young refugees, representing therefore the real stages of a refugee’s journey. The refugee participants are invited to join the video-dance and final performance.

The project will stay alive after the performances, through the implementation of innovative tools and strategies on an interactive cross-media platform, engaging even larger audiences across Europe.