René Dombrowski

cultural project management

Sense of Belonging (Berlin)

The project SENSE OF BELONGING responds to the often exhausting public debates surrounding integration and migration. In this trinational youth exchange, 21 young people from Berlin, Paris, and Izmir—who have themselves experienced migration either personally or within their families—come together in active collaboration. Guided by the aim of exploring, discussing, and engaging with their (mis)understandings of migration and their longing for a sense of belonging, they examine these questions collectively within the context of their diverse living environments.

The sociocultural theatre project BERLINIZMIRPARIS – Mind the Gap!, integrated in all three cities, offers participants not only a diverse programme of discussions and activities shaped by the group itself, but also a space in which they can position themselves as active agents in their own right. Using their skills, languages, and bodies, they stage their experiences through dance and music theatre. The project provides an open framework in which young people can pursue their concerns creatively and in a self-determined manner.

At the same time, the three cities represent three thematic pillars. In Berlin, SENSE OF BELONGING focused on the present; in Izmir, the emphasis was on the past; and in Paris, the future of the participating young people formed the central theme of intercultural exchange. Following the initial meeting in Berlin in summer 2011, a subsequent encounter in Izmir took place in April 2012. The overall concept also included the organisation of a return meeting in Paris in spring 2013, with the aim of enabling participants to experience each respective living environment in a sustainable way. While the individual thematic pillars are interrelated, each constitutes an independent project in its own right.

With the kind support and funding of the German-French Youth Office, Berliner Kulturprojekte & Lebenswelt gGmbH.