I think that this name is perfect for the project. The power of theatre is so big that it can join different people with different ideas, religions and beliefs. When you act, you create the reality that you are living, and appears a magic ambient.
When we arrived to Cornellana, placed in a beautiful mountain environment, leaving the pollution of the city behind, we had a lot of fears and low expectations: will I have fun? Will I meet friends? Will I be able to share what I have inside and show the best of myself? All of these questions were in our heads all the time. We knew us from one day, the previous meeting day, but instantly we started to feel like a family. In our family, a part of the five Spanish participants, there were also Elena, the project coordinator, Gemma, the facilitator and creator of The Power Of Theatre, and Laura, the funniest and friendly cooker we could ever have.
Step by step, when the days passed, and we spent more time together, we met more people and, even though we didn’t know a lot about each other, and we lived in different realities, we were supporting each other, sharing our circumstances and working together. The language was never a problem, because we still could understand each other.
We touched a lot of different theatre disciplines like clown, theatre of the oppressed, puppets, improvisation, etc. Each one showed us different things, and we achieved to leave the shyness behind and do it together. Everybody was embarrassed to share their idea, and we also had respect to show our creations. A lot of problems and interesting themes appeared, and it was cool to debate them.
Eva, one of the participants, shared with us that she take a very beautiful memory about this youth exchange. “It created a relaxed, extraordinary, proximity and confident clime, which permitted me to connect to the others, with the theatre and, the most important, with myself. I felt free and safe, and I took a lot of life lessons. I value a lot this experience.” We felt so much free and connected, as much as we couldn’t imagine at the beginning.
Those moments of creation and free time were perfect to connect to everyone, and every time we were more “one”.
Othmane shared with us his thoughts too: “It has been an incredible and unforgettable experience, where we have passed a week in plenty of energy, learning theatre with very good people from different parts of the world; sharing our cultures, experiences and good moments.”
In my opinion, my internship mates couldn’t describe it better. A motivating experience in a very enriching environment. Thank you, Catalunya Voluntària for your job and for the opportunity, thanks Gemma for creating, and being the best facilitator in the world and caring all about the others.
